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Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson: Bone Bells
And like all duo projects that have any staying power, Bone Bells demands attention. An equal measure of give and take is heard from the start, with the gently marching title track, Courvoisier's mild and plodding chords setting the stage for Halvorson's sometimes playful/goofy lines that accent the tune's slightly off-kilter mood. It is slow, it is meditative, and full of deep listening. The recording sonically, also from the start, brings us very close to each player's instrument.
And so it goes.
"Esmeralda" continues that off-kilter vibe, but with more starts and stops, Courvoisier's abrupt two-chord vamp seemingly setting us up for something in contrast to "Bone Bells." And yet, the gravity of this project has them both once again reclining, this time into even more deep space, Halvorson's soft-focus plucking, in a sense, mimicking the pianist's every move. Gradually, there is tension, or intensity, but not without maintaining that otherworldly visitation, despite the sudden franticness. It is a song, like what we have already heard, but the form tells us these two are not content to play it straight, conventional. "Folded Secret" thrives on the duo's delight in pairing up, line for line, Courvoisier's percussive prepared piano offsetting her very jazzy improvising. There is tempo, and a tempest, a frothing pulse that only gets more delicious as Halvorson follows her partner in this most groovy of tunes. What is the secret? You will have to listen to, maybe, find out.
The music was co-written, with each musician's personality fully integrated. Each piece is different, structurally, but tonally, emotionally, all eight tracks fit together as an integrated mosaic, that deep listening a delight from track to track.
There are eight songs, eight stories bodily, boldly created. The two, joined by Ned Rothenberg, produce an intimate musical playground that keeps you close to the action, close to the fascinating dynamic that has been sprouting between these two marvelous instrumentalists since 2017.
Track Listing
Bone Bells; Esmeralda; Folded Secret; Nags Head Valse; Beclouded; Silly Walk; Float Queens; Cristellina e Lontano.
Personnel
Sylvie Courvoisier
piano
Mary Halvorson
guitarAlbum information
Title: Bone Bells | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: Pyroclastic Records
Tags
Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson
Album Review
John Ephland
Braithwaite & Katz Communications
Bone Bells
Pyroclastic Records
Sylvie Courvoisier
Mary Halvorson
Herman Diaz
Ned Rothenberg
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