Vibes on a Breath

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 Brain"), Jazz classics ("Stolen Moments," "Subconscious Lee," Seven Steps to Heaven"), a gem that only a vibraphonist would pick (Gary Burton's "In Your Own Quiet Place"), and some nice originals, too. The arrangements are well thought out, and the intros on "Nature Boy" and "Seven Steps to Heaven" definitely go against common expectations. Vibes on a Breath has been a breath of fresh air, indeed.