The Thirteenth Assembly - (Un)Sentimental - CD

Though each member of the 13th Assembly is acclaimed in their own right this group is very much a singular musical experience. A planned NPR piece should help raise exposure for this sublime recording.

The Thirteenth Assembly began as a touring collective made up of four musicians and four musically distinct small ensembles: Tomas and Taylor's duo; Mary and Jessica's duo; Taylor's trio with Mary and Tomas; and the collaborative quartet featured on this recording. The group is a microcosm of an exciting community of young New York musicians that is beginning to receive international attention; a new generation of artists comfortable referencing AACM and Morton Feldman, Otis Redding and the Melvins, yet dedicated to finding their own individual and collective voices. While each musician in the Thirteenth Assembly brings a highly varied and diverse set of influences and aesthetics to the table, the shared experiences and long friendships help create a powerfully unified ensemble sound. From the soul-inflected lyricism of Pavone's Hate Fields to the driving jazz energy of Fujiwara's Chantal to the distorted power chords of Halvorson's Pinched, (un)sentimental traverses many stylistic paths, but the album as a whole captures a snapshot of contemporary music at its most exciting.

The Thirteenth Assembly is:

Taylor Ho Bynum - cornet; Jessica Pavone - viola; Mary Halvorson - guitar; Tomas Fujiwara - drums.

"We see this project as a chance for us to pool our resources, to work together and support each other through all the creative and business complexities of music making. In live performances, each group performs a short set, but this CD focuses on the quartet music. Although we all have longstanding relationships performing together in various configurations, the Thirteenth Assembly marks the first time we have played as a quartet, and each of us contributed compositions written specifically for this ensemble. While each individual brings a highly varied and diverse set of influences and aesthetics to the table, we hope our shared experiences, long friendships, and mutual love and trust are reflected in the music. Thank you for listening."