Tom Harrell brings new album and group to the Vanguard

by Kelsey Higgins

“Praised by Newsweek for his pure melodic genius, Tom Harrell is widely recognized as one of the most creative and uncompromising jazz instrumentalists and composers of our time,” AllAboutJazz.com said.

Time Out has also referred to him as, “one of the greatest trumpeters alive.”

He is a frequent winner in Downbeat and JazzTimes magazines’ Critics and Readers Polls, a Grammy nominee and a Jazz Journalists 2012 Trumpeter of the Year nominee.

Last night he finished his two week engagement at the Village Vanguard, which was named one of the best jazz shows in New York City for the month of October by the Village Voice.

Colors of a Dream

Harrell was last at the Village Vanguard in March of 2013, with the same group that performed with him on Oct. 8 – 13.  The quintet, which the Village Voice called, “one of jazz’s finest working units,” features Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Jaleel Shaw on alto saxophone, Wayne Escoffery on tenor saxophone, Ugonna Okegwo on bass and popular singer/songwriter Esperanza Spalding on bass and vocals.

The group appears on Harrell’s album “Colors of a Dream,” set to release tomorrow via HighNote records.

Trip

During his second week at the Village Vanguard (Oct. 15 – 20), Harrell performed with his exploratory quartet called Trip, which features Ungonna Okegwo on bass, Adam Cruz on drums, and tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, who the Village Voice called, “arguably a legend in the making.”

The band first debuted this month as it premiered a suite Harrell wrote specifically for the group for the Dave Douglas’ Festival of New Trumpet Music.

Further Reading

In a piece published by the New York Times in 1995, writer Mike Zwerin writes of Harrell’s, “clinically diagnosed paranoid [schizophrenia],” and how music has helped him cope.

Back-to-back Saturdays with guitarist Mary Halvorson

by Kelsey Higgins

Guitarist, Mary Halvorson has been taking the New York jazz scene by storm ever since 2002 after finishing her studies at Welseyan Univeristy and The New School.

According to her website, she appeared with the Brian Questa Trio last night at Spectrum; however, that is not all this month for Halvorson. She will also perform with the Tom Rainey Trio on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Cornelia Street Cafe and on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Dither Extravaganza with Weasel Walter (drums) and Peter Evans (trumpet).

Who is Mary Halvorson?

In February 2008, She and her trio gained recognition from the New York Times after their performance at the Tea Lounge in Brooklyn. The Times said she, “orients herself around jazz, yet stands about two steps removed from it.”

Since then she has been called, “the most forward-thinking guitarist working right now,” by Lars Gotrich of NPR and, “one of today’s most formidable bandleaders,” by Francis Davis of the Village Voice.

Photo by Peter Gannushkin / DOWNTOWNMUSIC.NET

The Mary Halverson Quintet

Halvorson still works with her original trio, comprised of John Hebert on upright bass and Ches Smith on drums. They gained recognition from NPR for their dual traditional and unconventional style with their debut album “Dragon’s Head.” They have since released two other albums.

The Halvorson trio combined with Jon Irabagon (saxophone) and Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet) to form The Mary Halvroson Quintet. They released “Saturn Sings” and earned slot six in NPR’s Top 10 jazz albums of 2010 list.

AllAboutJazz.com’s John Sharpe said the quintet’s sophomore album, “Bending Bridges,” had an end result that again, “defies classification, touching on spidery improv, jazz tradition and avant rock in a cleverly idiosyncratic brew. Only this time out, she is even more successful.”

Click here to hear the Mary Havlorson Quintet perform an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. 

The Mary Halvorson Quintet by Peter Gannushkin / DOWNTOWNMUSIC.NET

Last April Halvorson was ranked at number 21 out of Timeout’s Top 25 Essential New York Jazz Icons.

Further Reading

On Friday the Village Voice interviewed Halvorson and another influential guitar player, Brandon Seabrook, who appeared together at Roulette on Friday.