Mary Halvorson – Cloudward (Nonesuch, 2024)
Link to purchase at Bandcamp
Link to stream at Apple Music
Link to stream at Spotify
With snowflakes falling outside, I’m listening to Cloudward, the highly anticipated Mary Halvorson album. It’s the best soundtrack I can imagine for enjoying the first NYC winter-like landscape in two years; like the snow, Halvorson’s music moves with spontaneity and grace and, at the same time, conveys an uplifting feeling. Halvorson emphasizes the sense of hopefulness she felt when she wrote this music in 2022. In the press kit for the album, Halvorson says, “This band, for me, was quite simply working, both musically and personally, and the main thing I felt while writing the music was optimism.” That feeling of optimism is all over Cloudward, an album which showcases the leader’s strengths and her remarkable sextet.
Cloudward comes on the heels of Amaryllis, the 2022 release that capitulated Halvorson to the top of that year’s Francis Davis Jazz Critics poll. Halvorson’s new album uses the same band as Amaryllis – Halvorson on guitar, Patricia Brennan on vibraphone, Nick Dunston on bass, Tomas Fujiwara on drums, Jacob Garchik on trombone and Adam O’Farrill on trumpet. On Amaryllis, this band performed dense, knotty, and energetic music in the same vein as other Halvorson classics like Away With You (2016) and Illusionary Sea (2013). You could hear the excellence of the then newly formed band as well as the potential that they could do even more. When Amaryllis was written and performed, the pandemic had sidelined live work, but after that recording, Halvorson was able to take the band out on the road. Cloudward reflects both the opportunity for this band to develop the chemistry that comes from playing together and for Halvorson to imagine the possibilities of writing for a working group rather than a studio ensemble.
The development of Halvorson’s writing marks the biggest leap forward with Cloudward. Halvorson’s accomplishment brings to mind an oft-repeated adage about Duke Ellington that he used the personalities of his band to forge his compositions, harnessing the qualities of his player’s instrumental voices and often developing tunes as a showcase for star players. Halvorson’s compositions on Cloudward use that wisdom to great effect. For example, the second and third tracks, “The Tower” and “Collapsing Mount,” form a kind of suite for the vibraphone player Patricia Brennen in both solo and prominent accompanying roles. Brennan sounds spectacular here, and Cloudward is an excellent display of the versatility of her playing and the power of her sound and phrasing. Elsewhere, remarkable brass solos bookend the album. On the opening tune, “The Gate,” Jacob Garchik comes out of, yes, the gate with an assertive and fluent trombone solo, followed by the exuberant trumpetry of Adam O’Farrill. The two closing tunes repeat the same trick, with Garchik dominating “Tailhead,” followed by O’Farrill injecting propulsive and uplifting energy to album closer “Ultramarine.” Drummer Tomas Fujiwara provides terrific support throughout, using his rich palette to set the mood and structure of the performances. On “Unscrolling,” bassist Nick Dunston gets to deliver a memorably energetic arco solo. Also making an appearance is labelmate Laurie Anderson, who plays violin on “Incarnadine.” I like the quietly mysterious free improv here, buoyed by Anderson’s enigmatic playing. Notably, none of the tunes run through multiple back-to-back solos which sometimes happen as a consequence of band “democracy,” where everybody gets a crack at every tune. Instead, each performance on Cloudward showcases one or two band members in ways that are always in service of the compositions’ individual energy, texture, or mood. Everybody gets a chance to shine, but Halvorson brilliantly marshals this creativity within the musical structures.
As for Halvorson herself, her guitar playing is surprisingly restrained through much of Cloudward, which I think demonstrates how she has chosen to use this release to spotlight her compositions, arranging, and band-leading. However, in the mid-album “Desiderata,” Halvorson turns the volume up and delivers an unfettered, intense, metal-edged solo that bursts out of the intricate arrangement. It’s a singular moment of ferocity and a reminder of what a total badass Halvorson is on guitar. Halvorson does not take another solo like that one on the record, which might have left you wanting more, but the music and this band are so remarkable that nothing seems out of place.
Cloudward is a deep album that balances beauty and energy and achieves a wonderful variety of moods and ideas. In this release, Halvorson demonstrates her growth as a bandleader and her deep level of maturity and skill. If you’re a Halvorson fan, I’m sure you won’t miss this one, and if you’re new to her music, this is a great place to start. This band is on tour now, and it will be interesting to see how they develop and change this material in performance. Make sure you check them out live and pick up a copy of Cloudward.
More links:
One of the Albums of the Year
Unsurprisingly, Cloudward is getting lots of notice. Read excellent reviews at The Guardian, Pop Matters, Bandcamp, All About Jazz, and The Quietus.
It’s on Vinyl
We’ve been hearing for years that vinyl is making a resurgence, but the production cost for vinyl releases is still very high, so if you want to support this format, check out the vinyl on Bandcamp. Here’s Mary playing her copy.
Halvorson’s Album Picks
As part of the promotion for this album and the 60th anniversary of Nonesuch, Halvorson made a video inaugurating Nonesuch’s album library, where she picks out favorite albums. I love her choices, some of which I have not heard!
Guitar Corner
This video might be better suited for guitarists, but even for the novice, the gear session featuring Halvorson, Julian Lage, and Miles Okazaki is delightful. I love listening and looking as they geek out over guitars and equipment, plus you pick up some fascinating musical tidbits.
It’s All Here
The Mary Halvorson sessionography by Rick Lopez is comprehensive and outstanding. We need this type of discography available for more artists.