Chad McCullough: The Charm of Impossibilities

Trumpeter Chad McCullough encountered classical composer Olivier Messiaen's "Quator pour la fin du temps" back in the early days of his jazz career. That music was written in 1940 by Messiaen to be played by a chamber ensemble consisting of the composer's fellow inmates in a German prison camp.

McCullough's The Charm Of Impossibilities takes its inspiration from this classical work. McCullough describes Messiaen's chamber piece: "Complex in structure, yet still accessible to the casual listener and completely overwhelming emotionally." A trip to YouTube bears this out.

"Quator pour la fin du temps" was scored with a classical quartet in mind—violin, clarinet, cello and piano. McCullough scored his music here with a trio in mind—trumpet, bass and drums, with Jon Irabagon's saxophones, tenor and soprano, sitting in on five of the eleven tunes.

McCullough's compositional goal was to use the classical composer's methods, as laid out in Messiaen's "Technique of My Musical Language" (1944), in a way that opened paths for improvisation. He did it well.

The music is relaxed, with a feeling of fluid spontaneity. "Retroactive Resonance" opens the show in a vivacious mode, McCullough and Irabagon trading back and forth, with bassist Larry Kohut and drummer Jon Deitemyer laying down a shifting, complex backdrop. Irabagon burns things up with an edgy solo. McCullough seems to keep things reigned in when he is out front, just barely.

Bee In The Flower is featured in the trio setting (Irabagon sitting out), and in the quartet quartet (Irabagon sitting in). Both versions showcase the group's chamber esthetic, with some fine off-kilter rhythm work by Kohut and Deitemyer and some of the most intricately lovely horn work from McCullough (both takes) and Irabagon (on take two). This particular tune has the mood of delicate buoyancy and prettiness of Duke Ellington's "The Queen's Suite" ("Sunset and the Mockingbird," Lightening Bugs and Frogs").

The entirety of The Charm of Impossibilities sounds cohesive, due to Messiaen's structural modes and McCullough's compositional skills. It is beautiful, uplifting, accessible and compelling.