Mat Maneri/Randy Peterson: Light Trigger

On Light Trigger Maneri plays viola and teams with drummer Randy Peterson, whose approach is equally oblique. Maneri’s style is like a series of feints, false starts and darting runs from one unexpected point to another. There is no obvious follower or leader here, and many of the best moments occur when both musicians converge from apparently unrelated pathways. I don’t understand why Maneri uses the viola here and the violin on the other records instead of switching back and forth for variety, but one aspect of his approach is more obvious on the viola, which is the way he likes to create tension by microtonally hovering around a pitch.

Originally Published March 1, 2001