Mary Halvorson at The jazz Gallery - nyc, Dec 16

• photography by Clara Pereira / text by Filipe Freitas

Mary Halvorson is an inventive, non-conformist guitarist and composer whose music fits amidst dissonant harmonies and uncanny modal variations.

This concert marked the public debut of her new octet whose members guarantee not only the quality but also the required power to her challenging yet well-crafted compositions. 
Counting on the exciting and diversified improvisations from the interveners, Mary Halvorson, a bit bashful in posture but incredibly progressive in her musical ideas, provided us with intense moments of exploratory jazz whose varied paces and offbeat vibes are oddly contagious.

Ches Smith’s skills impressed me, either on drums or creating somewhat dainty moods on the vibraphone, while the solo of the night belonged to the amazing Ingrid Laubrock who killed it with a punch drawn by the penetrating timbre of her tenor saxophone.
Curious was the addition of a pedal steel guitar, dominated by Susan Alcorn, outlining a fresh prospect that richly enhances this unconventional semi-free concept.
Awesome concert!