Molly Healey

Molly Healey is looping. Follow the accumulating loops of melody, riffs, counterpoint and percussion — plucking, tapping, bowing, singing — as she weaves them into an increasingly tight mesh.

One by one, she lets some strands of violin and cello unwind as she twists new strands into the piece.

Healey, who was a member of Big Smith and plays in all manner of roots, folk and rock bands, has created “Nightbirds,” the first album under her name, consisting of looping-pedal compositions, mostly avian themed. The CD release event is 7 p.m. Saturday at The Fairbanks.

“It’s just really awesome to be able to record yourself and play over it, and do that live for people,” Healey said.

The evening will be a multimedia affair with guest musicians and 11 artists exhibiting paintings in the “Nightbirds” theme. The Fairbanks, formerly a school, is being restored for use as a community resource center for the Grant Beach neighborhood. Although the restoration is in progress, all facilities are up and running.

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With all of these activities, this CD debut promises to be one of the most value-added shows of its kind.

Healey started to work with the looper early this year, and she has performed looping pieces at various shows. The Saturday concert not only will present her complete recorded looping works but also may suggest the direction that she’ll take with the concept. On the album, Kyle Day plays upright bass in a supporting role. He will be on hand Saturday, along with Brandon Moore on cajon, forming a trio with Healey.

Healey said the key to creativity with the looper is to generate movement by shifting the individual loops in and out of the piece. Moreover, the live and recorded performances show how dynamics, textures and percussive effects create a lively orchestrated feel. For example, “Hummingbird” has this scheme (condensed):

• Saucy jazzlike bass line by Day

• A counter rhythm tapped out on a cello body

• Plucked violin and cello riffs completing the groovy beat stew

• Long tones of cello adding gravity

• Loops simmering, Healey sings of the hummingbird’s instinctual long-distance migration.

• Layers of patterns and rhythms boil over into bluesy violin.

“Knowing that you can fill out the sound (with the looper) opened up a whole new world of songwriting for me,” she said.

The album is the product of a long growing process after the disbanding of Big Smith, Healey said, from her longstanding weekly gig with Dallas Jones at Springfield Brewing Co. to playing in China with Andy Frasco and the U.N.: “Really just taking ownership and spending a lot of time with my instruments — and making things happen myself.”

As new looping compositions kept coming to her, she felt that she had found a niche. With enough pieces for an album, she decided to use them as her solo recording debut. Wil Reeves of Columbia co-produced.

“It just came together, and I wanted to put it out there to show people a different side of me,” she said. “Everyone’s so used to me playing fiddle, country and bluegrass. And this is not that.”

Ed Peaco writes about locally grown Ozarks music for the News-Leader. Contact him at 417-413-9029 or EdPeaco@gmail.com - Springfield News-Leader