Mary Halvorson

The success of her acclaimed 2008 debut, Dragon’s Head (Firehouse 12 Records), led critics to call Ms. Halvorson “probably the most original jazz guitarist to emerge this decade” (Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader) and “the freshest, busiest, most critically acclaimed guitar-slinger out of downtown Manhattan/Brooklyn right now” (Howard Mandel, Jazz Beyond Jazz).

“A singular talent,” adds AllAboutJazz.com’s Troy Collins, “Brooklyn-based guitarist Mary Halvorson has come into her own as a composer and improviser…light years ahead of her peers, she is the most impressive guitarist of her generation. The future of jazz guitar starts here.”

A veteran of the ensembles of esteemed saxophonist/composer Anthony Braxton, Ms. Halvorson has been active in New York since 2002, following jazz studies at Wesleyan University and the New School. In addition to her trio, which also recently expanded to a quintet, she co-leads a chamber music duo with violist Jessica Pavone and the avant-rock project, People, with drummer Kevin Shea.

She has also performed in ensembles led by Tim Berne, Taylor Ho Bynum, Trevor Dunn, Curtis Hasselbring, Tony Malaby, Myra Melford, Nicole Mitchell, Jason Moran, Tom Rainey, Marc Ribot, Matana Roberts, Elliott Sharp, John Tchicai and Matthew Welch among many others.

Her latest release is Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12 Records).

Ches Smith: Clone Row

Read "Clone Row" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
August 30, 2025

Ches Smith, the San Diego-born Sacramento-raised drummer who studied philosophy at the University of Oregon before diving headfirst into the Bay Area's experimental music scene, has long been one of modern jazz's most restless spirits. His deep resume includes work with Marc Ribot, Tim Berne, John Zorn, Mary Halvorson and Nels Cline, cementing his reputation as a first-call rhythmic architect for the avant-garde and progressive jazz. Following his acclaimed ten-piece ensemble album Laugh Ash (Pyroclastic, 2024), Smith took a bold ...

Radio & Podcasts

New Music From Halvorson, Grasso, Harvey & More

by Bob Osborne
July 31, 2025

A selection of the best of new jazz releases in 2025 with a few classic tracks from previous years. In particular Mary Halvorson's new album is a strong contender for album of the year.Playlist Mary Halvorson “Full of Neon" from About Ghosts (Nonesuch Records) 00:00 Pasquale Grasso “Pannonica" from Solo Be-Bop! (Sony Masterworks) 06:55 Stephen Philip Harvey “Tectonic Shift (Live) [feat. Dan Bruce & Bobby Selvaggio]" from Multiversal : Live At Bop Stop (Hidden Cinema Records) 12:09 Stanley ...

Radio & Podcasts

A Few of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things (So Far), Part 1

by Ludovico Granvassu
July 22, 2025

It seems like we were just ringing in the New Year a few days ago, and now it's already July. So let's start looking back at the songs that we have loved the most in the first six months of the year. Here's the first batch.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Etienne Charles “Gullypso" Gullah Roots (Culture Shock) 0:16 Host talks 4:01 John Sturino “Year of the Globe" ...

Album Review

Sylvie Courvoisier, Mary Halvorson: Bone Bells

Read "Bone Bells" reviewed by Vincenzo Roggero

by Vincenzo Roggero
July 14, 2025

Tra i massimi interpreti dei rispettivi strumenti, Sylvie Courvoisier e Mary Halvorson sono le punte di diamante di due generazioni che si incontrano sul terreno comune dell'improvvisazione, del minimalismo sonoro, del prevalere delle idee sulle esibizionismo celebrativo. A partire dalla confezione dell'album, privo di note di copertina, ma arricchito da una grafica (opera di Miles Okazaki) a metà strada tra graffiti art e neoespressionismo alla Jean-Michel Basquiat, con la pudica concessione di una foto a colori delle ...

Year in Review

Best Jazz Albums of 2025: All-Star Break Edition

by AAJ Staff
July 2, 2025

As we hit the halfway mark of 2025, All About Jazz has adopted Major League Baseball's All-Star break approach but swapping homers for albums. Our team of 55 writers convened to name their top three albums of the year so far, with Mary Halvorson's About Ghosts (Nonesuch) emerging as the clear favorite and an early contender for album of the year. Her collaboration with Sylvie Courvoisier (Bone Bells, Pyroclastic Records), also earned spots on a few lists. Other notables include ...

Album Review

Ches Smith: Clone Row

by Vic Albani
June 16, 2025

Giù il cappello ancora una volta. Ches Smith è davvero un meraviglioso esempio di intelligenza e--dopo il bellissimo capolavoro dedicato al Voodoo (Path of Seven Colors) pubblicato con Pyroclastic nel 2021, ma anche Laugh Ash del 2024--tira fuori dal cappello un'altra meraviglia affrontando un'autentica destrutturazione di un super quartetto con tanto di due chitarre (Mary Halvorson, regina del canale destro, e Liberty Ellman, protagonista di quello sinistro) e Nick Dunston (basso ed elettronica). Nelle spettacolari note a ...

Album Review

Mary Halvorson: About Ghosts

Read "About Ghosts" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
June 13, 2025

Since Mary Halvorson began her prolific affiliation with Nonesuch Records, she has refused to repeat herself except with a purpose. The simultaneous release of Amaryllis & Belladonna (Nonesuch Records, 2022) was the precursor to the expansive Cloudward (Nonesuch Records, 2024), while About Ghosts represents a retrenchment, albeit a productive one. On five of these eight cuts, the identical Amaryllis Sextet that appeared on the latter LP interacts smoothly with guest saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins and Brian Settles. Such synchrony ...

Performance / Tour

Mary Halvorson Residency At New England Conservatory Features Live Public Concert On Thursday, October 7

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications
October 1, 2021

New England Conservatory’s internationally renowned Contemporary Improvisation (CI) Department hosts groundbreaking guitarist, composer, and improviser and MacArthur fellow Mary Halvorson for a three-day residency Tuesday, October 5 – Thursday, October 7. Halvorson, “one of the most exciting and original guitarists in jazz” (Wall Street Journal), will participate in student rehearsals, present an artist discussion about her work, coach NEC student ensembles in a masterclass, and lead a concert featuring student performances of her music. Public and streaming events include: Wednesday, ...
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Festival

Vision 19 Honors A New Generation Of Vision Artists

Source: Chris Rich
June 12, 2014

Honoring a New Generation of Vision Artists. Music and Art calls each generation. The Vision continues with important younger artists like Mary Halvorson and Susan Alcorn and Fay Victor with Tyshawn Sorrey. There are a few excellent young musicians playing with Charles Gayle, like Shayna Dulberger, Ingrid Laubrock and Mazz Swift. Michael Wimberly has put together an eclectic group of younger and older musicians and dancers. On Saturday we are featuring two younger groups, Tarbaby with Nasheet Waits, Eric Revis, ...
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Contest

Enter the "Mary Halvorson / Weasel Walter / Peter Evans - Mechanical Malfunction" Giveaway at All About Jazz!

Source: All About Jazz
December 2, 2012

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the Thirsty Ear Recordings “Mary Halvorson / Weasel Walter / Peter Evans - Mechanical Malfunction“ giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on January 1st. Click here to enter the contest (Becoming a fan of Mary Halvorson at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.) Good luck! Your Friends at Thirsty Ear Recordings About Mechanical Malfunction Following their critically acclaimed debut trio album, Electric Fruit, ...
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Recording

The Friday Morning Listen: Mary Halvorson Quintet - Saturn Sings (2010)

Source: Something Else!
November 12, 2010

By Mark Saleski Time to return to one of my favorite topics: Why do I like that? Have you ever engaged in this kind of self-debate? There are all sorts of ways to play. There's the Top-40 angle: “Come On Eileen...Bawitdaba!? Hmmm...I better not tell anybody," the Angle of Pure Nostalgia: “People might look down on Boston's so-called corporate rock, but that girlfriend I had? I'll never forget Don't Look Back." I don't want to give you the wrong idea ...
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Radio

The Jazz Session #201: Mary Halvorson

Source: AAJ Staff
September 20, 2010

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Festival

Mary Halvorson at the Whitney's Christian Marclay: Festival

Source: Improvised Communications
July 22, 2010

Starting this afternoon, guitarist Mary Halvorson will be performing numerous times over the next two weeks at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York as part of the ongoing exhibition, Christian Marclay: Festival.

Ms. Halvorson, who Howard Mandel called “NYC's least-predictable improviser" in his pick for today's concerts in his CityArts column, will be interpreting Marclay's graphic scores on her own and in groups with Sylvie Courvoisier, Mark Feldman and Ikue Mori.

A complete schedule of events can ...
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Performance / Tour

Mary Halvorson Trio on Tour in August

Source: Improvised Communications
July 19, 2010

This August, guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson and her working trio with bassist John Hébert and drummer Ches Smith will play three concerts in three countries. The mini-tour begins Thursday, August 5th with a two-set performance at New York's Cornelia Street Café, which will serve as a hometown warm-up for dates later in the month at Switzerland's Jazz Festival Willisau (August 25th) and Austria's Saalfelden Jazz Festival (August 26th). These concerts will focus on selections from Ms. Halvorson's October 2010 release, Saturn ...
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227

Recording

Mary Halvorson, Reuben Radding & Nate Wooley "Crackleknob" (Hatology 662)

Source: All About Jazz
March 24, 2009

Mary Halvorson - guitar Reuben Radding - double bass Nate Wooley - trumpet Crackleknob Hatology 662

One listen to this CD and that element of trust and synchronicity immediately comes through. This is the kind of music that can only come from musicians who know each other well. It is like dropping in on an intimate conversation. Ideas get launched and then get immediately picked up, morphed, and woven back in. There ...
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188

Radio

Mary Halvorson on NPR Music

Source: Improvised Communications
February 12, 2009

WNYC, February 11, 2009 - As James Brown once said, “It's a man's, man's, man's world." It's especially true in the world of jazz guitar.

Mary Halvorson says she never encountered any other female jazz guitarists growing up. But when it comes to her hard, assertive sound, she can drown out plenty of other plectrists, regardless of gender.

On her debut album, Dragon's Head (Firehouse 12 Records), Halvorson's trio navigates the fine line separating jazz, experimental rock and chamber music. ...
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175

Performance / Tour

Mary Halvorson Trio and Special Guests at Roulette February 13th

Source: Improvised Communications
February 11, 2009

On Friday, February 13th, Brooklyn-based guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson and her trio will perform at Roulette in New York. The group, which features bassist John Hebert and drummer Ches Smith, will be joined special guests Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet) and Jon Irabagon (saxophone) for the premiere of new music, as well as selections from its acclaimed 2008 debut, Dragon’s Head (Firehouse 12 Records).

The record, Ms. Halvorson’s first at the helm of her own ensemble, is featured on best-of- the-year lists in ...
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Mary Halvorson and her guitar have offered some of the freshest rainfall on the jazz umbrella. Her compositions challenge mundane notions of melody and harmony: a true step forward for the music movement.
—Jason Moran, New York Magazine

Frequently lauded as the most original and innovative guitarist of her generation, Halvorson's unorthodox virtuosity has positioned her at the creative forefront of the youthful Brooklyn scene. Demonstrating growth as a composer on ten new pieces conceived primarily for her Quintet, Halvorson's embrace of contrapuntal harmonies and modular structures reveals a multi-faceted artist whose writing is as impressive as her improvising.
—Troy Collins, Point of Departure

I think she’s a very interesting musician.
—John Fordham, BBC 3's Jazz on 3

...Halvorson’s is a devastatingly original voice.
—Marcus O'Dair, the artsdesk.com

...one of the most interesting musicians in the contemporary jazz and improvised music constellation.
—Mike Chamberlain, HOUR

Part of why so many jazz insiders are down with her is clearly her guitar style. Man. It's a sound that takes clean, woody articulation, then ruptures it: Clashing broken chords, fallaway bent strings, dissonant note choices, outright rock shredding. It's crazy, in that good, mouth agape, "how did she do that, and why does it seem to make sense?" sort of way.
—Patrick Jarenwattananon, NPR’s A Blog Supreme

Even when Halvorson summons her crisp, clear-toned runs, pitch bends and brittle spidery arpeggios — echoing the combined crafts of Nels Cline, Joe Morris and Derek Bailey — in relatively conventional settings, her propensity for shape- shifting never fails to dazzle. While she may be receiving most attention for her moves located at jazz’s periphery, it’s the music Halvorson constructs from the form’s raw materials that continue to bear the sweetest fruit.
—Spencer Grady, BBC Music

Mary Halvorson might be the most original jazz guitarist in a generation. But she’s a composer, too, and (despite lots of unique six-string work) that’s where the focus lies on her challenging but riveting second album, Saturn Sings. As with her playing, her tunes evade convention...it’s Halvorson’s writing that makes all this creativity possible. Her innovative guitar playing is an essential component — but riding on such high-grade material, it feels more like a bonus.
—Michael J. West, Washington City Paper

Halvorson has been ubiquitous lately, appearing on recent albums by Ches Smith's These Arches quartet (Finally Out of My Hands), Tomas Fujiwara and The Hook Up (Actionspeak) and the Tom Rainey Trio (Pool School), all of whom are drummers, conspicuously enough. These are all worth a listen because, honestly, Mary Halvorson is the most future-seeking guitarist working right now, thinking out the instrument on a level most couldn't comprehend. But Halvorson's compositions display that exploration with a telepathic connection between her fingers and the sound, making Saturn Sings her strongest document to date.
—Lars Gotrich, NPR.org

Outside but also inside, adventurous but also accessible, Saturn Sings is a new sound from a new star.
—Chris May, AllAboutJazz.com

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