Cloudward

Improvising means not having to have the story come to a finite end. And prolific guitarist Mary Halvorson clearly has no intention of stopping her varied and increasingly rewarding tale. On Cloudward, she's again aided by her current sextet of talented and adventurous collaborators: trombonist Jacob Garchik, bassist Nick Dunston, drummer Tomas Fujiwara, vibraphonist Patricia Brennan, and young star trumpeter Adam O'Farrill. (Laurie Anderson also guests on violin on one track). Brennan, who often fills the textural world of keyboardist, but can also embrace distortion and never-heard-before-sounds, is particularly key to Halvorson's creative universe—which can be revelatory for listeners who embrace the sound of working without structure. Recorded in New York City at Sear Sound with engineer Chris Allen and producer John Dieterich, Cloudward's sound is clear and there's a surprising amount of separation between instruments.

The album features eight compositions by Halvorson, performed with her sextet Amaryllis, the improvisatory band that performed on her critically praised 2022 albums 'Amaryllis' and 'Belladonna' comprising Halvorson, Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Jacob Garchik (trombone), and Adam O'Farrill (trumpet). Labelmate Laurie Anderson also is featured on the album track 'Incarnadine'.

Two-time GRAMMY nominated Dave Douglas continues his relentless musical exploration with a new record probing the possibilities of improvised jazz and electronic music. Featuring an exciting new band of noted players: Jonathan Maron (Groove Collective), on electric and acoustic bass; Mark Guiliana (Beat Music, Heernt) on electric and acoustic drums; and DJ, producer and beatmaker Shigeto (Ghostly International) on electronics. Recorded by five-time GRAMMY nominated Geoff Countryman (Dr. Luke, Patti LaBelle, Wu-Tang Clan, Randy Brecker, Gregory Porter, Fred Hersch) and mixed by Steve Wall (Semi Precious Weapons, Matisyahu, Meshell Ndegeocello) the album finds Douglas again walking a musical high wire. High stakes, high reward. High Risk!