Ken Filiano

ken

(Kenneth Steven), bassist. b. Patchogue, NY, October 27, 1952. Son of Anna Filiano (born Giuliano; May 19, 1930) and Leonard Filiano (July 12, 1930), both of New York. Brother of James Filiano (20 May 1954; an M.D., also play ssaxophone), Diana Filiano Dana (9 Dec 1961; plays guitar), and Gregory Filiano (24 July 1964; plays oboe).

Ken began trumpet studies at the age of nine and played in bands throughout grammar school and high school. In his sophomore of high school, while Ken was at home recovering from an illness, his band director sent over a copy of the Ornette Coleman/Gunther Schuller record, “Jazz Abstractions.” Upon hearing the freedom expressed within the music, Ken abandoned plans to study oceanography and decided to devote his life to music. The following summer, Ken and his brother, Jim (who played saxophone), met the composer David Amram, who invited the brothers to weekend jam sessions at Amram’s house on Fire Island, NY. Here, Ken had the great fortune to play with the likes of Pepper Adams and Elvin Jones. Strongly influenced by these great players and by Amram’s record, “No More Walls,” Ken was increasingly inspired to explore the universe of music.

Ken Filiano and Steve Adams | The Other Side Of This

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Much energy has been dissipated in search for the Platonic ideal of Beauty. Both thinkers and artists alike have long searched the four quadrants of the heavens in pursuit of what they thought was the very basis of human experience. Perplexed with such vastness, these men returned with even more unanswered questions. Even though the title of this recording insinuates that there might be some inexplicable universe on the other side of the looking glass, as Lewis Carroll’s Alice eventually found out, the space that is explored here belongs unequivocally to the dramatic stage where fiction becomes the only tangible reality. — Rui Horta Santos Continue reading →

Ken Filiano | Subvenire

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Speaking without words. Just the voice of sound with all its rich implications. In the double bass I have always heard a vast timbral spectrum, a world of sonic and emotional possibility too rich to ignore. The first time I felt the vibrations emanating from just a single string I was attracted to and intrigued by the bass’s powerful potential for stimulating imagination, atmosphere and dreams. I felt it was something that I could explore as a lifelong journey. —Ken Filiano Continue reading →

Ken Filiano and Bonnie Barnett | Trio For Two

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When a pair of improvising artists takes a dip in the stream of sonic creativity, keeping their heads above water can be less of a challenge than deciding when enough is enough. Knowing when to end means listening into the future, both participants coming to the same conclusion at the same time: that silence is the correct choice for that moment. So when vocalist Bonnie Barnett suggested to Ken Filiano, bassist of choice for the likes of Paul Smoker, Vinny Golia, Richard Grossman and Dom Minasi, to name a few, “Let’s think in terms of short pieces this time,” she wasn’t attempting to set up the potential for a “hit single” or a clever sound-byte but rather, to establish a context for focusing their mutual energies. Their previous Nine Winds release, Live at Roulette, with a full band, was essentially one long improv so this time, she wanted something a little different. Continue reading →

Ken Filiano | Michael Attias | Tony Malaby | Michael T.A. Thompson | Dreams From A Clown Car

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Think of a Clown Car… and right away a number of images and impressions come to mind: a huge circus tent, a universe in itself; a group of crazies; a festive honking time; loud, often delirious laughs; vivid colors; fun costumes; wild make-up; big red noses, big bright sounds; dramatized human behavior, both humorous and sad; things magical, so different from everyday life; sizzling energy; subtle poetry; and more, how, think of Dreams… and likewise right away a number of thoughts and reflections also come to mind and take you to strange other worlds: unexplainable odd situations; noble aspirations that can’t materialize yet; beautiful warped reality; impossible things becoming possible instantly; and much more. 5o, with the myriad thoughts that Dreams can evoke, combined with those triggered from an implausible “Clown Car Band” comprised of four highly sensitive musicians/creative improvisers, everything becomes possible. The resulting tunes – each with a title chosen with great care — are profoundly vivid expressions of a few “moments” of life, gripping musical paintings bearing not only the distinctive signature of their composer / band leader, but also the distinctive personalities of each member of this brilliant energetic quartet. Colors, sounds and energies converge, intertwine, blend, their metamorphosis growing on the tunes’ canvasses as vibrant sketches, irradiating LIFE in its many forms. — Gilles Marie-Paul Laheurte Continue reading →