Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and American guitarist Mary Halvorson discuss their third album 'Bone Bells,' reflecting on the value of risk-taking and the slow-burning development of a creative partnership that continues to yield fascinating results.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On two artists who've taken the piano-guitar duo to bold new places. Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson have just released Bone Bells, their third album and a fresh showcase of their uncanny musical connection.
These two players come from different worlds: Sylvie from European classical traditions and Mary from experimental jazz guitar circles. But when they join forces, something magical happens. Their music shifts from delicate to eruptive, structured to spontaneous, with a shared musical language they've built over nearly a decade.
Bone Bells takes its name from a line in Hernan Diaz's Pulitzer-winning novel Trust. It carries that same haunting, enigmatic quality through eight compositions that blend composition and improvisation in ways only these two can pull off.
Our conversation veered from structure to improvisation and led us to interesting places, a fitting companion to the new album.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson’s album Bone Bells)
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[00:01:58] How Sylvie first discovered Mary's unique sound
[00:03:51] What keeps bringing them back to their musical collaboration
[00:06:19] Their approach to writing and composing for the duo
[00:08:12] Creating adventurous music without a safety net
[00:08:55] Sylvie's composition process and bringing finished tunes
[00:11:20] Sonic palettes and instrument choices
[00:14:06] What they listen for in each other's playing
[00:16:32] The importance of live performance in developing their music
[00:20:46] Guitar-piano duo precedents and inspirations
[00:23:49] The benefits of playing as a duo without a drummer
[00:26:03] How their repertoire evolves over time
[00:28:36] The book that inspired the album title "Bone Bells"
[00:33:06] Their thoughts on artists' responsibilities in uncertain times
[00:41:32] Mary's personal practices for maintaining creativity
[00:43:52] The importance of label relationships and working with Pyroclastic
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Visit Sylvie Courvoisier at https://sylviecourvoisier.com
and Mary Halvorson at https://www.maryhalvorson.com
Purchase Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson’s Bone Bells from Bandcamp → https://sylviecourvoisier.bandcamp.com/album/bone-bells
or Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/bone-bells-sylvie-courvoisier-mary-halvorson/qpr05rdcm0l2a
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://album.link/i/1785292423
For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com
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