Don Cherry’s “Brilliant Action” begins with a high-pitched wail from Rossum that he alternates with a more militaristic call to arms, and soon enough, Hey is giving credence to the call. They weave their ideas together, picking up steam, Rossum through clipped phrasing and Hey through increasingly layered rhythms. Hey’s solo builds intensity quickly, sewing a quirky mesh for Rossum’s next squealing foray, both dialing it back toward the finish. 

Hey’s “Marse” follows, Rossum romping through a swinging melody that begs for lyrics and raises smiles, while Hey fills space with a constant and angular pulse, and sharp accents. This track could easily serve a modern dance troupe. “Pure Imagination” may not be readily recognized by lovers of Willa Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but it’s the pure imagination of Hey and Rossum at work. Where space was amply filled in “Marse,” here both musicians use space as a key rhythmic (and dramatic) device. From the familiar melody, Rossum extracts phrases and suggestions, while Hey invents his own lyrics via percussion. 

Monk pared down to two instruments is an insightful exploration of the master composer’s structure and the experiments it inspires. Rossum establishes the quirky feel of “Epistrophy” with alternating mellow and spikey notes over Hey’s trademark subtlety, the melody emerging with a bluesy sway. Hey’s activity level rises, his rhythm in off-kilter sync with the trumpet. When he takes a prolonged solo flight, Hey sketches the melodic line with a turbulent grace that further distills Monk’s intention while providing new insights of his own.  

Rossum first recorded his “La Vita Roma” on the brilliant Line (2007), but with just percussion behind him, the composition has a drum and bugle corps elegance highlighting the skills of both musicians. Rossum varies his dynamics as much as Hey, holding tight each pitch and inflecting emotion via nuance; Hey ripples through his kit, particularly captivating with the wide range of sound from cymbals. The duo tackle Ornette Coleman’s “The Sphinx” with regal gusto. Rossum’s acrobatic, sometimes slippery phrases are well matched by Hey’s assertive syncopations on bass drum. Soloing midway, Hey carries on an internal, two or even three-way sonic conversation, making just enough space for Rossum to slip into the discussion.  

The final track is a melding of “Conflict” (Hey) and “Rush Hour” (Rossum), the latter one of Kelly’s most versatile compositions which has landed in the repertoire of the Out to Lunch Quintet and the Lease/Moriarty Quintet, two of the trumpeter’s long-standing affiliations. Rossum’s surly hornlines are countered by Hey’s pepper-spray rim tickling and wickedly hollow mallets. One more firecracker solo from Hey –reminiscent of that last, endless burst on the 4th of July—precedes a high pitched machine gun round from Rossum, both musicians accelerating in speed and intensity as they navigate “rush hour” on the bandstand.  

With Kelly Rossum relocating to New York, Conflict becomes a parting gift to the Twin Cities jazz community, one that he will hopefully return to share often. Hey and Rossum celebrate this release with help from Bryan Nichols and Adam Linz at the Artists Quarter August 21-22 (Hey and Rossum will play a duo set, Hey will perform a trio set, and all four will finish as a quartet.) Hey’s quartet is usually featured monthly at the AQ.