Photo: Bryan Murray

Next week, saxophonist Jon Irabagon heads to Europe where he will perform with a variety of groups through the end of March. That extended trip includes a week-long tour with Mostly Other People Do The Killing (MOPDtK) beginning two weeks from tomorrow.

Here are the dates:

February 18
Spielboden
Dornbirn, Austria

February 19
Porgy and Bess Jazz Music Club
Wien, Austria

February 20
Tafelhalle im KunstKulturQuartier
Nürnberg, Germany

February 21
La Dynamo de Banlieues Bleues
Paris, France

February 22
Penn ar Jazz
Brest, France

February 23
Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene
Oslo, Norway

February 25
Just Music Jazz Festival
Wiesbaden, Germany

February 26
Teatro Fondamenta Nuove
Venezia, Italy

Photo: Cory Warner

Starting tonight, pianist Myra Melford, bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Matt Wilson will celebrate this week’s official release of The Guest House (Enja/Yellowbird), their second recording as Trio M, with a series of California performances.

This three-city tour includes concerts at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla (tonight), the Jazz Bakery Series at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles (tomorrow night) and Yoshi’s in San Francisco (next Tuesday).

The group will also support the record at the Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 29th and on an East Coast tour in April.

The New York Times‘ Nate Chinen writes, “The Guest House, the group’s excellent second album, doesn’t feel tethered to any era or dialect. With compositions by all three members, it’s a crisp, engaging ride, variously roiling or reflective, with high-wire interplay at almost every turn.”

DownBeat‘s John Corbett adds, “They all contribute music, and they all equally steer the ship, taking turns supporting, jumping out front and working together. Trio M is as much a piano trio as Jason Moran’s Bandwagon. Which means that they can step into that storied history if they want to, but for the most part they are busy making jazz that extends the creative music lineage.”

Learn more about Trio M at http://myramarkmatt.tumblr.com

On April 10th, AUM Fidelity will release the Eri Yamamoto Trio’s third title for the label, The Next Page (AUM071). This collection of all-new original music further demonstrates New York-based pianist/composer Eri Yamamoto‘s gift for melodious songcraft as well as the intuitive rapport of her longstanding trio featuring bassist David Ambrosio and drummer Ikuo Takeuchi. It features 11 pieces presented in two half-hour sets, divided by a short break, mirroring the format of the group’s live performances at its decade-long weekly engagement at the historic Arthur’s Tavern in Greenwich Village.

“I feel that our music keeps growing,” Ms. Yamamoto writes in the liner notes, “and that we are turning the page to a new chapter of our adventure together.” Her latest compositions draw their inspiration from the experience of subtle yet profound moments, including a beautiful vista in the mountains of Ireland, the first leaves of spring in Central Park, the sparkle of the winter sky through her window, the youthful enthusiasm of her eight year-old nephew and the nuances of light and shade while traversing the streets of New York on a dark night.

“Eri Yamamoto’s pianism is quietly dignified and her approach to music making exudes introspection and beauty,” writes The New York City Jazz Record‘s Marc Medwin. “Each note seems sculpted out of the silence surrounding it.” Others have described the trio’s music as “beautifully telepathic and conversational” (Will Layman, PopMatters.com), “fresh and intriguing” (Joe Bendel, The Epoch Times) and “simple, clear and to the point, thereby achieving an earthy eloquence” (Glen Hall, Exclaim!). The BBC’s Bill Tilland adds, “Yamamoto has a lovely touch and an active musical imagination. Consequently, each piece shines with its own interior light.”

“She can be a sonic painter,” explains the Hartford Courant‘s Owen McNally in his recent feature article, “as she demonstrates on her album, Redwoods, where her evocative playing makes you experience the sound of silence and godlike majesty of the giant redwood trees in the Muir Woods near San Francisco. She blends soft-hued harmonies, luminous melodies and lyrical expression with the introspective spirit of pianist Keith Jarrett and the poetic resonance of the great English romantic poet, William Wordsworth. Besides her knack for poetic introspection, she can also swing with free, vibrant energy…propelled by crackling interaction with her trio mates.”

Learn more about the Eri Yamamoto Trio at http://eriyamamoto.com

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

On April 10th, AUM Fidelity will kick off its 15th anniversary year by releasing alto saxophonist/composer Darius Jones‘ Book of Mæ’bul (Another Kind of Sunrise), the third verse in his ongoing Man’ish Boy epic. This recording, featuring Jones’ quartet with pianist Matt Mitchell, bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer Ches Smith, introduces a new titular character, Mæ’bul, to the universe he is creating in close collaboration with graphic artist Randal Wilcox.

“Mæ’bul is the embodiment of every woman I have truly loved and had a relationship with in my life,” Jones explains. “They say Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that Love is God. I believe we as human beings are constantly searching for the answer to the mystery of these two elements of life. Beauty is not universal and Love is manifest differently from person to person. Mæ’bul is my attempt at creating a totem to represent my spiritual pursuit of these two elements in sound.”

Like the first two highly acclaimed recordings in the series, 2009′s Man’ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing) and last year’s Big Gurl (Smell My Dream), Book of Mæ’bul relates to a specific segment of what Jones calls the sonic tone poem of his life. This verse, which completes the epic’s back-story, is inspired by the many personal revelations he experienced in the years just before and just after he left home in 2005 to fully pursue his career as a musician in New York.

Time Out New York‘s Steve Dollar writes, “A powerhouse saxophonist with an unusually focused perspective, Darius Jones has ambitiously framed his personal story within the bigger picture of African-American musical history. It’s one of the reasons his performances have such a passionate narrative force, as if every solo conjured holy ghosts and prodigal sons, each with its own story to tell. The drama comes through loud and clear, as the stocky Virginia native has a lot of preacher blood in his veins.”

In their reviews of the previous verses of Jones’ eclectic autobiographical series, critics have called him “a singular talent” (Brian Morton, Jazz Journal), “fearless but disciplined” (Nate Chinen, New York Times), “a dramatic new voice on alto saxophone” (Richard Kamins, Hartford Courant), “always uniquely and recognizably his own man” (Phil Freeman, Burning Ambulance) and “a skilled composer, a hugely soulful saxophonist, and an assured leader” (François Couture, AllMusic.com).

Jones, who is profiled in the February issue of DownBeat, is building on a very fruitful 2011 that saw him play numerous gigs under his own name, launch a new intergenerational partnership with veteran pianist/composer Matthew Shipp, earn his second consecutive nomination for Up & Coming Artist of the Year at the Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards and appear on best-of-the-year lists in a variety of publications, including a Top 20 finish for Big Gurl in the prestigious Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll.

Learn more about Darius Jones at http://dariusjonesmusic.com

Photo: David C. Sampson

In a last minute addition to his schedule, clarinetist/composer James Falzone will perform tomorrow afternoon at Corbett vs. Dempsey Gallery in Chicago.

His 40-minute set, beginning at 2:00 p.m., will feature a condensed version of his solo project, Sighs Too Deep For Words, as well as “Abyss of the Birds”, the solo movement from Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time.

Each is a preview of things to come. Falzone will release a DVD of a full live performance of Sighs Too Deep For Words later this year (check out the preview clip on YouTube), and, as part of an annual tradition, perform the complete Quartet for the End of Time at The Musical Offering in Evanston on March 30th and Covenant Presbyterian Church in Chicago on April 1st.

Learn more at http://allosmusica.org

Thumbscrew, a new collective trio featuring guitarist Mary Halvorson, bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Tomas Fujiwara, will play its first two gigs at Cornelia Street Café in New York on March 11th and The Windup Space in Baltimore on March 14th. The group will perform all new music composed by each of its members.

The idea to work together followed a chance encounter last year in the rhythm section of one of Taylor Ho Bynum’s bands. “It was one of those situations where we instantly clicked,” Ms. Halvorson recalls, “and the three of us started talking about doing a project together right away. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what happens!”

She adds, “I have long admired bassist Michael’s playing, most notably in Tim Berne’s Bloodcount and on Am I Bothering You?, his ridiculously amazing solo bass record. In 2010, when I heard his release The Rub and Spare Change, I was blown away all over again. Tomas is one of my all time favorite drummers and a frequent collaborator. He is versatile, thoughtful, intense and extraordinarily deep in his approach.”

Learn more about the musicians on their Web sites at http://maryhalvorson.com, http://www.amibotheringyou.com and http://tomasfujiwara.com

Photo: Jeff Meacham

In its new profile, posted yesterday, New Music USA’s online publication NewMusicBox explores the breadth of Chicago-based clarinetist/composer James Falzone’s recent work, including his extended solo project Sighs Too Deep For Words, his Arabic-themed Allos Musica Trio and his working jazz quartet KLANG.

The eight-minute video, titled James Falzone—Music Through Other Lenses, includes live performance footage and an exclusive interview.

“James Falzone is not sitting back contentedly watching his star ascend,” writes contributor Devin Hurd in his accompanying article. “As an accomplished performer, composer, improviser, and educator, Falzone pursues a musical vision rooted in the middle ground between the fully notated world of conservatory-trained musicians and the improvisation-based energy of jazz and creative music. It is a territory he explores with an omnivorous appetite for musical influences and aesthetic directions, whether leading his quartet KLANG through a set of contemporary jazz compositions at a late night haunt, directing liturgical music with the Grace Chicago Consort, or composing for orchestra.”

He adds, “It’s that extra layer of consideration informed by experience that goes into creating music that gives the otherwise widely varied musical expressions of James Falzone its unifying quality. It’s what allows him to distill so many different influences into an aesthetic that is identifiably his own, pushing at the boundaries of what music is and might be.”

Falzone’s entire discography is now available digitally (in a variety of formats from MP3 to FLAC) through his label’s new Bandcamp site, including his nearly out of print debut, The Already and the Not Yet.

Learn more about James Falzone and his music at http://allosmusica.org

On Saturday, February 25th at 9:00 and 10:30 p.m., pianist/composer Myra Melford will debut her new ensemble, Snowy Egret, at The Jazz Gallery in New York. The interdisciplinary sextet features musicians Ron Miles (trumpet), Liberty Ellman (guitar), Stomu Takeishi (electric bass) and Tyshawn Sorey (drums) as well as dancer Oguri.

Snowy Egret is the evolution of one of her earlier ensembles, Happy Whistlings, which she created in 2008 to perform a book of original music inspired by Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano’s Memory of Fire Trilogy. In this latest incarnation, with all new personnel, the original pieces are further developed, rearranged and augmented with more recent compositions.

“Myra Melford lately seems to have entered a phase where she can do no wrong,” writes esteemed jazz journalist Francis Davis in his introduction to this year’s Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll. Recent media coverage has called her “one of the most exciting musicians working in any genre” (Ehren Gresehover, At Length), “an insightful and far-reaching pianist-composer” (Nate Chinen, New York Times) and “a visionary bandleader” (Andrew Gilbert, Berkeleyside), noting her “ever-growing track record of arresting music” (Mike Shanley, JazzTimes).

In addition to her own projects, including the acoustic sextet Be Bread heard on her latest recording, The Whole Tree Gone (Firehouse 12 Records), she currently co-leads a duo with clarinetist Ben Goldberg and the all-star collective Trio M, which releases its second recording, The Guest House (Enja/Yellowbird), in February. She also serves on the faculty of the University of California Berkeley, where she develops and teaches courses about contemporary improvised music.

Learn more about Myra Melford at http://myramelford.com

Photo: Steven Laschever

On Friday, February 24th, veteran bassist/composer Mario Pavone will return to New York’s Cornelia Street Café for a two-set performance with his Mythos Sextet. The group, which features frequent collaborators Dave Ballou (trumpet), Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone), Philippe Crettien (tenor saxophone), Craig Taborn (piano) and Gerald Cleaver (drums), will debut brand new music as well as celebrate the 10th anniversary of his 2002 Playscape Recordings release, Mythos.

In its critic’s pick for his July performance at Cornelia Street, Time Out New York declared, “The work of Mario Pavone bridges the dissonant, structurally open world of the avant-garde and the pulsing, swinging accessibility of the jazz tradition.” His music has also been described as “invariably exhilarating” (Steve Futterman, Jazziz), “filled with passion and the sound of surprise” (Owen McNally, Hartford Courant) and “at once intellectual and swinging, investigative and declarative” (Josef Woodard, DownBeat).

A 45-year veteran of the creative music scene, Pavone has earned his reputation as “a bassist-composer of experience and vision” (Nate Chinen, New York Times), first as a sideman to such legendary figures as Paul Bley, Thomas Chapin and Bill Dixon, and most recently under his own name as ”one of the very best—and when on his game, by far the best—small-group composer/leaders working on the East Coast” (Brian Morton, Point of Departure).

In 2010, he celebrated his 70th birthday by releasing Arc Suite T/Pi T/Po, his 20th recording as a leader/co-leader, featuring original music commissioned by Chamber Music America’s 2009 New Jazz Works: Commissioning and Ensemble Development program. His performance of that material at the 2010 Litchfield Jazz Festival was featured on NPR’s JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater earlier this month. Learn more about Mario Pavone at http://mariopavone.com