Acclaimed guitarist Mary Halvorson is set to perform in Northern California this week with her latest project, the quartet Canis Major. Shows are scheduled for April 2 at Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz and April 3 at The Freight in Berkeley.

A Return to Intimate Settings

Halvorson’s rise to prominence as a leading figure in jazz guitar over the past two decades has been remarkable. After years of focusing on larger, composition-driven ensembles, she expressed excitement about returning to smaller venues. “It’s nice to go small again,” she said in a recent video call from Spain. “It’s still quite composed, but by nature a smaller group feels more improvisatory. There’s more openness to the music.”

An Omnivorous Aesthetic

Halvorson is known for her eclectic approach to jazz, drawing from a wide range of practices without adhering to any single school. She is proficient in free improvisation, as demonstrated in her work with the collective trio The Out Louds, featuring Berkeley clarinetist Ben Goldberg. However, as a bandleader, she has primarily focused on intricately composed pieces, such as her 2018 song project “Code Girl.”

Distinctive Musical Style

The Brooklyn-based guitarist’s playing is instantly recognizable, characterized by skittery, off-kilter lines and notes that seem to lose tension as they are played. Her contributions as a performer have earned her consistent recognition in critics’ polls, and her work as a composer and bandleader was honored with a 2019 MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship.

Canis Major: A New Chapter

Halvorson’s previous releases – the string quartet project “Belladona” and jazz sextet albums “Amaryllis” and “Cloudward” – each received “album of the year” accolades from DownBeat magazine. Canis Major, built on her long-standing musical partnership with drummer Tomas Fujiwara, has inspired her to create a substantial new body of work.

Building the Band

Halvorson and Fujiwara have collaborated for two decades, appearing on each other’s albums and co-leading ensembles like Thumbscrew with bassist Michael Formanek. “I like to have someone I feel very comfortable with and gets what I’m going for,” Halvorson explained. “Tomas writes really great parts for himself with very little instruction.”

The quartet also features bassist Henry Fraser and trumpeter Dave Adewumi, both relatively new collaborators for Halvorson. She praised Fraser’s versatility and Adewumi’s compelling playing, noting that he had performed at the SFJAZZ Center with Jason Moran and Sunny Jain.

A Collaborative Spirit

Adewumi expressed his excitement about working with Halvorson, calling it “one of the most amazing musical experiences I’ve ever had.” He highlighted her ability to craft sets and albums that tell a unique story, offering both freshness and warmth. He also noted her ability to create a cohesive musical narrative beyond simply including standard jazz forms.

While streamlining her instrumental palette with Canis Major, Halvorson remains committed to exploring a wide range of “maximum colors and textures,” focusing on orchestration and innovative arrangements.