{"title":"Mary Halvorson","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMary Halvorson is a guitarist, composer and improviser living in Brooklyn. She grew up in Boston and studied jazz at Wesleyan University and the New School. Since 2000 she has been performing regularly in New York with numerous groups and has toured Europe and the U.S. with Anthony Braxton and Trevor Dunn’s Trio-Convulsant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMary released her debut as a leader in 2008 with The Mary Halvorson Trio recording, \"Dragon's Head\". Her unique style blends elements of avant-garde jazz, rock, and experimental music, creating a captivating sound that pushes boundaries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith influences such as Craig Taborn, Wadada Leo Smith, and Nels Cline among others, Mary's music showcases her technical prowess on the guitar combined with innovative compositions. Her performances are known for their energy and creativity, captivating audiences around the world.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"cloudward-2","title":"Cloudward","description":"\u003cp\u003eNonesuch Records releases \u003ci\u003eCloudward\u003c\/i\u003e by Brooklyn-based guitarist, composer, and MacArthur fellow Mary Halvorson. The album features eight new compositions by Halvorson, performed with her sextet Amaryllis, the improvisatory band that performed on her critically praised 2022 albums \u003ci\u003eAmaryllis\u003c\/i\u003e and Belladonna comprising Halvorson, Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Jacob Garchik (trombone), and Adam O’Farrill (trumpet). Labelmate Laurie Anderson also is featured on the album track ‘Incarnadine’. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nonesuch","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50396173697355,"sku":"2165828","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50396173926731,"sku":"2165830","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Cloudward_8348bc36_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726479242"},{"product_id":"amaryllis-and-belladonna","title":"Amaryllis and Belladonna","description":"\u003cp\u003eNonesuch Records releases twin label debut albums, \u003ci\u003eAmaryllis\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBelladonna\u003c\/i\u003e, from Brooklyn-based guitarist, composer, and MacArthur fellow Mary Halvorson. The two suites, which Halvorson describes as “modular and interlocking,” were performed at Brooklyn’s Roulette last fall. The records, produced and mixed by John Dieterich (Deerhoof), are available as a two-LP vinyl set or as two separate CDs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eAmaryllis\u003c\/i\u003e is a six-song suite performed by a newly formed sextet of master improvisers, including Halvorson, Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Jacob Garchik (trombone), and Adam O’Farrill (trumpet). The Mivos string quartet joins for three of the songs, making this the largest ensemble for which Halvorson has written to date. The suite showcases Halvorson’s many musical influences from jazz, experimental, new music, and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBelladonna\u003c\/i\u003e is a set of five compositions written for Halvorson on guitar plus The Mivos Quartet: Olivia De Prato (violin), Maya Bennardo (violin), Victor Lowrie Tafoya (viola), and Tyler J. Borden (cello). It is Halvorson’s first time writing for a string quartet. Mivos’ parts are through-composed and augmented by Halvorson’s guitar improvisations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nonesuch","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x2","offer_id":50523124040011,"sku":"1148738","price":37.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/1e9cba3f-f036-44ac-b525-b74e9e390a00_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728017550"},{"product_id":"belladonna","title":"Belladonna","description":"\u003cp\u003eNonesuch Records releases twin label debut albums, \u003cem\u003eAmaryllis\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBelladonna\u003c\/em\u003e, from Brooklyn-based guitarist, composer, and MacArthur fellow \u003cstrong\u003eMary Halvorson\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe two suites, which Halvorson describes as \"modular and interlocking,\" were performed at Brooklyn’s Roulette last fall. The records, produced and mixed by John Dieterich (Deerhoof), are available as a two-LP vinyl set or as two separate CDs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBelladonna\u003c\/em\u003e is a set of five compositions written for Halvorson on guitar plus The Mivos Quartet: Olivia De Prato (violin), Maya Bennardo (violin), Victor Lowrie Tafoya (viola), and Tyler J. Borden (cello). It is Halvorson’s first time writing for a string quartet. Mivos’ parts are through-composed and augmented by Halvorson’s guitar improvisations.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nonesuch","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50523150451019,"sku":"1148737","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/baa323f7-8c5c-4580-bb8a-6d9750fad752_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728017602"},{"product_id":"about-ghosts","title":"About Ghosts","description":"\u003cp\u003eBrooklyn-based guitarist, composer, and MacArthur fellow Mary Halvorson’s new album \u003cem\u003eAbout Ghosts\u003c\/em\u003e features eight new compositions by Halvorson, performed with her sextet Amaryllis, the improvisatory band that also was featured on her critically praised albums Amaryllis, Belladonna, and Cloudward. Amaryllis comprises Halvorson, Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Jacob Garchik (trombone), and Adam O’Farrill (trumpet). Saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins and Brian Settles join the ensemble on five tunes, including lead track ‘Carved From’. \u003cem\u003eAbout Ghosts\u003c\/em\u003e is produced and mixed by John Dieterich (Deerhoof).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I started writing this record in the fall of 2023, for Amaryllis, and I thought, ‘You know what? I want to add saxophones.’ And I just started writing,” Halvorson says. “It felt like an experiment. I was just feeling ... denser harmony, more horns. But I wanted to stick with Amaryllis, so it felt natural to add a couple of saxophones to Amaryllis rather than doing an entirely new thing; I’d been playing so much at that point with Amaryllis and we were in a really good place. I guess I do that a lot. Take something that already feels good and then add an element, kind of throw a wrench in it, and see what happens,” she laughs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother instrument that can be heard on ‘Carved From’, among other tracks, is a Pocket Piano synthesizer that Halvorson’s childhood friend Owen Oborn, from Critter \u0026amp; Guitari, recently gave her. “I’ve never played a synthesizer before, but I thought, ‘Wow, if he gave this to me, I should really figure out how to play it.’ I used it on a bunch of tracks, as overdubs. You’ll hear weird non-guitar sounds woven in throughout,” Halvorson says. “I wasn’t using it to improvise. I was trying to find an additional layer to build into the compositions, the whole time being like, ‘I’ll throw it out if I don’t like it.’ But John Dieterich, who mixed the record, incorporated the synth perfectly. It felt like a subtle layer had settled there, which could almost escape one’s notice. Sort of like the ghost member of the band.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMary Halvorson’s last three records were named Jazz Album of the Year in DownBeat’s annual Critics Poll, where she was also named Guitarist of the Year in 2023 and 2024. Pitchfork noted in its review of her most recent record, “There is something curiously absolute about Cloudward, whose eight pieces seem chiefly to express their own elegant systems of order and disorder, rather than reaching outside themselves to convey particular emotions or images.” And Bandcamp said, “Halvorson continues to give her excellent band plenty of freedom in how the pieces come together, producing her most richly contrapuntal music yet. That achievement speaks to the elasticity, presence, and imagination of her bandmates, who built spectacular, rigorous marvels from her malleable frameworks.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to her three previous Nonesuch recordings, Halvorson has released a series of critically acclaimed albums, from Dragon’s Head (2008), her trio debut featuring bassist John Hébert and drummer Ches Smith, expanding to a quintet with trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson and alto saxophonist Jon Irabagon on \u003cem\u003eSaturn Sings\u003c\/em\u003e (2010) and \u003cem\u003eBending Bridges\u003c\/em\u003e (2012), a septet with tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and trombonist Jacob Garchik on \u003cem\u003eIllusionary Sea\u003c\/em\u003e (2014), and finally an octet with pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn on \u003cem\u003eAway With You\u003c\/em\u003e (2016). She also released the solo recording \u003cem\u003eMeltframe\u003c\/em\u003e (2015). Her ensemble Code Girl, featuring vocalist Amirtha Kidambi, trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, saxophonist and vocalist María Grand, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Tomas Fujiwara, released two albums, in 2018 and 2020.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of New York City’s most in-demand guitarists, over the past decade, Halvorson has worked with such diverse musicians as Tim Berne, Anthony Braxton, Taylor Ho Bynum, John Dieterich, Trevor Dunn, Bill Frisell, Ingrid Laubrock, Jason Moran, Joe Morris, Tom Rainey, Jessica Pavone, Tomeka Reid, Marc Ribot, and John Zorn. She is also part of several collaborative projects, most notably the longstanding trio Thumbscrew with Michael Formanek on bass and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nonesuch","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":51613270606155,"sku":"R1481-0421","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":51613270573387,"sku":"R1481-8989","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/AboutGhosts.jpg?v=1744207607"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_3047a0a8_thumbnail_4096_757a7642-1204-4592-b1a1-ae505c8d634c.jpg?v=1726479210","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/mary-halvorson.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}