[RESIDENCY] Thumbscrew Record Release Concert

About

The third and final night of Mary Halvorson’s Roulette residency celebrates the release of Convallaria, Thumbscrew’s follow up to their critically acclaimed 2014 debut for Cuneiform Records. Convallaria presents 11 new original compositions, recorded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as part of an artist residency at noted community organization City of Asylum. Building on the momentum of their debut album and inspired by City of Asylum’s artistic community and the Pittsburgh creative arts scene, Convallaria is a unique and bold statement from three of the most inventive voices in contemporary jazz and avant-garde music.

Thumbscrew is a cooperative trio consisting of Mary Halvorson on guitar, Michael Formanek on double bass, and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. Despite the band’s fearsome name, Thumbscrew calls upon creative catalysts from jazz’s adventurous frontiers to create music full of wonder and discovery. In the words of Bill Meyer at The Wire Magazine, “It is neither hierarchical, the way a soloist with accompaniment is, nor anti-hierarchical, the was free improv can be. The balance of governance and acquiescence is in constant flux, governed by a jointly shared sense of responsibility engendered by trust.” The result is a collaboration that produces music greater than the sum of its parts.

Guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson has been called “NYC’s least-predictable improviser” by City Arts, “the most forward-thinking guitarist working right now” by NPR, and “one of today’s most formidable bandleaders” by the Village Voice. Halvorson is perhaps best known for her longstanding trio featuring bassist John Hébert and drummer Ches Smith and more recently for her solo guitar project, Meltframe. Halvorson’s previous residency shows at Roulette have included collaborations with Ambrose Akinmusire, Craig Taborn, and Ches Smith.