Jessica Pavone

Genres| avant-garde jazz, contemporary classical, experimental, improvised music
Occupation(s)| composer-improviser, teacher
Instrument(s)| viola, violin
Labels| Astral Spirits, Birdwatcher, Relative Pitch, Tzadik, Thirsty Ear, Skirl Records
Website| jessicapavone.com

Musical artist

Jessica Pavone is a New York-based violinist, violist and experimental composer. Her jazz-and-classical-inspired avant-garde music combines elements of improvisation and composition.[1][2]

## Background

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Pavone is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music. While teaching public school in Hartford, Connecticut, she became involved with a community of improvisers and composers around Wesleyan University and avant-garde jazz composer Anthony Braxton.[1]

In 2001, Pavone released Jessica Pavone & the String Army. A year later she released 27 Epigrams, a collection of short pieces for small ensembles.

Her music has been characterized as “avant-improv.”[3]

Around 2001, Pavone started performing with avant-jazz guitarist (and Anthony Braxton student) Mary Halvorson. The New York Times described her duo work with Halvorson as “intricate song forms met with startling jolts of insight that felt as rooted in experimental rock, folk and chamber music as in any subspecies of jazz.”[4]

She also performs as Dark Tips with Raquel Bell.

Pavone has been part of ensembles led by Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, and Matthew Welch. Pavone has earned grants and commissions from the Aaron Copland Recording Fund, the American Music Center, The Kitchen, MATA, The Jerome Foundation. Her music has been released by Tzadik, Thirsty Ear, Relative Pitch Records, and other labels.[3] Pavone has also performed with cellist Paul de Jong on occasion.[5]

## Discography

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### As leader / co-leader

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* Jessica Pavone & the String Army (Peacock Recordings, 2001)
* 27 Epigrams (Peacock, 2002)[6]
* Mary Halvorson & Pavone, Prairies (Lucky Kitchen, 2006)[7]
* Quotidian (Peacock, 2007)
* Halvorson & Pavone, On and Off (Skirl Records, 2007)
* This Is My Violin (2007)
* Walking, Sleeping, Breathing (Experience, 2007)
* Halvorson & Pavone, Thin Air (Thirsty Ear, 2009)
* Songs of Synastry and Solitude (Tzadik, 2009)[8]
* Halvorson & Pavone, Departure of Reason (Thirsty Ear, 2011)
* Army of Strangers (Porter Records, 2011)
* Hope Dawson Is Missing (Tzadik, 2012)[9][10]
* Normal Love, Survival Tricks (ugEXPLODE, 2012)
* Knuckle Under (Taiga Records, 2014)
* Silent Spills (Relative Pitch Records, 2016)
* Dark Tips, Advice from the Underworld (Prom Night Records, 2018)
* In the Action (Relative Pitch, 2019)
* J. Pavone String Ensemble, Brick and Mortar (Birdwatcher Records, 2019); with Joanna Mattrey, Erica Dicker, Angela Morris[11][12]
* J. Pavone String Ensemble, Lost and Found (Astral Spirits, 2020); with Abby Swidler, Dicker, Morris[13]
* Clamor (Out of Your Head, 2023)[14]

## References

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1. ^ a b "Pavone Brings Her Strings Back Home". The New York Sun. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
2. ^ "Pavone, Jessica". Improvised and Experimental Music. 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
3. ^ a b "Mary Halvorson/Jessica Pavone". fac.umass.edu. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
4. ^ Chinen, Nate (4 November 2008). "The Guitarist Mary Halvorson Make Music 'Sort of Based in Jazz'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
5. ^ "Best NYC shows (section:Paul de Jong, Jessica Pavone Ensemble)". Village Voice. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
6. ^ Rubolino, Frank (25 June 2003). "Jessica Pavone: 27 Epigrams". All About Jazz. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
7. ^ Sunderland, Celeste (24 July 2006). "Mary Halvorson / Jessica Pavone: Prairies". All About Jazz. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
8. ^ "Jessica Pavone: Songs of Synastry and Solitude CD Release Concert – Roulette". roulette.org. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
9. ^ Margasak, Peter (January 2013). "Jessica Pavone: Hope Dawson Is Missing". DownBeat. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
10. ^ "Jessica Pavone - Hope Dawson is Missing (Tzadik, 2012) ***½". The Free Jazz Collective. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
11. ^ Menestres, David (30 September 2019). "J. Pavone String Ensemble - Brick and Mortar (Birdwatcher Records) ****1/2". The Free Jazz Collective. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
12. ^ Nadelle, David (22 August 2019). "Jessica Pavone gets back to business with a new album composed for string quartet, Brick and Mortar, out in October on Birdwatcher". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
13. ^ "Hear the latest album by J Pavone String Ensemble". WIRE. 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
14. ^ "Clamor". OOYH / Bandcamp. Retrieved December 22, 2023.

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

Other|

* IdRef
* Yale LUX