160

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

“160 is not among the more jazz-oriented items in the Rossi catalog, yet jazz is part of the whole. If the quirky arrangements and wry songcraft of Randy Newman, Carla Bley and Henry Threadgill, surreal textures of Low/Heroes-era David Bowie and/or the entrancing minimalism of Glass and Terry Riley appeal, Mr. Rossi has got your number.” – Mark Keresman

ALL ABOUT JAZZ ITALIA

“Originally conceived as a musical score for the documentary “Albi’s Oboe” by Matt Dine, 160 (tempo used for the entire recording) moves beyond its initial purpose to become an opera itself, innovative and independent. Mick Rossi plays, besides his usual instruments such as piano and drums, various other instruments recorded live, bringing to life a masterpiece difficult to label, beyond genres. 160 is clearly a faithful mirror of the versatility of an artist that has been part of the Philip Glass ensemble since 2000, touring and recording with Paul Simon and who collaborates with artists such as Dave Douglas, Steve Bernstein, Wadada Leo Smith, Sting and Leonard Cohen just to mention few. The record has fifteen pieces, most of them under three minutes in length—just “Albi No. 1″ reaches eight minutes—but divided in multiple segments; fifteen photograms of a movie that you can create in your own mind. In 160 we find the whimsical and frenetic energy of cartoon music, pressing and obsessive rhythmic drones, pyrotechnic boutade, dreamy sequences made by soft arpeggi, pieces of circus music and the presence of electronic music with the use of samples. However, most of all, we find Mick’s incredible talent in composition and orchestration using uncommon sound sources. A phantasmagoric music world.” – Vincenzo Roggero

CADENCE MAGAZINE

“Rossi uses piano and percussion along with numerous electronic sounds to create senses of urgency (as in “Chrome” and other tracks), action (as in “4 and 5” and others), and reflection (as in “Chinaski” and others), perhaps depicting events in the film. Rossi frequently combines the multiplicity of his instruments and electronic effects to generate layers of sound, with innovative harmonies and rhythms further characterizing these relatively short tracks (average length of three minutes). The last two cuts, “Drone” and “Ogre Dude,” ramp up the drama in part by employing significant dynamic contrast including big-time crescendos in the percussion instruments.” [FULL ARTICLE] – Don Lerman