Mary Halvorson // London Jazz Composers Orchestra // Patricia Brennan Septet

20:00

Mary Halvorson’s Amaryllis Sextet

(MX, US)

It’s no secret that Mary Halvorson has evolved into one of the premier guitarists in jazz and improvised music, a musician of endless curiosity and growth with an improvisational sound that’s instantly recognizable. But as her career has progressed, her interest in composing and arranging have taken the music to unexpected places. Her skill and imagination in these practices is now on par with her improvisational acumen. Previously Halvorson has demonstrated an interest in writing for larger ensembles, as her foundational trio slowly expanded into an octet, but when she formed her sextet Amaryllis during the pandemic she was armed with stronger, fully-formed ideas.

She wrote a new book of tunes for the top-notch ensemble with trombonist Jacob Garchik, trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, drummer Tomas Fujiwara, bassist Nick Dunston and vibraphonist Patricia Brennan – who presents her own septet on the same bill tonight. Earlier this year Halvorson released “About Ghosts”, her fourth album with Amaryllis. Another creative itch led her to invite two excellent saxophonists – Immanuel Wilkins and Brian Settles – to join the sextet as guest musicians on the album, allowing for even more counterpoint and harmonic richness. As usual the tunes are indelible, brisk marvels marked by nifty turns of phrase, leaving room for improvisation and giving each soloist extra grist for the mill. She has played Jazzfest Berlin in various contexts of the years, but this performance is the Berlin debut of Amaryllis.

Line-up

Mary Halvorson – guitar
Adam O’Farrill – trumpet
Jacob Garchik – trombone
Patricia Brennan – vibraphone
Nick Dunston – double bass, electric bass
Tomas Fujiwara – drums

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21:30

London Jazz Composers Orchestra, Marilyn Crispell & Angelica Sanchez: “Double Trouble III” by Barry Guy

(AU, CH, DE, GB, NO, US)

World premiere

Bassist Barry Guy stands apart in the annals of improvised music for the simpatico way his ambitious, large-scale compositions have reconciled seemingly opposing practices. For “Ode”, his very first recording as a leader, he gathered some of the greatest iconoclasts to play the concert-length piece – including Derek Bailey, Evan Parker and Tony Oxley – to pour their distinctive personalities into densely configured writing that seethed, smoked and swung. In the decades since Guy has consistently reaffirmed his free improv bona fides while honing his virtuosity as a peerless interpreter of classical music, but his London Jazz Composers Orchestra has also carried along.

In 1989 he composed his work “Double Trouble” not only for LJCO, but for its twinned power with Alexander von Schlippenbach’s Globe Unity Orchestra, with its leader and Howard Riley on piano, although the initial recording and subsequent performance featured only his ensemble. He revisited the work in 1998, revamping the material and enlisting both Marilyn Crispell and the late Irène Schweizer. It remains one of his greatest works, but the required resources mean that none of his works are heard as much as they should. Guy resurrected the piece for this year’s Jazzfest Berlin, presenting a third iteration of the masterpiece with Crispell – who impressed at last year’s festival with a staggering beautiful solo performance – and fellow American pianist Angelica Sanchez. While many of the original musicians are no longer with us, vets like violinist Philipp Wachsmann and tenor saxophonist Simon Picard are joined by a newer cast including Mette Rasmussen, Lucas Niggli and Shannon Barnett.

At the beginning of the event, Marilyn Crispell is awarded the Instant Award for Improvised Music 2025.

Line-up

Barry Guy – double bass, direction 
Marilyn Crispell – piano 
Angelica Sanchez – piano 
Torben Snekkestad – tenor and soprano saxophone 
Michael Niesemann – alto saxophone 
Julius Gabriel – baritone saxophone 
Simon Picard – tenor saxophone 
Mette Rasmussen – alto saxophone 
Henry Lowther – trumpet 
Percy Pursglove – trumpet 
Charlotte Keeffe – trumpet 
Andreas Tschopp – trombone 
Shannon Barnett – trombone 
Marleen Dahms – trombone 
Marc Unternährer – tuba 
Philipp Wachsmann – violin 
Christian Weber – double bass 
Lucas Niggli – percussion 

With the friendly support of

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23:15

Patricia Brennan Septet: “Breaking Stretch”

(CU, JM, MX, US)

German premiere

Since releasing her solo debut “Maquishti” in 2021, Patricia Brennan has quickly evolved in the spotlight. The New York-based Mexican vibraphonist possesses a dazzling grasp of harmony and sound expanded with electronics, akin to the broad sonic palette brought to electric guitar by Mary Halvorson, who enlisted the vibraphonist for her Amaryllis sextet, which also performs tonight. Brennan’s improvisational mastery has been clear for years, and her development as a composer has rapidly caught up. On “Breaking Stretch” she leads a septet as muscular as it is agile, navigating dense marvels of groove and melody informed by the leader’s wide ears and regional roots. Brennan maintains the traditional grooves of the Caribbean while pushing them far beyond folklore.

Helmed by the stubbornly pulsating bass of Kim Cass, rhythms are densely woven with drummer Dan Weiss and percussionist Mauricio Herrera, carving out space for Brennan’s performance and the tightly coiled blowing of saxophonists Jon Irabagon and Mark Shim as well as of trumpeter Adam O’Farrill. The music is built from a feverish rhythmic architecture jabbed by a steady shuffle of tone-changing features – a sudden bass solo, tongue-twisting horn riffs, sustained tones – revealing Brennan’s compositional rigor, from the smallest details to the big picture.

Line-up

Patricia Brennan – vibraphone
Jon Irabagon – alto and sopranino saxophone
Mark Shim – tenor saxophone
Adam O’Farrill – trumpet
Kim Cass – double bass
Dan Weiss – drums
Mauricio Herrera – percussion