Vibes on a Breath

Ted Piltzecker marries engaging rhythmic interplay to crisp compositions that ring true for their melodic inventiveness and accessibility.
Jazz In Space

For his first larger ensemble recording, New York vibraphonist Ted Piltzecker made a trip to Denver and rekindled relationships developed years ago during his tenure as director of the Aspen Music Festival. Originally a trumpet player, Piltzecker continually seeks the organic connection between breath and musical expression as it relates to the vibraphone. Vibes on a Breath allows him to phrase with the septet's horn players, Brad Goode, Paul McKee, John Gunther & Wil Swindler, and to provide counterpoint as the only harmony instrument in the rhythm section with drummer Paul Romaine and bassist Gonzalo Teppa. The eight reimagined jazz classics, along with three originals, unveil new twists & turns to a classic sound. The intimacy of the approach along with the addition of bass clarinet and flugelhorn doubles adds an extra layer of richness and color to the already mesmerizing arrangements. Piltzecker's work transports to an alluring musical world where every note is infused with a personal touch.

Production Info:

Produced by Ted Piltzecker
Recorded October 17-18, 2022 by Kevin Lee
at Mighty Fine Productions, Denver CO
Mixed & mastered by Fernando Martinez
at Estudio Moma, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Photographs by Phil Cantor
Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Reviews of Vibes on a Breath

Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
Ted Piltzecker keeps the vibes light with a not too big band of Brad Goode/tp, Paul McKee/tb, John Gunther/ts-bcl, Wil Swindler/ts-as, Paul Romaine/dr, Gonzalo Teppa/ba, Javier Diaz/perc and Judith LeClair/bassoon on this textured collection of standards and originals. The team charges and jabs along with Swindler's baritone on a sleek read of "Sev ...

KUVO (Denver) (Arturo Gomez)
The dress rehearsal for this recording took place in KUVO Jazz's Bonfils-Stanton Performance when Ted and the band played to a pack who enjoyed every song played! The next day the ensemble went into Mighty Fine Studios here in Denver and recorded this album that is on the OA2 Records label out of Seattle. Ted is an accomplished New York City based ...

WTJU (Russell Perry)
While vibraphonist Ted Piltzecker's name is on the marque, his is a light tough and this is a team effort with four horns upfront on a sweet collection of tunes by Oliver Nelson, Hoagy Carmichael, Lee Konitz and Miles Davis among others (plus three originals). George Harris wrote on Jazz Weekly, "The team charges and jabs along with [Wil] Swindler' ...

All About Jazz (Jack Bowers)
4 1/2 STARS Even though Ted Piltzecker is a splendid vibraphonist and ushers a group of Colorado's leading jazz musicians through its paces on Vibes on a Breath, it is his sparkling arrangements that carry the day on this delightful new album. Several members of Piltzecker's septet double, and he makes the most of that versatility, writing charts ...

Jazz Views (UK) (Ed Sapiega)
Ted Piltzecker, a renowned vibraphonist, has arranged and produced this delightful and accessible CD. The album comprises eleven tracks, out of which eight are reimagined jazz classics and three are written by the artist himself. The septet, which includes four horns, offers a diverse range of textures and colors that beautifully complement all the ...

CD Hotlist (Rick Anderson)
The latest recording by vibraphonist Ted Piltzecker as a leader is also his first outing with a larger ensemble. This septet includes trumpeter Brad Goode and tenor saxophonist/bass clarinetist John Gunther (who gets a lot of featured time in these arrangements), and the group operates nimbly in the space between a medium-sized combo and a small ja ...

ABC Radio (Australia) (ABC Jazz Editor)
Imaginative re-workings of standards and plucky originals are what makes vibes master Ted Piltzecker's latest album a real gem. The veteran American vibraphonist is best known for having performed alongside George Shearing, and his own recordings have proven to be equally as bright and adventurous as the late jazz legend's. Vibes On A Breath is ...

Take Effect (Tom Haugen)
The vibraphonist Ted Piltzecker makes quite an impression with this first large ensemble recording, where plenty of rhythm and melodies resides among the 11 songs that welcome Brad Goode, Paul McKee, John Gunther, Wil Swindler, Paul Romaine, Gonzalo Teppa, Judith Leclair and Javier Diaz. The playful bass plucking of Teppa starts off the warm "If ...

WDCB, Chicago (Paul Abella)
I'll admit it, I didn't have a Birth of the Cool styled group led by a vibes player on my bingo card for 2023. But, I'm impressed. Ted Piltzecker's Vibes on a Breath is a Cool Jazz throwback and a nice slab of modern Jazz arranging at the same time. There's an interesting mix of standards ("It Could Happen to You," "Nature Boy," "If I Only Had a Br ...