Dave's Book Blog: "Trumpet" by Jackie Kay

Wednesday, 4 March 2026

"Trumpet" by Jackie Kay

When Joss Moody, a famous jazz trumpeter, dies, it is discovered that 'he' was a woman, who lived as a man. His grieving widow, the only one who knew the truth, is on the run from the press. His adopted son, Colman, shocked by what he sees as a betrayal, is giving exclusive interviews to a woman, Sophie Stones, who wants to write the authorised biography. We also hear from others: the doctor, the registrar, the undertaker, the cleaner, the drummer and an old school friend who used to know 'him' when she was a girl.

In this way, the Joss's identity is explored from a variety of viewpoints, like a 360-degree appraisal in a work-place. Those who talk of him also reveal their own selves in the process, and how they see themselves. Thus, the writer, who sometimes refers to herself in the third person, as Sophie, loves buying clothes, becoming in a sense a reflection of the musician, who always dressed smartly, and as a man. The son wonders whether he should revert to his birth name. The widow remembers that the musician used to refer to himself as a little girl in the third person. The text itself plays between first person and third person viewpoints; the son adopts both. There is even one moment of deliberate head-hopping, almost at the centre of the novel (in 'Interview Exclusive') when we are first in Sophie's head ("He's a bit of an asshole really, she thinks. But cute." and a few paragraphs later, in the same scene, we are in Colman's head (He can't stand all those scented teas."); clearly the opportunity to hop from 'she' to 'he' was not to be missed.

The tense can vary too. Most of the key narrators talk in the present tense, some of the incidentals narrate in the past tense. This miscellany of styles emphasises the incoherence of who we are and underlines the truth that we can change in fundamental ways.

A fascinating book.

Selected quotes:

“I met a man once who wouldn't let me take his picture with Joss. He said it would be stealing his soul. I remember thinking, how ridiculous, a soul cannot be stolen. Strange how things like that stay with you as if life is waiting for a chance to prove you wrong. Joss’s soul has gone and mine has been stolen. It is as simple and as true as that.” (House and Home)
“The girl I was has been swept out to sea. She is another tide entirely.” (House and Home)
“It's a tall order when you are expected to be somebody just because your father is somebody. The children of famous people aren't allowed to be talentless, ordinary fuckwits like me.” (Cover Story)
“I liked the dark corners of sulking.” (Cover Story)
“He always spoke about her in the third person. She was his third person.” (House and Home #2)
“Her letter says, with hindsight would you have done anything different? You don't live in hindsight though, do you? Hindsight is a different light. It makes everything change shape.” (House and Home #2)
“The word transvestite has got more in it than the word cross-dresser. What is a cross-dresser anyway when he or she is at home? someone who dresses in a fit of fury.” (Money Pages)
“Are you trying to bribe me? Away and raffle yourself.” (People: The Drummer)
“I went about, according to my mother, with a huge chip on my shoulder. Not just a chip, my father would say, a whole fish supper.” (Interview Exclusive)
“Sophie Stones smiles a huge mile of a smile.” (People: the Cleaner)
“Shopping staves depression.” (Style)
“Life is just a journey from milk teeth to false teeth with fillings and crowns thrown in between for relief.” (People: The old school friend)