Mary Halvorson leads her Septet with Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Jon Irabagon (alto sax), Ingrid Laubrock (tenor saxophone), Jacob Garchik (trombone), John Hebert (bass) & Ches Smith (drums) through 6 original compositions and a Robert Wyatt cover!
Format: CD Condition: New Released: 2013 Country: USA Packaging: Digipack Recorded on September 9th, 2012 at Firehouse 12 in New Haven, CT by Nick Lloyd.
"Illusionary Sea follows Halvorson's much-lauded Firehouse 12 recordings Bending Bridges (2012), Saturn Sings (2010), and Dragon's Head (2008). This body of work as a leader demonstrates why Halvorson has been described as "the most original jazz guitarist in a generation" (Michael J. West, Washington City Paper), and "one of today's most formidable bandleaders" (Francis Davis, Village Voice).
At the end of 2011, Halvorson had finished writing two albums' worth of quintet music and decided she was ready for a new challenge. Thinking of the constant encouragement of her mentor Anthony Braxton to "write for larger ensembles," Halvorson decided to expand her core ensemble (which already included trio and quintet versions), creating a mini-big band that maintains the trust and rapport of her smaller groups. She says, "Adding to an existing band piece-by-piece feels like completing a puzzle, rather than starting from scratch."
The album features six Halvorson originals, where the four-horn blend brings deeper sonority, orchestral possibility, and an increased level of intricacy to Halvorson's distinctive compositional voice. The seven musicians are both masterful soloists and sensitive ensemble players, as individual spotlights seamlessly blend with collective energy. 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."-Firehouse 12