Photo: Peter Gannushkin

Longtime collaborators Mary Halvorson and Jessica Pavone will hit the road later this month for a series of New England tour dates in support of their newly released fourth recording, Departure of Reason (Thirsty Ear).

Tuesday, February 14th at 8:00 p.m.
The Brick House Community Resource Center
Turner Falls, Massachusetts

Thursday, February 16th at 8:30 p.m.
Buoy Gallery
Kittery, Maine

Friday, February 17th at 7:30 p.m.
Spaulding Recital Hall
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts

Saturday, February 18th at 8:00 p.m.
The Uncertainty Music Series
The BIG ROOM 
New Haven, Connecticut

“One gets the sense that the music goes wherever whimsy takes guitarist Mary Halvorson and Jessica Pavone,” writes JazzTimes‘ Steve Greenlee in his review of Departure of Reason. “Their music is insanely hard to pin down: It draws from jazz, folk, rock, modern classical and even medieval—sometimes all in one song, or so it seems…it is an inaccessible delight.”

“Given their remarkable history on previous recordings—most notably 2009′s Thin Air—the unique musical vocabulary they’ve established together should come as no surprise,” explains AllMusic.com’s Thom Jurek. “It is instinctive, formal, articulate, and full of subtleties, humor, and—even in song form—unique insight.”

AllAboutJazz.com’s Troy Collins adds, “each sinuous turn of phrase and abrupt change in accompaniment reveals an ever deeper level of virtuosic interplay. More sophisticated and confidently articulated than their previous duo efforts, Departure of Reason is a masterful example of cutting-edge creative improvised music that defies categorization.”

Learn more about the musicians at maryhalvorson.com and jessicapavone.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

Drummer Tom Rainey’s working trio, featuring guitarist Mary Halvorson and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, hits the road today for a four-city tour of the Northeast U.S.

The group released its debut, Pool School (Clean Feed Records), the veteran sideman’s long-awaited first recording under his own name, last fall.

Tuesday, May 3rd at 8:00 p.m.
The Bop Shop
274 N Goodman Street in Rochester, NY

Thursday, May 5th at 9:00 and 10:30 p.m.
The Jazz Gallery
290 Hudson Street in New York, NY

Friday, May 6th at 8:30 and 10:00 p.m.
Firehouse 12
45 Crown Street in New Haven, CT

Saturday, May 7th at 8:00 p.m.
Kung Fu Necktie
1248 North Front Street in Philadelphia, PA

Learn more about Mary Halvorson’s busy May schedule at http://maryhalvorson.com