Photo: Nick Lloyd

Guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson is pleased to announce the forthcoming May 8th release of Bending Bridges, her second recording with her working quintet and third consecutive title as a leader on Firehouse 12 Records. As on 2010′s Saturn Sings, which appeared on nearly 100 best-of-the-year lists, Ms. Halvorson is joined by trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, saxophonist Jon Irabagon, bassist John Hébert and drummer Ches Smith for a program of new original compositions written specifically for this ensemble.

“Saturn Sings felt like a beginning,” she explains. “When that album was recorded, the band had only been together for a year and we had only played a handful of gigs. Since then, we have played together much more often, our sound has developed and we have become increasingly comfortable with the music and with each other. The more I get to know the Quintet, the easier it becomes to compose for that instrumentation, and for those musicians specifically. Plus, over time the whole band becomes more relaxed, which allows us to take more risks during performances. That’s a huge part of why I try to keep my bands together for a long time.”

Ms. Halvorson’s work with her quintet, which will hit the road this spring and summer in support of Bending Bridges, has inspired critics to call her “extraordinary” (John Fordham, BBC 3′s Jazz on 3), “hugely inventive” (John Corbett, DownBeat), “daringly unpredictable” (The New Yorker), “a distinct voice of her own” (Carl Wilson, Slate), “the most original jazz guitarist in a generation” (Michael J. West, Washington City Paper), “a multi-faceted artist whose writing is as impressive as her improvising” (Troy Collins, Point of Departure) and “one of today’s most formidable bandleaders” (Francis Davis, Village Voice).

“The quintet setting offers the Boston-born, Brooklyn-based guitarist entirely new harmonic possibilities,” writes Jazzwise reviewer Peter Quinn, “and the results are hugely impressive…Halvorson’s powerfully communicative music transcends the avant-garde experimental box.” The Philadelphia City Paper‘s Shaun Brady adds, “Halvorson has been steadily reshaping the sound of jazz guitar in recent years with her elastic, sometimes-fluid, sometimes-shredding, wholly unique style. Her compositions, shaped by a pop sensibility and unconstrained avant aggressiveness, are ably explored by five of modern jazz’s young leading lights.”

When not leading her quintet, or her other groups such as the longstanding Mary Halvorson Trio and the recently created Reverse Blue and Mary Halvorson Septet, Ms. Halvorson is the guitarist of choice for such notable bandleaders as Tim Berne, Anthony Braxton, Taylor Ho Bynum, Tomas Fujiwara, Curtis Hasselbring and Ingrid Laubrock. She also appears on the latest releases from the working ensembles Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone, The Thirteenth Assembly and the Tom Rainey Trio. All told, her recent career accomplishments include earning the top spot in the Rising Star Guitar category in the latest DownBeat Critics Poll and being named New York’s Best Guitarist 2011 by the Village Voice among other honors.

Learn more about Mary Halvorson at http://maryhalvorson.com

Today is the official street date for Mettle (Playscape Recordings), veteran guitarist/composer Michael Musillami‘s sixth release with his flagship trio with bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller. The record, which also features special guests Russ Johnson (trumpet), Ned Rothenberg (alto saxophone and clarinet), Jeff Lederer (tenor saxophone and clarinet) and Matt Moran (vibraphone), is part of the celebration of the trio’s 10th anniversary as a working unit.

In his recent feature article, the Hartford Courant‘s Owen McNally calls the group “a superb, finely tuned unit, empathetic, swinging and dramatically expressive of emotions sweeping from joy to sadness.” He adds, “More impressive than longevity, however, is the trio’s remarkably tight, cohesive unity. This element goes hand-in-hand with the threesome’s free, open sense of exploration both as individuals and as a unit in which they constantly interact with one another.”

Mettle is a collection of all-new original material, including Musillami’s first extended suite, Summer Suite: Twenty Ten, featuring eight diverse movements based on experiences and reminiscences—both musical and personal—from last summer. The inspirations range from a volcano in Iceland to his newly shaved head to memories of his Grandfather to his daughter going to college to a family vacation spot on Cape Cod.

The three other pieces on the record have similarly autobiographical backstories. The first track, “Piana dei Greci”, takes its name from the small Sicilian village where all four of Musillami’s grandparents were born. “Blues For The Wounded Warrior” was written as a tribute to the Wounded Warrior Project, a favorite charity of Musillami’s that assists wounded soldiers. A comment from his wife, a couple of hooded sweatshirts and a short period of listening to Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur inspired the record’s final track, “Thuggish Mornings”.

Musillami and his Trio + 4 have already performed this music live around the Northeast and will hit the road this spring for a series of CD release dates at venues such as Firehouse 12 in New Haven. More details will be announced soon.

Learn more about Michael Musillami at http://michaelmusillami.com

This Sunday at 10:00 p.m., Brooklyn-based guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson and her acclaimed quintet will close Chicago’s 2011 Umbrella Music Festival with a set at Hungry Brain.

Although she has performed around the city numerous times in collectives and as a sideperson, this will be Ms. Halvorson’s official Chicago debut as a bandleader.

“Her agile, talent-packed quintet—explosive saxophonist and Chicago native Jon Irabagon, steely trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson (last heard here with Steve Coleman), drummer Ches Smith, and bassist John Hébert, replaced for this gig by Trevor Dunn—is one of the best working bands in jazz today,” writes the Chicago Reader‘s Peter Margasak in his festival preview.

He adds, “On last year’s fantastic Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12 Records), Halvorson’s strong compositions betray her growing interest in postbop, but you can still hear her love for everything from Deerhoof to spacey folk in their unexpected twists and turns—and especially in her dizzying solos.”

The group will preview music from its follow-up, Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12 Records), coming this spring.

Ms. Halvorson won the Rising Star Guitar category in the latest DownBeat Critics Poll and was just named New York’s Best Guitarist 2011 by the Village Voice.

Critics have called her “the most future-seeking guitarist working right now” (Lars Gotrich, NPR.org), “one of the most exciting and original guitarists in jazz—or otherwise” (Steve Dollar, Wall Street Journal) and “a bandleader whose composition skills rival her brilliantly unorthodox instrumental technique” (Time Out New York).

“Halvorson has been steadily reshaping the sound of jazz guitar in recent years with her elastic, sometimes-fluid, sometimes-shredding, wholly unique style,” adds the Philadelphia City Paper‘s Shaun Brady. “Her compositions, shaped by a pop sensibility and unconstrained avant aggressiveness, are ably explored by five of modern jazz’s young leading lights.”

Learn more about Mary Halvorson at http://maryhalvorson.com

Photo: Amani Willett

Brooklyn-based guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson will perform with three of her own ensembles over the course of next two nights at The Stone in New York.

Tonight at 8:00 p.m., she’ll take the stage with the Mary Halvorson Quintet to preview music from its eagerly awaited 2012 release, Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12 Records), before adding special guests Ingrid Laubrock (tenor saxophone) and Jacob Garchik (trombone) to the mix for the debut of her newest group, the Mary Halvorson Septet.

Tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m., she’ll celebrate the release of Departure Of Reason (Thirsty Ear Recordings), her fourth recording with violist Jessica Pavone. The longstanding duo plans to play selections from the record as well as a few surprise covers.

Winner of the Rising Star Guitar category of the latest DownBeat Critics Poll, Ms. Halvorson has been called “NYC’s least-predictable improviser” (Howard Mandel, City Arts), “one of the most exciting and original guitarists in jazz—or otherwise” (Steve Dollar, Wall Street Journal) and “a bandleader whose composition skills rival her brilliantly unorthodox instrumental technique” (Time Out New York).

Learn more about Mary Halvorson and her upcoming performances at http://maryhalvorson.com

Photo: Peter Gannushkin

On Sunday, November 6th at 10:00 p.m., Brooklyn-based guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson and her acclaimed quintet will close Chicago’s 2011 Umbrella Music Festival with a set at Hungry Brain.

Although she has performed around the city numerous times in collectives and as a sideperson, this will be Ms. Halvorson’s official Chicago debut as a bandleader.

That band, featuring Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Jon Irabagon (alto saxophone), Trevor Dunn (filling in for John Hébert on bass) and Ches Smith (drums), will preview music from its forthcoming 2012 release, Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12 Records).

It follows the group’s highly regarded 2010 debut, Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12 Records), which appeared on nearly 100 best-of-the-year lists.

Ms. Halvorson, winner of the Rising Star Guitar category in the latest DownBeat Critics Poll, has been called “NYC’s least-predictable improviser” (Howard Mandel, City Arts), “one of the most exciting and original guitarists in jazz—or otherwise” (Steve Dollar, Wall Street Journal) and “a bandleader whose composition skills rival her brilliantly unorthodox instrumental technique” (Time Out New York).

“Halvorson has been steadily reshaping the sound of jazz guitar in recent years with her elastic, sometimes-fluid, sometimes-shredding, wholly unique style,” adds the Philadelphia City Paper‘s Shaun Brady. “Her compositions, shaped by a pop sensibility and unconstrained avant aggressiveness, are ably explored by five of modern jazz’s young leading lights.”

Learn more about Mary Halvorson at http://maryhalvorson.com

Last month, guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson returned to the studio with her quintet to record the follow-up to the group’s wildly successful debut, Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12 Records).

Writer Steve Dollar was there to document the entire experience, and the result is a feature article in today’s Wall Street Journal.

Dollar calls Ms. Halvorson “one of the most exciting and original guitarists in jazz—or otherwise” and discusses her guitar sound, her approach to composing and recording, and her interaction with her bandmates.

He also details aspects of the recording process, including some of the vintage equipment engineer and Firehouse 12 Records co-founder Nick Lloyd used to capture the music.

The record will be released next year.

Learn more about Mary Halvorson and Firehouse 12 at http://maryhalvorson.com and http://firehouse12.com

Photo By Peter Gannushkin

Tonight at 9:00 and 10:30 p.m., Brooklyn-based guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson and her working quintet, featuring trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, alto saxophonist Jon Irabagon, bassist John Hébert and drummer Ches Smith, will perform at Cornelia Street Café in New York.

These two sets will be the band’s last before heading into the studio this weekend at Firehouse 12 to record the follow-up to its highly acclaimed debut, Saturn Sings.

Both the concert and the session will feature a new book of original pieces Ms. Halvorson and her collaborators have honed on tour in 11 countries throughout the spring.

“Halvorson has been steadily reshaping the sound of jazz guitar in recent years with her elastic, sometimes-fluid, sometimes-shredding, wholly unique style,” writes the Philadelphia City Paper‘s Shaun Brady. “Her compositions, shaped by a pop sensibility and unconstrained avant aggressiveness, are ably explored by five of modern jazz’s young leading lights.”

Learn more about Mary Halvorson, a Guitarist of the Year nominee at this year’s Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards and one of the world’s 100 Favorite Composers Under 40 as compiled by Q2 and NPR Music, at http://maryhalvorson.com

Photo By Peter Gannushkin

On Friday, July 29th at 9:00 and 10:30 p.m., Brooklyn-based guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson and her working quintet, featuring trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, alto saxophonist Jon Irabagon, bassist John Hébert and drummer Ches Smith, will perform at Cornelia Street Café in New York.

Following this two-set concert, during which it will play from a new book of original pieces Ms. Halvorson and her collaborators have honed at live performances in 11 countries throughout the spring, the group will head into the studio for two days to record the follow-up to its highly acclaimed debut, Saturn Sings, on Firehouse 12 Records.

That release appeared on more than 90 best-of-the-year lists in 2010, including a top 3 finish in the prestigious Village Voice Jazz Critics’ Poll, and inspired reviewers to call her “extraordinary” (John Fordham, BBC 3′s Jazz on 3), “hugely inventive” (John Corbett, DownBeat), “the most original jazz guitarist in a generation” (Michael J. West, Washington City Paper) and “one of today’s most formidable bandleaders” (Francis Davis, Village Voice).

“Halvorson has been steadily reshaping the sound of jazz guitar in recent years with her elastic, sometimes-fluid, sometimes-shredding, wholly unique style,” adds the Philadelphia City Paper‘s Shaun Brady. “Her compositions, shaped by a pop sensibility and unconstrained avant aggressiveness, are ably explored by five of modern jazz’s young leading lights.”

Learn more about Mary Halvorson, a Guitarist of the Year nominee at this year’s Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards and one of the world’s 100 Favorite Composers Under 40 as compiled by Q2 and NPR Music, at http://maryhalvorson.com

Photo by Peter Gannushkin

Tonight, guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson and her longstanding trio, featuring bassist John Hébert and Ches Smith, embark on their first-ever tour of Australia.

The group, which recorded her acclaimed 2008 debut, Dragon’s Head (Firehouse 12 Records), and served as the rhythm section for her even more highly regarded 2010 follow-up, Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12 Records), has been on the road this spring performing new music, including a nine-country European tour in April and a May 18th double-bill with Todd Sickafoose’s Tiny Resistors at (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York.

This Australian tour will feature four concerts over the course of five nights presented by the Sydney Improvised Music Association (June 8th) and the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (June 10-12th).

Wednesday, June 8th at 8:30 p.m.
Mary Halvorson Trio
The Sound Lounge
Sydney, Australia

Friday, June 10th at 11:00 p.m.
Mary Halvorson Trio
Bennetts Lane Jazz Club
Melbourne, Australia

Saturday, June 11th at 6:00 p.m.
Mary Halvorson Trio
The Forum
Melbourne, Australia

Sunday, June 12th at 3:00 p.m.
Mary Halvorson
Melbourne Town Hall
Melbourne, Australia

Following the tour, Ms. Halvorson will re-group with her quintet, which augments the trio with trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson and saxophonist Jon Irabagon, for July performances at the North Sea Jazz Festival and Cornelia Street Café before heading back into the studio to record her anxiously awaited third release as a bandleader.

Learn more about Mary Halvorson, a nominee for Guitarist of the Year at this year’s Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards and one of Time Out New York‘s 25 Essential New York City Jazz Icons, at http://maryhalvorson.com

Photo By Peter Gannushkin

Tonight at 9:30 p.m., guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson will perform with her quintet at Joe’s Pub in New York.

The group, which features Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Jon Irabagon (alto saxophone), John Hébert (bass) and Ches Smith (drums), will present all new material destined for the highly anticipated follow-up to its acclaimed debut, Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12 Records), one of 2010′s consensus records of the year.

Fans around the world can watch the show live on the Web at http://www.livestream.com/joespub

Next up for Ms. Halvorson is a June 2nd performance with violist Jessica Pavone at Pianos in New York, followed by her trio’s first-ever Australia tour June 8-12th.

The Mary Halvorson Quintet will return to the stage in July when it plays the North Sea Jazz Festival (July 10th) and Cornelia Street Café (July 29th) before heading back to the recording studio at the end of the month.

Learn more about Mary Halvorson, a Guitarist of the Year nominee at this year’s Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards, at http://maryhalvorson.com