Mary Halvorson is an idiosyncratic guitarist who first burst onto the scene as leader with Dragon's Head, a well put together trio record. Since the release of Dragon's Head, Halvorson has continued to collaborate with fellow musicians, in and outside of jazz, while also recording more albums as a leader and adding more members to her original core trio with John Hébert (bass) and Ches Smith (drums). Taught by fellow rule-breaker, the avant-garde saxophonist Anthony Braxton, Halvorson's unique way of attacking guitar playing often features very angular playing and arrangements, complete with unexpected shifts in rhythm and tone that are undoubtedly influenced by free improvisation. Due to her difficult to classify style and knack to push boundaries, throughout the years she has become well known in the more eccentric side of the jazz scene of New York City. On Away With You, Halvorson presents the listener with her biggest band yet, an Octet which, in addition to the core trio, includes Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Jon Irabagon (alto sax), Ingrid Laubrock (tenor sax), Jacob Garchik (trombone) and Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar).
The most crucial addition here, and the eighth member, as the rest of the band forms Halvorson's septet of Illusionary Sea, is Alcorn on pedal steel guitar. The spacey, hazy tone of Alcorn's guitar is a wonderful addition to the band and brings another dimension to the sound of Halvorson's wonderful compositions. The benefit the steel pedal guitar brings is perhaps most emphasized in the opening four minutes or so of "The Absolute Almost (No. 52)", with Alcorn opening the tune, playing slowly and beautifully as Halvorson's guitar and the bass, which is picked and eventually bowed, join her. Around the 4:40 mark, the rest of the octet get in on the fun, with Halvorson occasionally accompanying Alcorn note by note before the song descends into a free chaos that Ornette Coleman would be proud of.
Conversely, on "Away With You (No. 55)", which precedes "The Absolute Almost (No. 52)", Halvorson takes center stage, with Alcorn opting to play a more supportive role after her pedal steel guitar introduces a darker version of the opening theme of the track. The rhythm section here is particularly interesting, with the horns effectively joining it and coming in with the percussion during the guitar's run of notes. Halvorson is the focus of "Away With You (No. 55)", her guitar joining the pedal steel guitar in repeating the interesting and short musical phrases that drive the track. Halvorson's guitar eventually transitions into what may be the best solo of the album, which is matched by Finlayson's fantastic trumpet solo. Similar heights in quality are reached on the album closer, "Inky Ribbons (no. 53)", which opens up with some reserved playing from the horn section before Alcorn brilliantly states the main theme. The track then culminates with both guitarists taking turns playing a gorgeous secondary role, often oscillating between two notes as Garchik and Laubrock put in a great performance.
Away With You is an extremely impressive record filled with top quality songs. The horn section is often used to great effect - at times coming together to form a big, commanding wall of sound that could be mistaken for much more than four players, which is put to great use throughout "Spirit Splitter (No. 54)". The horns are also played brilliantly as a melodic counterpoint to the more choppy playing of the guitars on "Sword Barrel (No. 58)", another superb song that starts of relatively calm and turns into something explosive. All the soloing here is top notch, and whether the octet is being relatively slow and brooding ("Fog Bank (No. 56)") or very free ("Old King Misfit (No. 57)"), Halvorson's intriguing and singular compositional voice always shines. Strongly recommended for those looking for modern jazz by an inventive group of players who do not shy away from being highly adventurous.
