Convallaria, by Thumbscrew [Michael Formanek / Tomas Fujiwar / Mary Halvorson]

Convallaria

by Thumbscrew [Michael Formanek / Tomas Fujiwar / Mary Halvorson]

supported by

Harvey Wow! Love this band. Michael's driving bass lines and Thomas go get em' drumbeat gives Mary a lot of room for great tonal structures Favorite track: Cleome.

John Cratchley Simply put; a masterclass of interplay and irrepressible, focused momentum...Mary Halvorson may have well invented a new sound: the disintegrating guitar solo! Spectacular... Favorite track: Trigger.

more...

	/

Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz.

$10 USD or more
Compact Disc (CD)
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Includes unlimited streaming of Convallaria via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz.

Sold Out

	1.	Cleome 06:14
	2.	Barn Fire Slum Brew 07:05
	3.	Sampsonian Rhythms 04:03
	4.	Trigger 08:26
	5.	Screaming Piha 05:49
	6.	Convallaria 09:04
	7.	Tail of the Sad Dog 07:01
	8.	The Cardinal and the Weathervane 05:16
	9.	Danse InsensÃ© 05:27
	10.	Spring Ahead 08:23
	11.	Inevitable 06:10

about

â€œThe barrage of riffs are both epic and melodic, the low end beefy and the percussion massive. Expect nothing less than magic from these three avant purveyors.â€
â€“ The Village Voice

â€œ... all three of these musicians have a well-established history of creating unconventional music. That trend doesnâ€™t end here, but as challenging as this music is, itâ€™s presented in a way easy to accept.â€
â€“ Wondering Sound

â€œThree top avant jazzers with decades of experience among them create a distinctive band identity...contributing equally sans grandstanding...â€
â€“ AllMusic (Best Albums of 2014: Favorite Jazz Albums)

Creative artists arenâ€™t subject to state persecution in the United States, but indifference can exact its own cost, just as generous support can pay steep dividends. Thumbscrew spent two weeks honing the tunes on Convallaria at City of Asylum, a residency program in Pittsburgh, and for Thumbscrew the opportunity for intensive, undistracted work and woodshedding yielded a particularly striking body of music.

Already closely bonded by extensive collaborations in a variety of overlapping ensembles, the powerhouse triumvirate got to spend the kind of concentrated time together thatâ€™s â€œalmost unheard of these days,â€ says Formanek. â€œIâ€™ve done some composition residencies working on my own. But we were all there together, working on music every day, trying things out. I miss that from my younger days.â€

â€œIt was amazing,â€ agrees Halvorson. â€œEveryoneâ€™s so busy. Even with my own band it can be like pulling teeth to get one rehearsal together. For two weeks we played every day and worked on all the new music. It really helped us to take the band to the next level.â€

Convallaria is the work of a true collective with all three players contributing compositions and taking equal responsibility for shaping the musicâ€™s flow. While exploring an array of improvisational spaces, the band has honed a sinewy sound marked by transparent textures and astringent rhythms. Itâ€™s music that pushes outward and snaps back into unexpectedly altered forms.

credits

released May 20, 2016

Mary Halvorson - Guitar
Michael Formanek - Double Bass
Tomas Fujiwara - Drums

Tracks 1, 6, 11 composed by Mary Halvorson (BMI)
Tracks 2, 4, 8 composed by Tomas Fujiwara (BMI)
Tracks 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 composed by Michael Formanek (Formtone Music, BMI)

Recorded on July 2-4, 2015 by Nate Campisi at Mr. Smalls Studio, Pittsburgh, PA.
Mixed in October and November 2015 by Jake K. Leckie, Brooklyn, NY.
Mastered in December 2015 by Nate Wood at Kerseboom Mastering, Brooklyn, NY.

Produced by Thumbscrew.
Photos by Brian Cohen.
Design by Bill Ellsworth.

license

subtotal
taxes calculated at checkout

about

Cuneiform Records Washington, D.C.

Cuneiform Records is a record label releasing adventurous, boundary-bursting music by artists from around the world. They have always championed an eclectic mixture of musical styles and artists and have consistently danced at the dangerous intersection where genres meet. In doing so, they have become one of the most prominent labels of New Music.

Founded in 1984.
Based in Washington D.C. ... more

Recommendations

contact / help

Contact Cuneiform Records

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Cuneiform Records recommends:

The Gift of Purpose [Hopper Family Benefit Album]
by Bone (Nick Didkovsky / Hugh Hopper / John Roulat)

The BENEFIT ALBUM for Hugh Hopper's family is now on Bandcamp! Cuneiform Records
go to album

If you like Convallaria, you may also like:

Away With You
by Mary Halvorson

supported by 88 fans who also own â€œConvallariaâ€

Some of the finest, clearest compositions for octet ensembles. From the very beginning of Spirit Splitter, I'm hooked. Tim
go to album
Amaryllis
by Mary Halvorson

supported by 70 fans who also own â€œConvallariaâ€

adventurous music with a distinct concept and expert rendition and interplay with the band members.Edgy and warm in equipoise . sagov
go to album
Dirt... And More Dirt
by Henry Threadgill 14 or 15 Kestra: Agg

supported by 70 fans who also own â€œConvallariaâ€

I really appreciate that with such a large group of musicians the overall sound and experience of listening is really spacious, never cluttered. The lovely recording helps that a lot, and of course the compositional aspects that make it breathe are superb- it gets more and more fun as I listen again and again. Jasper Skydecker
go to album
Die Trommel Fatale
by Brandon Seabrook

The avant jazz musician and his sextet of collaborators deliver a frenetic, dimensional sonic assault. Bandcamp Album of the Day Jun 19, 2017
go to album
Furvent
by Le Grand Sbam

Progressive music ensemble The Grand Sbam's bombastic compositions defy tempo, genre, and description. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 17, 2020
go to album