Illusionary Sea

On her fourth album as a leader, guitarist Mary Halvorson expands her group once again, adding tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and trombonist Jacob Garchik to create a septet. The numbered compositions continue with 31 through 34, but then leap forward to 41, and the album ends with her first recorded cover: Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine’s “Nairam,” recorded by Robert Wyatt as “Maryan” on his album Shleep. With this many players, it’s no surprise that the music becomes more orchestral and focused on interplay rather than extended solos; even when Halvorson steps out on “Smiles of Great Men (No. 34),” she’s shadowed by other members of the ensemble at first, and when her solo ends, the horns begin a four-way conversation, throwing fragments of melody back and forth and then dancing over a light-footed groove set out by bassist John Hébert and drummer Ches Smith.