California Guitar Trio - Live At The Key Club

Year of Release: 2001
Label: self-released
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 69:56:00

The California Guitar Trio came into being in 1991 after Bert Lams (Belgium), Hideyo Moriya (Japan), and Paul Richards (USA) met at a Robert Fripp guitar seminar in England. Fripp was impressed enough to take the trio on tour with him on the now infamous "Fripp's League of Crafty Guitarists." The result of that successful internship helped the three men decide to break off of the Fripp troupe and start their own group. CGT was born and the rest is history.

Live At The Key Club with very special guests Tony Levin, bass player extraordinaire, and the in demand percussionist Pat Mastelotto (Mr. Mister, King Crimson) is an indispensable performance consisting of the amalgamation of the group's awe-inspiring surf-progressive-rock sound. A special inclusion to this set is the classic Surf tracks "Miserlou" (Dick Dale), "Apache" (The Shadows), and King Crimson's phenomenal "Discipline" to wet your diverse musical palette. If that isn't enough for you then John Mclaughin's "Dance Of The Maya" will set your soul afire. This group sounds like a literal guitar army, with an emphasis on the army. Keep in mind this is all acoustic guitar, although it doesn't keep the sound down at all. With the addition of the incredible Tony Levin and the rhythmic percussion of Mastelotto, CGT is given more depth and breadth in their sound, and, put quite simply, it is out of this world. Wizard engineer Ronan Chris Murphy mixed the recording so they got the very best in that department; it's more than obvious right from the start of the first track that Murphy's stamp is on the mix. They do an ultra fast version of "Heart Of The Sunrise." According to the group in the liner notes it's true to form when you listen to it. Three dueling guitars at warp speed is something to witness. If you were there seeing it happen or in your living room, it will be as captivating as anything you have ever heard. Intricate notes are weaved in multiplicity to create their three man guitar sound. I have to give full credit the guests' rhythm section, it must have been incredibly difficult to keep pace with and create the proper exchange between the drums and bass without allowing the guitars to drop out of sync. They couldn't have chosen a better due than Levin and Mastelotto.

For me this is my maiden voyage into the CGT world. I am actively reviewing progressive bands and I keep hearing their name mentioned, and for good reason. I was absolutely blown away by this group's sound. What more could I possibly ask for? My two favorite genres on one CD! This CD is like a clinic for musicians. Listen to the Real Audio links I have provided from the CGT site and see what a revelation in sound this really is.

Tracklisting:
Train To Lamy (4:56) / Zundoko Bushi (3:43) / Blockhead (3:36) / Punta Patri (5:33) / Apache (3:26) / Sketches On Sunset (6:48) / Discipline (4:51) / Misirlou (1:58) / "Many people ask us..." (3:05) / Melrose Ave (2:15) / Dance Of Maya (5:54) / Heaven's Bells (6:56) / Heart Of The Sunrise (7:22) / Caravan (5:28) / Eve (4:02)

Musicians:
Bert Lams - guitar
Paul Richards - guitar
Hideyo Moriya - guitar
Guests:

Tony Levin - bass, Chapman Stick
Pat Mastelotto - drums

Discography:
The Robert Fripp String Quartet - The Bridge Between (1993)
Yamanashi Blues (1993)
Invitation (1995)
Pathways (1998)
An Opening Act: Live On Tour With King Crimson (1999)
Rocks The West (2000)
Monday Night In San Francisco (2000)
Live At The Key Club (2001)
CG3+2 (2002)
A Christmas Album (2002)
The First Decade (2003)
Whitewater (2004)
Echoes (2008)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: February 8th 2002
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck

Artist website: www.cgtrio.com
Hits: 2556
Language: english