The four members of Illegal Crowns make incredible music on their own, but when they come together, it’s magic. The avant-jazz quartet weaves sonically challenging patterns and sumptuous melodies where each member has an opportunity to take center stage during solos before returning to a main theme.

A unique trait of this quartet is the absence of a bass player. Guitar, piano and drums create the framework. Guitarist Mary Halvorson is the Massachusetts-born composer who has been infusing her jazz sound with influences like flamenco and rock, leading groups of varying sizes -- from trio to octet -- and releasing 13 albums since 2008. Her frequent collaborator, drummer Tomas Fujiwara is well-known in the NYC jazz circles, leading his own trio and working with Halvorson and cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, who keeps busy working with Halvorson and many other artists as well.

The three first connected with French pianist Benoit Delbecq in 2012 and formed Illegal Crowns. An eponymous debut followed in 2014, then No-Nosed Puppet in 2020. Their third and latest endeavor, Unclosing, was released in 2023 to widespread praise from jazz critics, including John Sharpe at All About Jazz who praises the record as an “accomplished blend of accessibility and experimentalism distinguished.”