Mary Halvorson is a genius composer and guitarist who has developed her own musical language, and with Code Girl she has incorporated poetry into that language. Incredible compositions and lyricism (each track is a different kind of poem). Halvorson's playing is as great as usual, and all the other members of the band sound great. Robert Wyatt's singing in particular works extremely well in the tracks he's featured. Highly, highly recommend. rat
For two decades, the music of Gordon Grdina has expressed resistance to the boundaries that separate European and Middle Eastern musical cultures. His recent album, Resist, is a timely soundtrack for a summer of social protest. From the ecstatic free jazz blowing of saxophonist Jon Irabagon, to the fury and gentleness of the bowed strings, to the reimagined possibilities of the Arabic oud, Grdina's music propels the listener on waves of resistance into the currents of change. embouchure