Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Mary Halvorson: Cloudward

Mary Halvorson: Cloudward

By Mike Jurkovic
January 2, 2024
View read count

Guitarist, composer & raconteur

Mary Halvorson

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Halvorson could very comfortably (and rightfully) wear the sobriquet of "The

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus of Guitar" if she wanted to. But even that open-ended comparison would limit her as she outdoes herself again on Cloudward.

Though it must surely be getting harder to top herself given the string of releases—the deliberately articulate schizophrenia Amaryllis?and?Belladonna (Nonesuch, 2022), the unbridled trio synergy Multicolored Midnight (Cunneiform, 2018), the crackling mad invention propelling 2018's Code Girl (Firehouse 12 )—Cloudward makes it look easier. Almost involuntarily.

Composed yet amorphous, decisive yet laden with anxious questions such as "Where do we go from here?" and "Why bother?" Halvorson's clouds make Cloudward—the guitarist's unique take on the reading of the Tarot—a sonic immersion not to be missed. For instance, the imposing "The Tower," a stunningly odd creation it is difficult to turn away from; surrounded by the same pirate sextet which gave the world Amaryllis, so much happens in its quixotic eight-minutes—ghost guitar and fx scrawling scale-like into a lonely strum, vibraphonist

Patricia Brennan

vibraphone

" data-original-title="" title="">Patricia Brennan ushering in the clouds,

Thumbscrew

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Thumbscrew ally, rhythm twisting drummer

Tomas Fujiwara

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Tomas Fujiwara brushes in, trumpeter

Adam O'Farrill

trumpet
b.1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Adam O'Farrill's flares in. It is a hell of a track. A coupe of your time in real time.

The whole of Cloudward is like that, as Halvorson insists each voice gets more of a say. "Collapsing Mouth" could be considered a Brennan & O'Farrill duet until . . . well until it is not and bassist

Nick Dunston

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Nick Dunston takes hold and trombonist

Jacob Garchik

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Jacob Garchik parlays and parallels O'Farrill. "Unscrolling," marked by Dunston's nearly crazed bowing, lifts one up from their own doom scrolling, and thank the powers that be for that.

"Desidarata," proof positive that

Jimi Hendrix

guitar, electric
1942 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimi Hendrix lives on in the heart of every great guitarist, cranks up the amps and the action. The guitarist sets the rock tone to Fujiwara's ecstatic bashing, then breaks off to accompany trumpet and trombone in their pursuit of the heights. From there it is headlong into jam and noise city as Halvorson, (unleashing her inner

Jeff Beck

guitar
1944 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Beck with glorious ease) just cranks and cranks and cranks. It is exhilarating! It is liberating!

"Incarnadine," featuring violinist and spoken word & art rock icon

Laurie Anderson

violin

" data-original-title="" title="">Laurie Anderson, revels in its devilish twists of sound and beauty. The joyous closer, "Ultramarine" breaks from a frenzied bass solo into a race with Halvorson, countered by Brennan, Garchik, O'Farrill. Vibes and guitar then fall into cascading unison to Fujiwara's skipping beat. Then it ends. Just like that.

And just like that because Cloudward is just too good.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

The Gate; The Tower; Collapsing Mouth; Unscrolling; Desiderata; Incarnadine; Tailhead; Ultramarine.

Personnel

Mary Halvorson

guitar

Patricia Brennan

vibraphone

Nick Dunston

bass

Tomas Fujiwara

drums

Jacob Garchik

trombone

Adam O'Farrill

trumpet

Laurie Anderson

violin

Album information

Title: Cloudward | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Nonesuch Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

2023 Look Back
< Previous

A Conversation With Les McCann
Next >

Mary Halvorson Concerts

Sep 18 Thu

Mary Halvorson: Amaryllis

Regattabar
Cambridge, MA

Sep 18 Thu

Mary Halvorson: Amaryllis

Regattabar
Cambridge, MA

Sep 20 Sat

Mary Halvorson: Amaryllis

Solar Myth
Philadelphia, PA

Oct 3 Fri

Ches Smith Clone Row

Firehouse 12
New Haven, CT

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.