Mary Halvorson Quintet To Make Its Boston-Area Debut At The Lily Pad June 8th

[Improvised_Communications]

On Friday, June 8th at 8:30 p.m., Brooklyn-based guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson's acclaimed quintet, featuring Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Jon Irabagon (alto saxophone), John Hébert (bass) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums), will make its Boston-area debut at The Lily Pad in Cambridge (following a 7:30 set by Ms. Halvorson's former teacher Joe Morris). The Brookline native, who won the Rising Star Guitar category in the most recent DownBeat Critics Poll and was named New York's Best Guitarist 2011 by the Village Voice, will be in town celebrating her latest release, Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12 Records).

"One of the year's most eagerly anticipated albums, the Mary Halvorson Quintet's Bending Bridges has its work cut out for it topping the band's 2010 poll favorite, Saturn Sings," writes JazzTimes reviewer Lloyd Sachs. "But the new recording, which benefits from the band's first serious stretch of playing together live, is even deeper and edgier than its predecessor. It confirms Halvorson as an artist whose originality as a guitarist is no fiercer than her originality as a writer. Simply put, no one is making music like this...what a singular talent she is."

Critics have called her "a distinct voice of her own" (Carl Wilson, Slate), "one of the most exciting and original guitarists in jazz—or otherwise" (Steve Dollar, Wall Street Journal) and "one of today's most formidable bandleaders" (Francis Davis, Village Voice). 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."

One of the most in-demand guitarists in improvised music today, Ms. Halvorson works with such notable bandleaders as Tim Berne, Anthony Braxton, fellow Boston-area native Taylor Ho Bynum, Curtis Hasselbring, Ingrid Laubrock and Marc Ribot when not leading her own groups, including her trio, septet and the newly formed Reverse Blue. She currently appears on the latest releases from Tomas Fujiwara & The Hook Up, Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone, The Thirteenth Assembly and the Tom Rainey Trio.

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

[Mike Schwartz]

Mary made a really nice guest appearance with me yesterday at KSJS, San Jose...after our Q&A played a number of pieces from the new recording which is fabulous

We get to see her at Yoshi's in Oakland this coming Thursday 05/10.
Some of our lucky listeners were fortunate & excited to win tickets to the event.

I'll be there....first time to see Mary hit....wouldn't miss it for the world!

[CraigP]

Mike, you've got a great life.

[Mike Schwartz]

Mike, you've got a great life.

I do really...jazz_wise I get to see inspired performances a couple of times (or more) each week!

[Blue Train]

For those around The Vortex....she's having a two day residency there starting on May 24th with Evan Parker's Trio.

May 25th is with Liam Noble, Rachel Musson, and Ben Davis which is being billed "a brand new collaboration".

Also on the 25th is a Peter Evans Quartet performance involving Evan Parker, Craig Taborn and Sam Pluta.