Sylvie Courvoisier/Mary Halvorson

Partnering two high-powered pianists in sessions recorded six weeks apart, New York guitarist Mary Halvorson demonstrates her adaptability and the ability to help affirm two vastly different creative music concepts. Working through 12 individual or duo-created compositions with Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, the guitarist brings sympathetic textures and fluid technical smarts to this stripped-down meeting. More programmatic, For the Love of Fire and Water is a nine-part homage to the work of visual artist Cy Twombly, composed by Bay area pianist Myra Melford, and Halverson’s string strokes are only one part of the ensuing sonic canvas. Additional coloration comes from Americans, cellist Tomeka Reid and percussionist Susie Ibarra, along with German saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock.

Weaving the tapestries that make up Searching for the Disappeared Hour, each track seems to be constructed with a mood-setting introduction followed by a theme elaboration which encompass balladic, hard metallic, free form, romantically formalized and dramatically reflective motifs. Measured string twangs and swift frails on “Lulu’s Second Theorem” brush up against outright swing accents from the pianist, for instance, with the foot-tapper created as much by Halvorson’s thickened strums as Courvoisier’s florid comping. Meanwhile tracks like “Gates & Passes’ evolve in full lyrical mode, with relaxed keyboard swells as the guitarist’s bent notes suture additional emotion into the exposition. Abrasive string flanges and pedal statements from Halvorson on “Four-Point Play” summarize and extend the percussive exposition created by Courvoisier’s glissandi bouncing off capotes and bottom boards. “Bent Yellow” is more of the former than the later as between-the-keys pecking and high-on-the-neck guitar flanges jointly wrap as many tones as possible into each musical turn without upsetting the se horizontal motion. Elsewhere projecting broadened impressionism (Courvoisier) or high-energy down emphasized clipping (Halvorson), the two make “Moonbow” the CD’s most outside performance. Intensifying from expressive piano tinkles and bass string guitar plucks, a careful balance is maintained throughout, even as extra-terrestrial-style echoes emanate from Halvorson until Courvoisier’s inner piano string vibrations dissolve the narrative into quiet.

There are some quiet interludes on the other disc, and some stately narratives, but sprightly and ebullient sequences are most prominent. Its apogee is reached on “VIII” where initially unaccompanied group hand claps introduce a sequence that’s swept further forward by first thick than squeaky cello slices. Melford’s buoyant coloration is heard as early as “I” however. Very quickly her rococo decorations from pedal pushed bottom tones slowly curve upwards to affiliate with saxophone squeaks and split tones and pitter-patter drumming. Meanwhile Halvorson’s contributions emphasize slurred fingering shakes and/or sequences which link her twisted plinks with Laubrock’s bubbly blows from tenor sax or gentle peeps from the soprano. Otherwise swelling piano vibrations, slurred guitar frails sometimes unite into a duet of emphasized transitions. Although occasionally the guitarist references textures that could come from a Cool Jazz soundtrack, the narrative that gives her the most space is “VII”. Also a showcase of Melford’s most intense inspirations, contrasting dynamics build up at the same time as she’s digging into the piano’s lowest notes. Subsequent dialog blends the saxophonist’s blares, Ibarra’s paradiddles and piano comping into a finger-snapping continuum as the guitarist fluid fingering frails touch on Free Music, straight Jazz and Rock inflections, with occasional encouraging asides from Melford. Contrasted with intermittent passionate asides during other parts of the suite, “VI” confirms the hard edges in some of Twombly’s works. Near to musique concrète, the track is dominate by an angled miasma that brings out ricocheting string spiccato from Reid, buzzing split tones from Laubrock, keyboard clinks from Melford, and a collection of drum reflections, bell-tree and chain shakes and cymbal echoes from Ibarra.

Whether For the Love of Fire and Water is an accurate reflection of Twombly’s art as sound is an open-ended question. However both that CD and Searching for the Disappeared Hour offer fine and thoughtfully conceived music on their own.

—Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Love: 1. I 2. II 3. III 4. IV 5. V 6. VI 7. VII 8. VIII 9. IX 10. X

Personnel: Love: Ingrid Laubrock (tenor, soprano saxophones); Myra Melford (piano, melodica); Mary Halvorson (guitar); Tomeka Reid (cello) and Susie Ibarra (drums, percussion)

Track Listing: Searching: 1. Golden Proportion 2. Lulu’s Second Theorem 3. Faceless Smears 4. Four-Point Play 5. Moonbow 6. Torrential 7. Mind Out Of Time 8. Party Dress 9. Bent Yellow 10. The Disappearing Hour 11. Gates & Passes 12. Blizzard Rings

Personnel: Searching: Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) and Mary Halvorson (guitar)