The Mary Halvorson Quintet will feature new songs at Cornelia Street Café show (photo by Peter Gannushkin)
Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia St.
Friday, July 29, $15, 9:00 & 10:30
212-989-9319
www.maryhalvorson.com
www.corneliastreetcafe.com
Last July, we saw Mary Halvorson at the Whitney, playing one of Christian Marclay’s wind-up guitars as part of the “Festival” exhibition. An experimental avant-garde composer and musician, Halvorson has collaborated with the likes of Anthony Braxton, Marc Ribot, Jessica Pavone, Trevor Dunn, Taylor Ho Bynum, Elliott Sharp, and so many others during her fast-paced career. Born in Boston and based in Brooklyn, the barely thirty Halvorson is constantly playing in any number of bands and configurations. Last year she released the debut record of the Mary Halvorson Quintet, Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12, October 2010), consisting of Halvorson on guitar, John Hébert on bass, Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Jon Irabagon on alto sax, and Ches Smith on drums. Over the course of seven songs and more than sixty minutes, the group takes listeners on a fascinating journey, with Halvorson heading off into various stratospheres, propelled by unique twists on the horns and an adventurous rhythm section. Gorgeous tracks such as “Moon Traps in Seven Rings (No. 17),” “Sea Seizure (No. 19),” and “Crescent White Singe (No. 13)” venture out into thrilling, unexpected directions filled with myriad surprises, making Saturn Sings one of the freshest, and best, albums of 2010. On July 29, the quintet will be playing a special show at the Cornelia Street Café, concentrating on Halvorson’s compositions for their next disc, which they plan on recording in a two-day frenzy following the performance. Halvorson will also be at University of the Streets on East Seventh St. on Monday, August 1, playing guitar as part of Ches Smith & These Arches, with Smith on drums, Tony Malaby and Tim Berne on saxes, and Andrea Parkins on accordion.