Jimi Michiel

My apologies for taking so long to review this album—Kelly Rossum’s family was released in the second half of 2008 and features Rossum on trumpet, Bryan Nichols on piano Chris Bates on bass and JT Bates on drums. The album is, like its immediate predecessor Line, an amalgamation of Kelly’s wide variety of musical interests, coming together in a completely natural way to form a unified musical work. Even more than Line, whose stated concept was to explore a musical path within the album, family seems to have a central vision that unifies the album.

The album starts off with family, a track that begins (as a few others do on this album) with just a solo trumpet. The track is seven and a half minutes long, and while you get the feeling that they could have said what they wanted to say in three minutes, the beauty of it is that they do it slowly, and you enjoy every second. I especially appreciated the mixing on this track—the track starts with solo trumpet, which continues thought even as the band comes in. By the end, Rossum is playing a shout chorus complete with shakes and high-note pyrotechnics, but the mix has him almost in the background, giving the listener a weird sense of perspective (almost as if the leader is shouting to be heard over his sidemen). Pay careful attention to the very last note in the tune—it’s the most sonically interesting note on the whole album.

The next track, This is where my head is at, is credited to “Bates” in the liner notes. Although it unclear which of the brothers wrote it, the brothers (and pianist Bryan Nichols) really shine on this track. Rossum is able to weave in and out without obstructing the groove laid down by his very capable sidemen—it’s almost as if he’s letting them create a wave for him to ride on. This is the first of several tracks on his album where bassist JT Bates distinguishes himself.

Mr. Blueberry is without a doubt the most enjoyable track on the album. It is impossible for this tune to not put you in a good mood. Rossum’s muted wa-wa playing on this track is nothing short of virtuosic—so many players use it as a gimmick, but Kelly’s wa-wa playing has always come off as honest and sincere. There is an infectious joy to the music-making on this track that cannot be overstated.

Rossum’s cover of Pure Imagination is at the same time disturbing and beautiful. For reasons I can’t figure out, the track begins with solo trumpet playing the beginning of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. Moving on to an almost Hitchcock-ian introduction with brooding piano and archo bass (and ambient trumpet “sounds”), the song picks up speed with the entrance of Rossum on the melody. The frequent ambient breaks in the first half of the tune retain that disturbing atmosphere (once, while writing this review, I left the YouTube video of Gene Wilder singing this tune from the movie on silent while Rossum’s version played in the background; it was truly disturbing).

A Word From Out Sponsors is probably the most straightforward track on the disk. It is a nice refresher after the pathos of the previous track, but other than letting the pianist showcase his considerable solo chops, there isn’t a whole lot of substance to the tune. Rossum’s solo almost seems too fragmented and obtuse for such a straight-ahead tune. There are moments of exceptional group interplay, but otherwise it’s the only lackluster track on an otherwise exceptional album.

I didn’t know Somebody Come And Play before I heard this version (or maybe I did and didn’t remember it from Sesame Street), but Rossum’s version of it is wonderful. Like the first track on the disc, the group is taking their time with what they have to say, and the results are great. This is simple, unpretentious, joyful music at it’s very best.

Interlude is an interlude from all of the energy that precedes and follows it. Nichols’ piano solo is simple and elegant, and Rossum’s long tones throughout the duration of the piece work well.

If I Were A Bell is the only true standard on the album, and Rossum does a good job of making it his own. After years of listening to Miles’ many versions on the Plugged Nickel boxed set, Rossum’s interpretation and arrangement comes across as fresh and vibrant. Not nearly as fast as the majority of Miles’ takes, Rossum allows the music to come to him, and his sidemen. It was nice to hear everyone take extended solos, although it would have been nice to hear more from Chris Bates.

After the Snow could very well have been a transcription of a Debussy piano prelude. Rossum is at his best here—his harmon-muted solo might be one of the high points of the album. The interplay between Rossum and drummer Chris Bates is central to the tune, while bass and piano seem to orbit around them. Throughout, the descriptive qualities of this tune shine—it is not Strauss describing every detail, but Debussy or Monet, perfectly describing the essence of fallen snow, leaving the listener to color in the details for himself.

The album ends with a reprise of the first track—shortened and with only Rossum accompanied by what sounds like a toy xylophone. At less than two minutes, it is a perfect track to close out a wonderful album—he doesn’t say much, and the listener is left grasping for more.

As it almost always is with Rossum’s music, this album was a joy to listen to. He has turned into a great leader as well as a great musician and trumpeter. family really is about a musical family, and throughout this is shown by Rossum’s comfort in letting his sidemen take center stage. Playing wise, you could have convinced me that this was actually an album featuring bassist JT Bates, but conceptually, this is a masterwork by leader Kelly Rossum.

One last note: the packaging of this CD is really well done. There are no liner notes, but the album cover and design really stand out. It’s a nice CD to have and look at, as well as listen to. Buy the CD for the music, but if possible, get a physical copy, not just one from iTunes.

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Jimi Michiel

Correction: It has brought to my attention that the Mozart quote before Pure Imagination is actually right from the movie. My apologies--that's actually really cool that he put that in there.

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