Bray/Duval is an incredible duo album by Kelly Bray (trumpet) and Caleb Duval (double bass). It was released by the relatively new record label F.I.M. Records, out of New Haven Connecticut, which also hosts a concert series by the same name. This record is easily one of my favourite releases of 2024. The album is quite short (roughly 35 minutes in length), and I find I often listen to it twice in a row because of the sheer amount of amazing playing packed into a beautifully succinct album.
In Perpetual Frontier: Properties of Free Music, Joe Morris outlines that there are 5 methods of interaction (solo, unison, compliment, juxtaposition, silence) that free music musicians can choose to engage in when they play. This duo uses all 5 forms of interaction, weaving them in and out and bouncing between the different types of interaction, often changing the mode of interaction on a dime. This album is a lesson in interaction, and it makes for an amazing listening experience. Bray has one of the widest pallets of articulation on the trumpet that I have ever heard. She can go from a beautiful rich tone, to spluttering attacks, to percussive punchy notes. Duval plays the bass beautifully, and he is clearly engaged in a deep study of the possibilities of preparing the double bass. The effect of the wide range of articulations and careful attention to modes of interaction has produced an album that demands repeated listening.
The album art (painted by Bray) is layered and striking, much like the album itself. The recording is also beautifully done--I love that I can hear Duval preparing the instrument, or removing preparations from under the strings etc. This album is great, I highly recommend listening to it and checking out other F.I.M. records and concerts if you are in the Connecticut region.
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