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Back to Renovation Reviews Kelly Rossum Renovation On Renovation, former Lincoln resident Kelly Rossum fronts a Twin Cities-based, crack quintet with enduring echoes of electric-era Miles Davis. The tricky, contrapuntal rhythm lines and interweaving solo statements immediately signal a bold and unconventional approach that, nevertheless, sounds somehow comfortably familiar. Trumpeter Rossum knows his way around the horn, but like Davis, he respects the poetic weight of silence, the judicious use of pause and stutter and even the occasional fluffed note. It’s what sets them apart from the merely proficient. Keyboardist Chris Lomheim is equally capable on acoustic piano and the Rhodes electric keyboard, a nearly forgotten instrument that still creates a sound unlike any other. Similarly, bassist Michael O’Brien doubles on acoustic and electric instruments. Tenor saxophonist Chris Thomson lends a beefy foundation to the quintet with his soulful convolutions. Drummer J.T. Bates (formerly of the Motion Poets) holds it all together. For the best examples of innovation and imagination, check out “Cheap Cigars,” “Lead Soldiers” and “Life on Mars.” The titles tell the story. The quintet, however, is most engaging on the more introspective tunes, such as “Fly Away,” a lovely rendition of the Jimi Hendrix composition “Little Wing,” the brief “Hennepin Bridge” and the 10-minute “The Two of Us.” Unusual for a jazz recording, four tunes run under 2½ minutes each. These inspired nuggets seem to rise out of nowhere only to return there when the burst of inspiration has dissipated, like an irresistible force of nature. Tom Ineck Berman Music Foundation Read this review at bermanmusicfoundation.org Read Next Review