What do you get when you take three of Brooklyn’s heaviest hitting composer improviser crazy brilliant musicians, and throw them together in a band with songs and singing, wild back-beats and a horn section? Why, People, of course. The members of People (Mary Halvorson, Kevin Shea, Kyle Forester) are plenty famous for their separate accomplishments, but believe us, nothing else in the world sounds like this. Sure, you could say it’s like a free jazz rock band with syrupy sweet classic melodies, but that’s not quite it — this band has control in the midst of its monstrous rumble. Is the spirit of Robert Wyatt speaking through Melt Banana’s mystic radio? We don’t quite know, but we do know it’s brilliant stuff, that doesn’t happen every day. In fact this album, their third, almost didn’t make it here at all, after a series of label closings in the Great Drought of the late oughts. Hence we call it: The Misplaced Files. Added perks — the record features horn arrangements from the ever-brilliant Peter Evans, played along with Sam Kulik and Dan Peck. If adventurous music is the name of your game, you owe it to yourself to hear it played by People.
“Mary Halvorson is the most future-seeking guitarist working right now, thinking out the instrument on a level most couldn’t comprehend. But Halvorson’s compositions display that exploration with a telepathic connection between her fingers and the sound.” -Lars Gotrich, NPR
A long time member of several of Anthony Braxtons bands, Halvorson has also performed alongside iconic guitarist Marc Ribot in his band Sun Ship and with bassist Trevor Dunn in his Trio-Convulsant.
An innovative and free-minded drummer, Kevin Shea has always imbued his playing with a humor and flexibility that few in the jazz world have been able to match. While perhaps best known for his work with the band Mostly Other People Do The Killing, Shea has played on a host of other projects in the Avant-Garde, Jazz, and other genres, including works by Rhys Chatham, Storm & Stress, Peter Evans Quartet, Alan Wilkinson, and the group Talibam! (from WKCR 89.9FM NY)
Kyle Forester is a keyboardist and bassist, member of the bands Crystal Stilts and The Ladybug Transistor, and composer of the score for the film Breaking Upwards and short films including Horsefingers 3. He performs in various other groups, including Escape from Society, Fisherman, and The Magic Caravan. He is founder and musical director of Kyle’s Karaoke Korner Orchestra.
3xaWoman is the third album by People. Their first two records were released by I And Ear Records.
