Contemporary Improvisation: The Music of Mary Halvorson
Individual CI students and student ensembles perform works by internationally renowned guitarist, composer, and improviser Mary Halvorson. This concert caps a three-day residency comprising coachings, discussions, and a masterclass.
This performance is open to in-person audiences only. A streamed version will be viewable on October 22 at 7:30 p.m. See event listing
About Mary Halvorson
Guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson has been described as “a singular talent” (Lloyd Sachs, JazzTimes), ”NYC’s least-predictable improviser” (Howard Mandel, City Arts), “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). In recent Downbeat Critics Polls Halvorson has been celebrated as guitarist, rising star jazz artist, and rising star composer of the year, and in 2019 she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship.
Halvorson has released a series of critically acclaimed albums on the Firehouse 12 label, 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 Saturn Sings (2010) and Bending Bridges (2012), a septet with tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and trombonist Jacob Garchik on Illusionary Sea (2014), and finally an octet with pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn on Away With You (2016). She also released the solo recording Meltframe (2015), and most recently debuted Code Girl (2018), a new ensemble featuring vocalist Amirtha Kidambi (singing Halvorson’s own lyrics), trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, saxophonist and vocalist María Grand, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Tomas Fujiwara.
One 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.
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Deformed Weight of Hands (No. 28)
Rihards Kolmanis, electric guitar
Caleb Duval, double bass
James Nadien, drums -
My Mind I Find in Time
Survivors Breakfast - Anthony Coleman, director
Delfina Cheb Terrab, voice
Lyra Montoya, saxophone
Yoona Kim, ajaeng
Francesca Terberg, cello
Rihards Kolmanis, Olivia Wilkins-Becker, electric guitar
Ari Chais, piano
Brooks Clarke, electric bass
Hannah Dunton, double bass
Henry Wilson, percussion
James Nadien, drumsLyrics
i have here in my rotation
it is not predictable my mind
potential to deal a dangerous lie
it is not predictable my mind
and if i disappear it is for this
it is not predictable my mind
enormous in its attempts
the pull is still here i find
lost in spectacular performance
the pull is still here i find
past the division the joy of forgetting
the pull is still here i find
status is an obstacle
reconstruction is required in time
the storm that sends us smoking
reconstruction is required in time
into some other life or another
reconstruction is required in time -
Old King Misfit (No. 57)
CI Chamber Ensemble - Eden MacAdam-Somer, director
Stuart Ryerse, recorder
Kaitlyn Knudsvig, Carson McHaney, Kathleen Wallace, violin
Ben Roberts, cello
Solomon Caldwell, double bass
G Korth-Rockwell, electric guitar
Avi Randall, piano
Chris Chapin, lever harp
Joseph Seo, drums -
Accurate Hit
Sarah Matsushima, voice
Emily Mitchell, guitarLyrics
pass through
comforting threads
fierce sleep
inside breath
double pocket
split mental
cross eyed
upgrade spirit
disorder
carpet door
same mistake
case sensitive
thought free
however used
static weakness
rigid dismantling
another rebel
choked
original error
terminal insides
searing body
multiple envy
internal voltage
triggering events
break control
remove threat
independent -
Heartdrop
Ted Reichman Ensemble - Ted Reichman, director
Litha Ashforth, autoharp
Adrian Chabla, electronics
Lyra Montoya, flute
Carson McHaney, violin
Kaia Berman-Peters, accordion
Olivia Wilkins-Becker, guitar
Miguel Landestoy, piano
Jamie Eliot, electric bass
Joseph Seo, drums -
The Lemon Trees
Ted Reichman Ensemble - Ted Reichman, director
Adrian Chabla, voice
Litha Ashforth, Kaia Berman-Peters, backing voices
Lyra Montoya, saxophone
Carson McHaney, violin
Alvaro López, guitar
Akram Haddad, piano
Jamie Eliot, electric bass
Joseph Seo, drumsLyrics
smell of grease and mint
glissando, female laughter
thirsty one spinning tops
Gold outline of her neck
crimped at its deepest plastic
as cartoon backdrop
lemon trees darkening
wish-bones bit from a life
private crisis of the now
these indolent visions, parched -
Trio No. 19: Sea Seizure
Nikita Manin, clarinet
Kelly Bray, trumpet
Olivia Wilkins-Becker, electric guitar
Anna Abondolo, double bass
James Nadien, drums -
Cold Mirrors (No. 15)
Mary Halvorson, electric guitar
Delfina Cheb Terrab, Ruochen Zang, Moyu Zhang, Xiao Sun, Noah Kelly,
Changrong Yan, Sarah Matsushima, Skyler Lim, Yejas Nair, Mingchen Du,
Akram Haddad, Anwei Wang, Avi Randall, Miguel Landestoy, Adrian Chabla,
Chris Chapin, Tiana Hathiramani, voice
Stuart Ryerse, recorder
Nikita Manin, clarinet
Kelly Bray, trumpet
Caleb Schmale, Lyra Montoya, saxophone
Mattias Kaufmann, accordion
Carson McHaney, Catherine Byrne, Kaitlyn Knudsvig, Kathleen Wallace,
Russell Durham, Eden MacAdam-Somer, violin
Yoona Kim, ajaeng
Ben Roberts, Francesca Terberg, cello
Brooks Clarke, guitar
Emily Mitchell, G Korth-Rockwell, Rihards Kolmanis, electric guitar
Caleb Duval, Solomon Caldwell, double bass
Jamie Eliot, electric bass
Henry Wilson, vibraphone
Emmett Mathison, piano
Jiangcheng Guan, Jun Syuk Seo, James Nadien, percussion, drums
