Buy it... if you're prepared for the same restrained pacing and outward respect as heard in John Williams' JFK, but this time saturated with the distinctly authentic flavor of America's Deep South.

Avoid it... if the bluesy Americana feel created by harmonica, fiddle, piano, guitar, and jaw harp, as well as numerous ensemble gospel vocals, might negatively distract you from Williams' subdued orchestral beauty in this score.

Williams

Rosewood: (John Williams) For sixty years, America was unaware of the tragedy that occurred in the small Florida town of Rosewood in 1922. A race riot by whites from that and neighboring areas left the town in ruins and led to the shooting, burning, or lynching deaths of between 70 and 250 black residents. The cover-up of the massacre at Rosewood is typical in the history of the deep southern regions of America at the time; the state's police indicated after the mob attack that only as many as half a dozen people actually died at Rosewood in the riot. It wasn't until newspaper reports in the 1980's and later descriptions of the event on the Discovery Channel that the true extent of the mob's damage and carnage was exposed. By 1997, director John Singleton had matured greatly since his debut with Boyz N the Hood at the start of the decade, and Rosewood was a significant endeavor that ended up being very expensive to produce. It's hard to market films like Rosewood to the mass American public because, if not for simply for the shame involved with the actions of whites of that period, there remains little appeal for people to witness such tragedy. One element that came in over budget was the score for the movie, which was originally composed by Wynton Marsalis and featured his distinctive jazz and blues touch. Deeming Marsalis' music inadequate for the gravity of the picture, however, the filmmakers would seek the ultimate upgrade by turning to John Williams, who had won the world over with his score for another challenging, emotional docudrama, Schindler's List not long before. Marsalis' finished score can be heard, incidentally, on his 1999 CD release, "Reeltime." The move from Marsalis, an amateur at film score writing on this level, to the maestro Williams is an enormous leap, and a welcome one given the usual quality of Williams' work. Not only had Williams already written music for dark passages in America's past in the 1990's (JFK, Nixon), but one can reach all the way back to the early 1970's to realize that Williams is also skilled in the bluesy twang of the Deep South. Stylistic similarities between Rosewood and scores such as The Sugarland Express, Conrack, and The Missouri Breaks indicate that Williams doesn't just conjure the attitude in Rosewood from thin air, though the weight of his music had vastly increased in the meantime, partially due to the composer's growth as a talent and the necessities of the story of Rosewood in particular.

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While on their surface, the rhythms and instrumentation of Rosewood may seem like a significant departure from Williams' usual styles (it didn't help Rosewood's cause that the Special Editions of the original Star Wars trilogy were being released into theatres at exactly the same time), it's easy to hear that the composer followed a very clear process that mirrors, most interestingly, Home Alone in structure. For Rosewood, Williams composes three gospel songs that serve the same purpose (and are integrated in exactly the same way) as his original carols in Home Alone. The first, "Look Down, Lord," is the piece of lament in the score, while the other two become more progressively optimistic and eventually triumphant in "The Freedom Train." The adult African American vocals in these songs extend to sections of the original score, often leading the start of an orchestral cue. The score itself features two full, satisfying themes and one darker motif to represent the whites' attitudes. The two primary themes (showcased in the opening cue) are performed by harmonica, fiddle, piano, guitar, and jaw harp, with a full orchestral ensemble available for the more beautiful (and standard) string renditions of Williams' themes. The authenticity of the score is outstanding, mixing the standout solo instruments with an occasional sound effect of throaty exhales of voice and the expected rambling of timpani for moments of dread. The four-note motif that Williams uses to identify impending danger offers a minor-key progression that mixes well with the blues of the surrounding music and is presented by the brass section in several cues. Relentless string chopping, with continuous jaw harp and fluttering woodwind performances over a violent acoustic guitar, represent the actual moments of violence. The overarching attitude of Williams' music has the same restrained pacing and outward respect as JFK, applying even some mournful brass solos of equivalent dignity. These moments culminate in "Mann at Rosewood," the score's deeply melodic cue of redemption. It's easy to have respect for Rosewood in how it tackles its duties, for it accomplishes what it needs to do at Williams' normal standard of excellence. But like a handful of similarly rendered Williams works, Rosewood is not a readily enjoyable listening experience out of context. Unless you are prepared to share the remembrance of the events by getting caught in the emotional grip of the music's authentic tone, the score can be quite laborious. The gospel music is definitely not for every listener, and its very forward vocals break the flow of the orchestral performances in many places on album. Thus, the product is likely to be revisited only occasionally by Williams' enthusiasts. ***   Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download

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For John Williams reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.73 (in 68 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.6 (in 334,382 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.