Guitarist Mary Halvorson joins us to talk about her new albums with Sylvie Courvoisier, Ches Smith and her own Amaryllis sextet, as well as her formative influences, her guitar setup and her Fall 2025 appearance at Seattle's Earshot Jazz. We set up the conversation with a mini-retrospective of new and archival Halvorson recordings, and we even play drop-the-needle with her as she tries to identify two fellow guitarists featured in two archival recordings recently rescued from the vaults. We also sample Wet Ink Ensemble's new album featuring ambitious chamber works by Eric Wubbels and Alex Mincek. Plus Shaun Robert and Alex Paxton demonstrate the introverted and extroverted sides of English avant-gardism, and Carla Bley’s distended piano concerto "¾" gets an appreciation for its 50th anniversary. Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell, originally broadcast August 24 on 91.3 KBCS-FM Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma.
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Photo credits: Mary Halvorson and Anthony Braxton by Peter Gannushkin, Carla Bley by Klaus Muempfer, Mary Halvorson with Guild Artist Award Archtop by Steve DiBenedetto, Clone Row (Liberty Ellman, Mary Halvorson, Nick Dunston, Ches Smith) by Chase Pierson, Shaun Robert via the artist, Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 355, Amaryllis sextet (Nick Dunston, Adam O'Farrill, Patricia Brennan, Jacob Garchik, Mary Halvorson, Tomas Fujiwara) by Ernest Stuart, Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson by Caroline Mardok, Mary Halvorson and Jamaaladeen Tacuma via the artists, Wet Ink Ensemble (Ian Antonio, Erin Lesser, Sam Pluta, Alex Mincek, Kate Soper, Eric Wubbels, Josh Modney) via the artists, Thumbscrew (Michael Formanek, Mary Halvorson, Tomas Fujiwara) by Amy Touchette
Flotation Device 2025-08-24: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Halvorson and her latest [0:00}
1. [1:42] Mary Halvorson: Amaranthine. From About Ghosts (Nonesuch, 2025) with Mary Halvorson (guitar), Adam O’Farrill (trumpet), Jacob Garchik (trombone), Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Chris Allen (recording engineer, Sear Sound)
2. [9:08] Sylvie Courvoisier: Esmeralda. From Bone Bells (Pyroclastic, 2025) with Mary Halvorson (guitars), Sylvie Courvoisier (piano), Ryan Streber (recording engineer, Oktaven Audio)
3. [14:45] Mary Halvorson, Jamaaladeen Tacuma: Situation Bender. From Strings & Things (Bandcamp, 2022) with Mary Halvorson (guitar, electronics), Jamaaladeen Tacuma (bass guitar). NOTE: Recorded 2014 in Tokyo
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SET 2: Halvorson and her sources [19:54]
1. [21:53] Mary Halvorson in conversation with Michael Schell. NOTE: Video of the interview is at https://tinyurl.com/MaryHalvorson
2. [40:42] Mary Halvorson: Absinthian. From About Ghosts (as above) with Mary Halvorson (guitar), Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Adam O’Farrill (trumpet), Jacob Garchik (trombone), Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Chris Allen (recording engineer, Sear Sound)
3. [45:38] Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 355 (excerpt). From Septet (Pittsburgh) 2008 (New Braxton House, 2011) with Anthony Braxton (saxophones), Carl Testa (bass clarinet, acoustic bass), Taylor Ho Bynum (trumpets, flugelhorn, trombone), Jay Rozen (tuba), Jessica Pavone (violin, viola, electric bass), Mary Halvorson (guitar), Aaron Siegel (percussion), Ben Opie (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded May 30, 2008 in Pittsbugh
4. [56:55] Outro with Mary Halvorson: Beclouded (with Sylvie Courvoisier)
5. [1:00:45] Alex Paxton: Spit Crystal Yeast-rack dripping (à lorange) - Is that all you’ve got to say to Grandma then is it. From Delicious (New Amsterdam, 2025) with Explore Ensemble: Taylor Maclennan (flute, piccolo), Alex Roberts (clarinet), David López Ibañez (violin), Deni Teo (cello), Sarah Park (keyboards), Alex Paxton (conductor, other instruments, recording engineer)
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SET 3: Wet Ink Ensemble [1:03:27]
1. [1:05:29] Shaun Robert: Saricik. From Kodokushi (Institute for Alien Research, 2025)
2. [1:09:55] Eric Wubbels: Action, Choice, Thought (excerpt). From Action, Choice, Thought (Carrier, 2025) with Wet Ink Ensemble: Kate Soper (voice), Erin Lesser (flutes), Alex Mincek (tenor saxophone), Josh Modney (violin), Mariel Roberts Musa (cello), Eric Wubbels (piano), Ian Antonio (percussion), Sam Pluta (electronics, recording engineer), Alejandro Quiles (recording engineer)
3. [1:18:18] Alex Mincek: So Many Ways (excerpt). From Action, Choice, Thought (credits as above). NOTE: Composed 2021, first recording
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SET 4: ¾ at 50 [1:28:18]
1. [1:31:10] Carla Bley: ¾. From 13 & ¾ (WATT/ECM, 1975) with Carla Bley (piano, conductor), chamber orchestra including Michael Mantler (trumpet), Bob Stewart (tuba) an