Mary Halvorson selects the songs which inspired her new band Code Girl

Go here for Mary Halvorson´s Wire Playlist, and to read more than the lines I copied!

"Known for her experimental jazz guitar playing as both band leader and accompaniment, Boston born Mary Halvorson recently released her first record including vocals and lyrics. In light of this, as well as her cover feature in the The Wire 410, Halvorson has compiled a playlist of songs which helped lead her to the point of forming her own group, Code Girl. The group released their debut LP via New Haven label Firehouse12 in March 2018.

“Here is a playlist including several key influences for my newest project, Code Girl, which is my first leader project that features a singer” starts Halvorson. “All of the musicians on this list have a totally unique concept and approach to lyrics and song. I’m starting with Robert Wyatt because his influence probably runs deepest. He is a true individual and innovator and I’ve spent years with many of his albums on repeat listen. “Sea Song” was the first of his I ever heard, so it holds a special place for me."

Mary Halvorson's Reverse Blue

Mary Halvorson's Reverse Blue plying "Hako" at Cornelia Street Café 3 October 2014.
Lovely, heh?

Mary Halvorson - guitar
Chris Speed - tenor saxophone, clarinet
Eivind Opsvik - bass
Tomas Fujiwara - drums

The Free Jazz blog has nothing less than a triple review of their first album on Relative Pitch (2014).

Mary Halvorson speaks

Let´s get a bit serious here, with Mary Halvorson breaking down free improvisation and demonstrating creating exercises.
Both videos borrowed from Jazz at Lincoln Center's Jazz Academy on YouTube.

April Video Festival

Terry Day and the Free improvisation in the UK -Trailer- from whiteemotion on Vimeo.

Jaap Blonk & Philip Jeck perform NOTATIONS (a film by Vicki Bennett) at Cafe Oto - FULL CONCERT from Vicki WFMU on Vimeo.

RADIO PARIS 2013 / Régis Boulard - La Superfolia Armaada from Olivier Mellano on Vimeo.

A collection of some videos I have enjoyed these last weeks, turned into a video festival for you all!
Happy or not, here is mainly what you get: Loads of free jazz and improvisation, some art rock, hot soul and good old rock!

- Chris Corsano (dr) and Mette Rasmussen (sax) performing at Jazzhouse, Copenhagen on the 8th of April, 2014.
- Peter Brötzmann (sax) and Steve Noble (dr) live at Kornspeicher Wels, Austria on the 11th of April, 2014.
- Terry Day and the Free improvisation in the UK - Trailer. Directed by Blanca Regina.
- Jaap Blonk & Philip Jeck perform NOTATIONS (a film by Vicki Bennett) at Cafe Oto (full concert) on the 29th of November, 2013.
- Paal Nilssen-Love and Esa Pietilä Big Orchestra plays "Big Fun" by Esa Pietilä at "Finnish Fun" Festival at Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, on the 25th of January 2014.
If you want to know ho is playing check "3rd fun" on this site.
- Phil Minton at Sonic Protest on 9th of April, 2014.
- Ingrid Laubrock's XXL at Clemente Soto Velez, on 10th of March, 2014. Musicians named on YouTube.
- Ingrid Laubrock (sax) and William Parker (b) at Arts for Art / Evolving Music, NYC, on the 3rd of March, 2014.
- Ingrid Laubrock (sax) and Mary Halvorson (g) at Clemente Soto Velez, on the 10th of March, 2014.
- La Superfilia Armaada and John Greaves "Radio Paris" Régïs Boulard, on the 23rd of April,2013 - Festival Metis Villetaneuse.
- Mari Kvien Brunvoll, Odda, Norway, in October 2013.
- Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - "People Don't Get What They Deserve" on Jimmy Kimmel Live. From their new album "Give the people what they want" (Daptone 2014).
- The Nightingales - "Dumb and Drummer". From their album "For fuck´s sake" (2014).

December Video Festival

Gare Du Nord from Lotta Melin on Vimeo.

I have been surfing YouTube and Vimeo a lot these last days, to catch up after my lost autumn in hospital.
Here is a selection of jazz, imrov, noise and dance for you.

- Arve Henriksen, Jan Bang and Ingar Zach at the Nefertiti 6 Dec 2013.
- Mary Halvorson, Peter Evans and Weasel Walter - Dither Extravaganza - Gowanus Lofts 26 Oct 2013.
- C Spencer Yeh, Chris Corsano and Stine Janvin Motland at Wels Unlimited 9 Nov 2013.
- Lasse Marhaug & Kjell Bjørgengen at Wels Unlimited 8 Nov 2013.
- "Gare Du Nord". Coreography Lotta Melin. Music Maja Ratkje.

Mary Halvorson Septet: Illusionary Sea (Firehouse12)

Mary Halvorson Septet´s new album "Illusionary Sea" was released on Firehouse 12 today, and it´s sounding great!

Let´s cite Firehouse 12: "Halvorson closes the recording with a surprise, paying tribute to one of her musical heroes, Robert Wyatt. Her exquisite arrangement of "Nairam" - penned by Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine and recorded under the title "Maryan" on Wyatt's album Shleep - is the first cover to appear of any of Halvorson's albums as leader."

The septet:
Jonathan Finlayson - trumpet
Jon Irabagon - alto saxophone
Ingrid Laubrock - tenor saxophone
Jacob Garchik - trombone
Mary Halvorson - guitar
John Hébert - bass
Ches Smith - drums

Why don´t you run over to Firehouse 12 to buy the album (or just listen, if you don´t like it here)?

And the Mary Halvorson - Robert Wyatt connection is not quite new. AAJ says this about her previous album on Firehouse 12, "Saturn Sings" (2010): "The harmonies, says Halvorson, were influenced by such diverse inspirations as trumpeter Clifford Brown, singers Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, pianist Thelonious Monk, saxophonist Archie Shepp and composers Alexander Scriabin, Dmitri Shostakovich and Robert Wyatt".

Mary Halvorson at The Stone

Mary Halvorson plays six evenings at The Stone (NY) in August.
Please note the last three evening record release concerts for the album "Illusionary Sea", already mentioned in the blog, since she nods to Robert Wyatt.

On the video a Mary Halvorson/Joe Morris duo.

The program:

8/13 Tuesday (KR)
8 pm
Mary Halvorson and Joe Morris
Mary Halvorson (guitar) Joe Morris (guitar)

10 pm
Mary Halvorson and Brandon Seabrook
Mary Halvorson (guitar) Brandon Seabrook (guitar)


8/14 Wednesday (KR)
8 and 10 pm
Thumbscrew
Mary Halvorson (guitar), Michael Formanek (bass) Tomas Fujiwara (drums)


8/15 Thursday (KR)
8 and 10 pm
Thumbscrew
Mary Halvorson (guitar) Michael Formanek (bass) Tomas Fujiwara (drums)


8/16 Friday (KR)
8 and 10 pm
Mary Halvorson Septet
Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet) Tim Berne (alto sax) Ingrid Laubrock (tenor sax) Jacob Garchik (trombone) Mary Halvorson (guitar) John Hébert (bass) Ches Smith (drums)
3 night record release event for Illusionary Sea on Firehouse 12 records!


8/17 Saturday (KR)
8 and 10 pm
Mary Halvorson Septet
Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet) Tim Berne (alto sax) Ingrid Laubrock (tenor sax) Jacob Garchik (trombone) Mary Halvorson (guitar) John Hébert (bass) Ches Smith (drums)
3 night record release event for Illusionary Sea on Firehouse 12 records!


8/18 Sunday (KR)
8 and 10 pm
Mary Halvorson Septet
Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet) Tim Berne (alto sax) Ingrid Laubrock (tenor sax) Jacob Garchik (trombone) Mary Halvorson (guitar) John Hébert (bass) Ches Smith (drums)
3 night record release event for Illusionary Sea on Firehouse 12 records!

Robert Wyatt tribute on new Mary Halvorson album

Mary Halvorson pays tribute to Robert Wyatt on the forthcoming album "Illusionary Sea" (Firehouse 12) scheduled for September release. The tribute is in the form of an arrangement of the source for ‘Maryan’ ('Nairam' by Philip Catherine), from Wyatt's album Shleep.

A long time ago we mentioned Mary Halvorson´s guest post in "Destination Out" (October 2010) "--on Robert Wyatt & Indirect Influence". And let´s just have some of it here too:

"The first time I heard Robert Wyatt was in 2006 when a friend played me Rock Bottom (1974). I still remember the feeling of hearing the first track, “Sea Song.” I was sitting on my living room floor in front of the stereo. It was one of those rare moments when you are so completely bowled over by a piece of music that you don’t know what to think. I wasn’t even sure I liked it; I was just completely freaked out. The music was so beautiful, so strange, incredibly dark, and entirely unlike anything I’d heard. That’s what I love about Wyatt’s music. He’s not weird for the sake of being weird. The music is purely his own."

As a bonus today, you all get Mary Halvorson Quintet: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert from February 2013.

Follow up: Mary Halvorson Trio at Nattjazz

And then we have got a close-up-video of Mary Halvorson Trio, playing at the Nattjazz festival in Bergen 23 May. The Trio: Mary Halvorson (g), Ches Smith (dr) and John Hébert (b).

More Nattjazz videos, and videos from several of Bergen´s venues, over at Egil Andersen´s channel on YouTube.

Mary Halvorson Trio

As I have told you already it´s Nattjazz time in Bergen, and I´m busy listening!

For me the highlight of the first two days was Mary Halvorson Trio. Mary Halvorson (guitar), John Hébert (bass) and Ches Smith (drums) played a fantastic concert yesterday evening, that will be hard to beat!

I´m not quite sure how much of it was composed, and how much of it was improvised, but even the drummer was reading music (we don´t often see that on jazz concerts?).

Impressive and good fun, and thanks a lot!

Sorry, have to run!