[atlantaprog] CGTrio review

Allen Welty-Green wrote:
>...I'd love to hear a report on the Ca. Gtr. Trio show from 
>someone who went to it (rather than Roguefest).

I resemble that remark.  Well, I went to Roguefest first then skipped out 
Sunday night to see CGT+2.  That's California Guitar Trio plus Pat Mastelloto 
on drums and Tony Levin on bass guitar.  I didn't take notes or plan to write a 
review, so these are just my remembered impressions.  They were great!

Tony did not play either his Chapman stick or NS-Upright bass at all that 
night, keeping to the guitar theme with two bass guitars.  Pat's drum kit 
included electronics and a HandSonic and his regular assortment of drums, pads, 
blocks, cymbals, etc. beat upon with his bare hands and an unusual assortment 
of brushes, sticks, shakers, mallets, bells, and enormous floppy things.  Some 
of this was the quietest music I've seen Pat play and he really showed his 
versatility and sensibility.

As usual, the CGT was amazing. For those that don't know, they are an 
instrumental trio, alumni from Robert Fripp's League of Crafty Guitarists, none 
live in California. There's more info at their cgtrio.com website. They played 
steel-string acoustic guitars with electric pickups (including hex pickups for 
Roland VG-8s and/or guitar synths).  Most of the time most of the guitars just 
sounded like acoustic guitars. Other times there were wailing leads, ambient 
soundscaping synths, tasty slide guitar, Baritone guitar, whatever the moment 
needed.  I suppose their guitars are (mostly) tuned to Fripp's "crafty" New 
Standard Tuning (NST) scheme (musical distance between most strings being 
stretched from a fourth apart to a fifth IIRC).

The CGT display *very* broad influences, including several "California" 
(sub-)genres such as Surf Guitar.  So not only did they play beautiful, 
intricate, interlocking "crafty-style" guitar pieces, but they also played 
Cowboy music, film music, Western film music, Hollywood singing cowboy music 
(no vocals, remember), killer Surf Guitar, hard rock, soft pop, classical and 
bits in between, all done masterfully well and respectfully but with an obvious 
sense of humor.  Bridges and segues were sometimes sublime, sometimes hilarious.

They played quite a bit of new stuff and many old favorites.  There were a 
couple of surprising omissions but it seems Bach's Tocotta & Fugue in D Minor 
is something they *always* play.  Since that's one of my all time favorite 
building-shaking pipe organ tunes, that's fine with me.  They do it *so* well, 
too, with very imaginitive voicing and technique.  This time, with Tony's bass 
way down at the bottom shaking the building and freeing Paul from having to 
cover the organ-pedal notes, they *really* did a great job.

They did a few tunes as only a trio, with Tony and Pat taking a break.  They 
each did a solo bit (classical, electronic soundscape, surfing).  They did a 
multi-tune encore including a cool Bohemian Rhapsody.  Is it an "audience sing 
along" if the audience sings but the stage performers don't?

As usual, they did some covers.  I expected some King Crimson references and 
maybe a Yes tune.... so they blew our heads off with the ones they pulled out 
of the hat this time, with lots of hard-rocking power.

Their arrangements were wonderful and the musicianship was top notch throughout 
the show.  This 5 piece lineup does have an album (CGT3+2) which might be 
available only at shows ala their "official bootleg" CD.

Well, that's about all I can write now.  And I never did tell ya'll how much I 
enjoyed Roguefest, either.  And I should probably write about Todd Rundgren, 
Joe Jackson, and Ethel (classical string quartet gone wrong) playing as a 
quintet in Nashville at the Ryman....  Oh, well - too much music, not enough 
time, too many words, all inadequate.

>Also, anyone go see Les Claypool besides me? Interesting show, 

And WTF is up with me missing Les Claypool for what seems like the hundreth 
time? (rhetorical question - please don't confirm that the fates truly are 
aligned against me....)

Nick

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