Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Marilyn Lerner / Ken Filiano / Lou Grassi: Intention

4

Marilyn Lerner / Ken Filiano / Lou Grassi: Intention

By

View read count
Marilyn Lerner / Ken Filiano / Lou Grassi: Intention
Unlike a novel, where the writer needs to pique prospective purchasers' interest with the first paragraph, the instant attention-grabbing tactic is not always possible with music, especially if it's a live recording which captures the arc of a performance. So, while the opening track of Intention by the threesome of pianist Marilyn Lerner, bassist Ken Filiano and drummer Lou Grassi clearly establishes their working methods as the points of an equilateral triangle, it only hints at the pay-off in store later in the program.

As one would expect of the fourth release by an outfit which has been a going concern since at least 2010, they possess a cohesive group identity, one in which the drum kit is not the only percussion instrument, and it is not only the piano which handles melody. A taut web of intrigue connects Lerner's dramatic amalgam of hammered keys, tripping lines and snagged notes with Grassi's uneasy clatter and chatter and Filiano's bowed swipes and wiry counterpoint. They shun written material in favor of collectively-developed escapades which might be categorized as free jazz, although there is more than a touch of improv involved at times too, such as on the wryly titled "Plink Plunk."

Filiano's unaccompanied introduction to "Eric's House," in which he toggles between knotty bouts and resonant slurs, demonstrates the articulation and imagination which has made him such a presence on the New York scene. When Lerner joins, her gleaming surge seems almost boppish, a thought affirmed by Grassi's shuffling drive. Thereafter, the cut opens out for a succession of explosive solo features, before the trio reconvenes at the close. At over fifteen minutes, it is the longest cut, and one of the highlights. Filiano also figures heavily in another peak, on "No Farewell," when, against a rattling backdrop, he uses EFX to set up a sighing arco loop against which he plucks an aching melodic variations.

The conjunction of these last two titles takes on an unintended poignancy as Eric Stern, who ran the Eric's House of Improv concert series where the album was recorded and who is thanked prominently on the sleeve, passed away in December 2019. But with its bracing sense of adventure and spontaneity, this disc suggests a vibrant legacy.

Track Listing

Intention; Metamorphosis; Plink Plunk; Eric's House; No Farewell; Cavern Of Mystery.

Personnel

Marilyn Lerner: piano; Ken Filiano: bass & EFX; Lou Grassi: drums & percussion.

Album information

Title: Intention | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Not Two Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.