Festival of New Trumpet Music Preview: Q&A with Jeremy Pelt
Font co-curator and killer trumpet player Jeremy Pelt sits down with Fully Altered Media for a short Q&A. Jeremy is the curator of FONT 2013 program at Smoke where he’s headlining on September 19th. Full list of dates and times below.
FONT @ Smoke
September 17:
7pm Vitaly Golovnev
9pm Miki Hirose
10:30pm Lulu’s Playground with Adam Meckler
11:30pm Josh EvansSeptember 19
7pm Bria Skonberg
9pm Nick Roseboro
10:30pm Billy Buss
11:30pm Jeremy Pelt
Talk a bit about the venue you chose to curate in? Why is it special to you? Why do you want people to experience that particular venue? Or was it the most hospitable venue available for what you wanted to do?
Curating events for this festival has been a very eye (and ear)- opening experience. One of the things that I dig the most about the position that I’m in is that it gives me a chance to help other trumpeter-composers present their visions to an audience that might not hear them otherwise.
This year, I was delighted that Paul Stache, the part owner and proprietor of Smoke agreed to open his doors to FONT. Smoke has long since been a place where I’ve presented my various ensembles and in my estimation, is one of the few clubs in NY that cares about the music. It is my guess that FONT and its participants will feel welcome and comfortable at the club.
What event besides the events you curated are you most looking forward to checking out live?
Because I’m so busy, routinely spreading myself thin trying to balance my work, other people’s work AND kids, I don’t have the type of time I had years ago to comb the scene looking for the new upstarts. FONT provides a worthy “excuse” for me to get out there and see who’s playing. In the past, it has been customary to pay tribute to various legendary trumpeters by rehashing their music. In recent years I’ve been quite vocal about the need for us to represent ourselves, which is why I proudly accept the challenges with the Festival Of New Trumpet Music that come from programming (in this year’s case) eight disparate trumpeter-led bands. The criteria for my choosing the performers is based off of my general feeling for their music and it’s inherent need to connect to the people.
