The Lello Molinari Project
Regattabar
Cambridge, Ma
October 2, 2001
A Cd release party is undoubtedly an exciting occasion for a band, and the excitement was in the air as the Lello Molinari Project celebrated the release of Multiple Personalities. Molinari was joined by band members Marcello Pellitteri on drums, George Garzone on tenor saxophone, guitarist Mick Goodrick, vocalist Chiara Civello, pianist Frank Carlberg, and Jeff Galindo on trombone for an extended set that featured works from the current disk and included a surprise or two from earlier releases.
A hallmark of the Lello Molinari Project is the use of intricate rhythms that increase in complexity as a piece progresses, and this was certainly the case during the Regattabar performance. Each musician in the group performs with an intensity that can best be described as frenetic assurance. The paces set by Molinari on bass and Pellitteri on drums are fast and furious, but the interplay among musicians makes it clear that the performance is an exercise in communication, resulting in a confident and smooth execution of each work. This interplay is one of the highlights of watching Molinari’s group in a live performance; it provides visual evidence of the aural cohesion that is created on their most recent disc.
If one of the members of the Lello Molinari Project deserves to be singled out for an outstanding solo performance, it is trombonist Jeff Galindo’s work on “Nothing Cheap,” a track from the group second disk. Galindo demonstrated incredible energy, whether playing down and dirty in the instrument’s low range or in hitting the high notes that would seem high on a trumpet and damn near unattainable on the trombone. Galindo not only attains these notes – he holds them, he smears them, he bends the pitches, and then he does it all over again. Garzone gradually invaded Galindo’s solo turf and performed a saxophone solo with a recurring riff reminiscent of Woody Woodpecker’s famous laugh – a reedy phrase that provided a perfect complement to Galindo’s solo work.
The final half of the group’s set featured four tracks from Multiple Personalities. “Mardy Gras” is a quick example of everything that Molinari’s group does well. The opening is played so quickly that it aurally captures the spirit of Mardy Gras, complete with a swinging scat solo by Civello. Molinari’s bass solo harkens back to Civello’s phrasing, and the sound of the bass strings rattling against the bassboard echoed throughout the piece, which ended with each member of the group contributing to a very precise, controlled musical mayhem.
Following the soulful Italian ballad “Malafemmena”, the project let loose with “Tarantella”, which has to be the closest the Regattabar will ever come to a folk festival in a small Italian piazza! The final work of the evening was “Invitation” – an aptly named work, since Molinari Invited each band member to perform one last solo during the piece, the impetus of which is a chromatic scale in the guitar.
The Lello Molinari Project is as exciting in a live performance as it is on disk. Check out lellomolinari.com for information on upcoming performances, and give Multiple Personalities a listen for a preview of coming attractions.
-Katie DeBonville
