Mary Halvorson

Mary Halvorson is one of the most sought-after guitarists in improvised music. She has been an active musician in New York City since 2002 after completing jazz studies at Wesleyan University. Critics call her “a singular talent”(Lloyd Sachs JazzTimes), “NYC’s least-predictable and original improviser” (“Howard Mandel, City Arts), and “one the most formidable bandleaders today” (Francis Davis Village Voice). Shaun Brady, Philadelphia City Paper’s reporter, adds that Halvorson “has been steadily changing the sound of jazz guitarist in recent years with her elastic and sometimes-fluid style” (Howard Mandel, City Arts), and “one of today’s most formidable bandleaders” (Francis Davis, Village Voice). Ms. Halvorson was a member of many of Anthony Braxton’s bands, including his septet, trio, and 12 1tet. She has appeared on six recordings by Mr. Braxton to date. Ms. Halvorson has performed with legendary guitarist Marc Ribot in Sun Ship, a quartet playing the music of John Coltrane. She also performed with Trevor Dunn in Trio-Convulsant. She has had the pleasure of working with many bandleaders over the past decade, including Tim Berne and Taylor Ho Bynum, Curtis Hasselbring (myra Melford), Curtis Hasselbring (curtis hasselbring), Curtis Hasselbring and Myra Melford), Joe Morris, Tom Rainey, Mike Reed, Tom Rainey, Tom Rainey, Tom Rainey, Curtis Hasselbring and Tomas Fujiwara. Her longstanding trio with bassist John Hebert, drummer Ches Smith, is Ms. Halvorson’s main outlet as a composer and bandleader. The band’s 2008 debut album Dragon’s Head has been hailed as a rising star jazz group by Downbeat Magazine for five years. Ms. Halvorson’s quintet includes trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, and alto trombonist Jon Irabagon. They have released two critically acclaimed albums, Saturn Sings, and Bending Bridges, on Firehouse 12 labels. Recently, she added two more band members to her quintet: trombonist Jacob Garchik and Ingrid Laubrock, tenor saxophonist. This formed a septet that was featured on her 2013 album Illusionary Sea. Ms. Halvorson is also a co-leader of a chamber-jazz duo she formed with Jessica Pavone. They are the avant-rock band People, Secret Keeper and Thumbscrew. from www.maryhalvorson.com

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