Ascension

The Black Art Jazz Collective was founded in 2012 by Wayne

Escoffery and Jeremy Pelt with the aim of honoring and

preserving the art of some of the progenitors of jazz who

inspired them, hired them and mentored them first hand.

And while the band does pay homage to the greats of the

past they also continue the evolving tradition of jazz with a

body of work that shows their awareness of the past while

remaining firmly entrenched in the modernism of today. From

the angular melody of Escoffery's "Involuntary Servitude," to

the ingratiating groove of Pelt's "For the Kids," the ensemble

extends the range and potential established by their illustrious

predecessors with innovative original compositions, solos that

run the gamut from thoughtful to virtuosic and a shared sense

of purpose that is unique on today's jazz landscape.