Mary Halvorson: Bending Bridges

Mary Halvorson (guitar)

Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12 Records; 2012)

Ches Smith (drums)

Jon Irabagon (sax)

Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet)

John Hebert (bass)

So I was having an argument with a friend as I was introducing him to one of my favourite artists and I finally realized something...Mary Halvorson is a threat to jazz!


She is quickly transforming a listener's perception of what the genre is. Her incorporation of indie rock muscularity and free jazz aesthetics is blurring the lines. She is reconstructing sound in a new image and pattern. Basically, making us think and feel the music without a predetermined tag. Enjoy it the way you wish to interpret it.

Bending Bridges, her newest release with her quintet signifies that direction and forward-thinking philosophy with great brilliance. A brief member of Anthony Braxton quartet only a few years ago, Halvorson brings a bright sense of creativity and experiementalism that is reminiscent of that time. The slow building but rewarding opener, "Sink When She Rounds The Bend" revolves around some gentle delivery by Halvorson fused perfectly with the horn section until the surprising and waterfall clashing of instruments towards it's ending. This demonstrates Halvorson's interest in breaking free even from the term improvisation.

"Forgotten Men In Silver," with fluctuating time signatures and cross patterns that are sure to cause the casual listener to scratch their head wildly, is my favourite piece. Part blues, part experiment. Hebert and Smith are given the space to create their own mood. It conjures up enough diverging moments that you almost forget the moment when Halvorson returns to calm the proceedings.


"The Periphery Of Scandal" with valuable staccato movements, has Halvorson playing the mercurial leader. The band seem to improvise around but then everyone returns at once for a thunderous middle section that may owe more to hard rock nights than indie club gigs. I loved the action and strength displayed throughout this piece.

"That Old Sound" strangely applies folk and free form which send fourth a tune that becomes interpersonal, cerebral and effective. Halvorson closes out the album with an almost contemporary piece "All The Clocks." Iraboagon provides the closest thing this session gets to a standard couple of lines. Halvorson and Hebert then proceed with counterpoints that are both combative as they are beautiful. Finlayson rolls a number of notes that rise with a great deal vibrant joy.

There's a reason Mary Halvorson has quickly become one of the most important names on the scene. She thinks differently than many of her counterparts and seeks to rise above the standard definitions. Bending Bridges is the document of truth. And Mary Halvorson is an artist who is a threat of breaking the genre in half. And that's a very, very, very good thing. I have been waiting for this album for 12 months and I can pretty much tell you all right now--Bending Bridges is the JazzWrap Album Of The Year.

The Intersection: Parov Stelar

The Intersection is an ongoing feature on JazzWrap that looks at artists that have blended jazz, world and electronica in new and highly creative ways.


Parov Stelar (keyboards; programming)

The Princess (Etage Noir Recordings; 2012)

Jerry Di Monza (trumpet)

Cleo Panther (vocals)

Willie Larsson (drums)

Michael Wittner (bass)

We've discussed the amazing invention and qualities of Parov Stelar and his band of merry beatsers previously. Now they return with the massive double opus, The Princess which delivers more thumping beats, swings, twist and turns to put this DJ/Artist/Sound manipulator in a similar space as Quantic on the jazztronica mountain.

The first disc is more midtempo, thematic and lyrically focused. "Mila's Dream" starts off the journey with a soulful hip hop vibe. Deep piano and baselines and soothing shadowy vocals give the piece its dreamlike quality. "The Princess" portrays a cinematic hue that almost reminds of Massive Attack with a real focus on capturing your attention through it's repetitive and hypnotic notes on piano.

The resurrection piece "With You" has Lija Bloom sounding like Neneh Cherry at her best. It's sexy, soul and is beautifully impacted by Stelar's great orchestration and ability to write a piece that rises and falls with grace. "Beautiful Morning" with its romantic guitar, swirling cello and echo-y effects while not the closing segment of disc one, is a lovely jumping off point for what how things will dramatically change.

The second disc is where Stelar opens the group up for material that may be more familiar to the general masses (particularly North America). Yet this is no mere dancefloor session - this is a trip between time and space. Absorbing that swing era rhythm and blending it with modern dance aesthetics, Stelar creates a world that is both irreverent, reflective and futuristic. Stelar's programming and Di Monza's trumpet dominate this session but Stellar allows the ensemble to really rip through chords.

"Booty Swing" (utilized in a number of commercials globally) is a polished swing number fueled by a relentless beat that if you aren't dancing by the four chord you must be dead. Drum, bass and a heavy synth create a floor shaking event on "The Phantom." Dark but loose enough to enjoy every note and brief lyrical moment.

"Oh Yeah" drifts into Brand New Heavies/Jamiroquai territory. A funky slice of R&B that diverts from the swing jazz foundation of the set but still feels right at home somehow. "All Night," with some stomping bass and drums glistened with a vocal declaration of a return to the "old school" tailored for the dancefloor. "The Snake" adds another level of laser guided effects with a swing-era vibe that is hard to ignore - even for the ardent jazz fan.

Parov Stelar has been setting himself and his ensemble apart from most of the European dance scene for awhile now. The Princess probably does this better than any record previous. If you are adventurous with your music, Parov Stelar is a great alternative to what you've been listening to. Highly Recommended.

The October Trio: New Dream

The October Trio

New Dream (Songlines Recordings; 2012)

Evan Arntzen (tenor and soprano sax, clarinet)
Josh Cole (double bass)
Dan Gaucher (drums)

For Canadian based, The October Trio, freedom and concept come more from being apart than consistently playing together. The trio reemerged after a hiatus of sorts with their fourth album, New Dream. And it's mature, expansive and more surprising than you would think after a few years apart.

For many this trio may be unknown, but I hope by the end of this post you will venture to try one of their albums. Definitely more free flowing than their previous efforts, New Dream sees the group improvising, adding new textures and having a lot of fun. Opening with the funky, pulsating "1983," the group signal that this outing will be nothing like what you've heard them do before. A very infectious and hypnotic bassline from Cole is augmented by Arntzen and Gaucher's crisp chords that slowly rise to massive crescendo of exchanges towards the song's conclusion. An Impressive mixture for the introduction.

On "New Dream" Arntzen's sax fills the room with a beautiful introspective Coltrane-esque tone. The harmonics wrap around you quickly as Gaucher's rolling drums and Cole's emphatic plucking began to meld into one and explore some solid exchanges back and forth. Both "Potential Bog" and "The Park" show a more relaxed and even quirkier avant garde tendency that is refreshing to hear. A feeling of mid-eighties Arto Lindsay or John Zorn could be felt by this listener. Both Gaucher and Arntzen are scorching on "Potential Bog."

For a trio that hasn't worked together for a few years New Dream feels like they never went away. But The October Trio's return is welcomed and it brings a great deal of growth and experiments that are definitely new building blocks for the future. Richly rewarding stuff and demanding your attention.

Orrin Evans: Flip The Script

Orrin Evans (piano)

Flip The Script (Posi-Tone; 2012)

Donald Edwards (drums)

Ben Wolfe (bass)

Coming off a prolific year with Captain Black Big Band and his quintet recording Freedom, Orrin Evans strips down to a trio for his latest, Flip The Script. While this trio session allows the listener more intimacy with the musicians it is still delivers some electrifying and at times elegant performances.

Working with a simpler approach, Evan's material here is more rich and organic as evident on "Clean House." Here Evan's playing is focused and crisp. Every note has a real sense of passion and urgency. A buoyant tone to Evan's keys hovers softly above the bass and drums but the unity of the trio is not diminished.

Spinning in more of bluesy flavor, "When" and "Big Small" both develop slowly and with somber undertones. "Big Small" displaying more of an uplifting nature in its unique structure. These are two pieces in which Evan's is more laid back and allows Edwards and Wolfe to provide the stronger emphasis to the proceedings.

Both "Flip The Script" and "TC's Blues" swing with a bop quality to would make Thelonious Monk and Red Garland very proud. Midtempo pieces featuring a number chord changes and sharp technique that shows a solid unity and understanding as to where each musicians lies and where their going next with the tune.

The closing number, the Gamble and Huff R&B standard, "The Sound Of Philadelphia" gets a gentle re treatment here and is more personal and effective than ever. The track is most associated as the theme for the America dance/music show Soul Train. Evan's tribute to its creator, Don Cornelius is simply sublime and the absolute best manner for closing this album.

Flip The Script returns the art of trio back to its roots. Emotional, poignant and organic. And with that ethos, Orrin Evans continues to be one of the exciting and diverse prospects on the American scene today.