MARY HALVORSON TRIO + QUINTET @ Joe's Pub, 6/28/09
JUNE 28, 2009 -- ASTOR PLACE: Mary Halvorson came prepared for Joe's Pub. Not all artists are. Those more accustomed to playing for a bar crowd on the floor can be taken aback by Joe's high stage, and elaborate sound system. Without a doubt, it lowers the chance of the band drawing much back from the audience. It's a great spot for a person to go and let the music soak into them, but it runs the risk of being stale for the band if they don't know what they're getting into. Luckily Halvorson seemed to know the score, and made up for the separation from the audience with intense interplay and a smartly structured set list.
The set was split in half, with the first four songs performed by the Mary Halvorson Trio, the guitarist and composer armed with John Hebert on upright bass and Tomas Fujiwara on drums, and the final four songs welcoming trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson and alto saxophonist Jon Irabagon to the fold.
Halvorson's compositions were dynamic and distinct, each tune feeling independent from the next. Her guitar tone is bright and exciting, stabbing and weaving around the room, but she also never is afraid of simplicity. One of my favorite pieces came second, with Halvorson anchoring the band with a slow paced, half note melody, Hebert sustaining full bass tones beneath her, and Fujiwara manning the brushes, staying percussive and meaningful, but allowing the music to breathe. Tomas Fujiwara was the perfect drummer for the set, who developed dynamically through activity rather than volume. When he would reach a new volume peak, Fujiwara would immediately drop down a few notches. It was never drastic, but it showed a respect he had for not giving it all away at once. The drum solo in the third piece gave the audience a more prolonged taste, and it was one of those times where you just had to close your eyes and let the pulse of the playing bowl you over.
The contours of the pieces were engaging, having structures that the performers were clearly locked into, but never really repeating a melody. The opening and closing melodies were always different, and the middle improvisations acted as an ever-changing bridge between the two. Keeping that formula in mind, with Halvorson's band the line is always blurred between the written and the improvised. Keeping the ear unclear takes away the audience's reference point of "ok, the melody is done, and here are the solos," which I think provides for a much newer experience, relying solely on what's happening in the moment and everyone in the room can feel like part of the experience.
The addition of the horns half-way through the set was a great development after four trio takes. The compositions were orchestral at the core, with an organized harmony, but with each horn moving independent from each other, though often only slight rhythmic differences. Finlayson and Irabagon are both incredible improvisers, capable of commanding attention from the moment they launch, but are equally skilled as ensemble players. Irabagon in particular has a special way of spinning saxophone phrases in and out of the realm of familiarity, giving a listener something simpler to grab onto, then taking it for a ride.
What tied the band together fully was an awareness of the group. Though clearly armed with personal talents, no one stayed in the forefront for too long, and each performer seemed committed to maintain a group effort in presenting Halvorson's materials. Often I get bored with the simple act of slapping an artist's name in front of the words Trio, Quartet, Quintet etc., but in this case, the Mary Halvorson Trio / Quintet was the most honest name for the band, and each member stepped up to the task of staying true to the title.
