“Even as a jazz musician, for which the practice is second nature, Mary Halvorson’s craft relies on constant improvisation.
“Take, for instance, the curious titles of her songs: Sinks When She Rounds the Bend (No. 22), Mile High Like (No. 16), Sea Cut Like Snow (No. 26).
“Most of the ‘random nonsense phrases,’ she explained, are ‘things I came up with in my sleep — kind of in a half-sleep, half-awake state.’
“It’s a fitting complement to the music — twisting, unpredictable fare that The New York Times called ‘intricate, … with startling jolts of insight’ and led NPR.org to deem Halvorson ‘the most future-seeking guitarist working right now.’”
Image: Amani Willett.