Thumbscrew

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Brian Cohen

The three members of the band Thumbscrew.

Thumbscrew (from left): Tomas Fujiwara, Mary Halvorson, Michael Formanek.

media release: On Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 7pm, Arts + Literature Laboratory presents the all-star collective trio Thumbscrew, featuring guitarist Mary Halvorson, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Tomas Fujiwara, as they mark their 10th year as a collective endeavor with the release of their seventh album for Cuneiform Records, Multicolored Midnight. Tickets are $20 ($15 student/ALL member) in advance online and $25 at the door for everyone. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets may be purchased online in advance at https://thumbscrew.bpt.me/ from September 6 up to 2 hours before the show, or at the door.

The following morning, Sunday, October 30, 2022 at 11am, Thumbscrew will present a public workshop and Q&A as part of the New Music Series.

This engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the Wisconsin Arts Board.

With this anniversary, the trio is looking ahead to new sonic territory rather than taking stock of a prodigiously creative decade. Their new works oscillate between detailed composition, unbridled improvisation, and every gradation in between. It’s another step on an extraordinary journey by three of jazz’s most dauntless and resourceful artists.

Thumbscrew’s first gig as a collective trio was on March 11, 2012. Since then, the all-star trio has been in high demand for performances at Jazz and New Music festivals worldwide. They have played at such North American festivals as the Vancouver Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, Philadelphia’s Center City Jazz Festival, and the wildly popular beyond-genre Big Ears Festival. Thumbscrew has also played numerous festivals overseas, touring Europe and the Middle East. In addition, they’ve played at and/or served residencies at numerous high-profile venues worldwide, including the Village Vanguard (NYC), Walker Arts Center (Minneapolis), Blues Alley (Washington DC), and many more. Featuring the trio’s masterful and near-intuitive interplay, consummate level of skill, distinctive compositions, and joie de vivre onstage, Thumbscrew’s live shows have become legendary, instilling audiences with awe and generating positive reviews in the music press.

Thumbscrew’s recorded music has likewise received worldwide acclaim. Counting its newest release, Multicolored Midnight, the band has released seven albums since 2014, all on Cuneiform Records. These albums received an impressive amount of press worldwide, including numerous 4-star reviews and/or spotlights in DownBeat and other jazz magazines, in addition to being named in numerous Best Jazz Albums of Year lists globally. In addition, the Thumbscrew trio and its individual members have been cited in various Best of Year lists for Musicians, Rising Star Artists, and Rising Star Ensembles.