Mary Halvorsen Septet

On Monday July 1st at 7:30pm there was a free Concert by the Mary Halvorson Septet at the White House (2000 South Summerlin Orlando FL).  Mary Halvorson is a multiple award winning musician leading the charge towards a new musical landscape. She learned much with Anthony Braxton over the years and plays with a septet of the best musicians around. Presented by the Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Civic Minded 5.

Mary Halvorsen has been an artist in Residence at the Atlantic Center of the Arts and she teamed up with the jazz musicians who used to perform with the great Sam Rivers who unfortunately passed away.

The visual artist for the night was Woody Igou. He had a kinetic sculpture set up in front of the stage which mostly consisted of thick PVC tubes. He poured two compounds into the tubes and a chemical reaction caused a yellow foam to ooze out much like a science fair volcano project. The musicians eyed the sculpture with suspicion before they played but once they knew they were safe, they began playing Mary’s original compositions. The music was new aged and cutting edged.

Seated in the top balcony, I lost all light when the sun set. I had to guess at which colors I was putting on the page. In some ways working in the dark was like the music which didn’t adhere to classic forms. Sometimes you have to let go of expectations and search blindly in the dark. The White House concerts have become increasingly popular since I first started sketching there.   

Mark your Calendar!  The next free White House Concert on Sunday, Aug 11, 2013 features P.J. Rohr who will play jazzical music
(Claude Bolling and more)
with her favorite pianist, Lee Lallance.
Visual art will be by Maryse Jupillat. Doors open at 7PM and the music starts at 7:30PM. The White House is at
2000 South Summerlin Orlando FL.