California Guitar Trio

The First Decade

The good old trio of guitarists, created following Robert Fripp’s advice, is already ten years old!

And to celebrate, they’re offering us a collection of pieces from this first decade. Raging acoustic and classical guitars throwing beauty along the way and incredible performance making one wonder how this can be done using only three guitars.

A splendid collection outlining the best moments of the decade is what you will find on this album. Perfect for the non-initiate who wants to discover this band. Perfect for the initiate who might have missed some of the moments. A fine acquisition for any guitarist or guitar lover.

Rocks the West

Formed by guitarists Bert Lams (Belgium), with full Classical training, Paul Richards (USA), effects specialists, and Hideyo Moriya (Japan), surf guitar specialist, who met in Europe in 1987 during a series of Guitar Craft courses offered by Robert Fripp (King Crimson). The trio toured with Fripp for several years with the League of Crafty Guitarists.

Lams then invited the other two to form a trio and to relocate in Los Angeles. This live album was recorded during several stops of a tour. Although most of the track are not original material, it’s the way that they’re done that’s original.

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony is given a treatment that even the Grand Master himself could not have frowned upon. Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is delivered spectacularly. This is one of those songs which I’m fed up with and will do almost anything not to listen to. Yet the way it’s done here, with the guitars replacing all of the voices is just superb!

The most interesting moment is perhaps Tony Levin’s Waters of Eden. Levin is onstage with them through most of the album and this is such a heartfelt moment The guitars are playing some really impressive movements.

The only place where I had a little trouble is in Pictures at an Exhibition. (The Hut of Baba Yaga/The Great Gates of Kiev). The arrangements are closer to the Ravel arrangements than to Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s. Meaning that it lacks the energy that ELP managed to throw into it. But even Ravel could not manage this.

Throughout, though, three amazing guitarists. Obviously some John Williams’ influence. An instrumental passage containing some great moments. Things you’ll hear which you would not have thought possible on a guitar.

A must for the serious guitarist.