The May issue of Bass Player magazine has an interview with one third of the Adrian Belew Power Trio, Julie Slick. In it she discusses playing King Crimson bass lines with Adrian and her experiences at Paul Green’s School of Rock. You can read the interview here.
I also found an archived Bass Player interview with Tony Levin made around the time ‘Thrak’ was released. This extensive Q&A covers quite a bit of ground on Tony’s career and can be read here.
The June issue of Guitar Player magazine has an interview with Adrian Belew in which he talks about the power trio and upcoming shows with King Crimson. You can access Barry Cleveland’s interview here and also read some web only content not in the print edition.
The July issue of Guitar Player also features Adrian in their ‘Oeuvre Easy’ column which looks at his career and classifies some of his music as inspired/required/and tired. This issue is on newstands now, but unfortunately Guitar Player doesn’t post web links to its articles until about a month after subscribers get their issue. Look for a link here in 30 days or so.
Asia will be releasing Phoenix in April, their first studio album by the original lineup since 1983. Billboard has an article and comments on the project from Carl Palmer here. Carl comments that the album is “pretty adult” and “not super proggy.” He also details some of John Wetton’s health issues “somber” effect on the lyrics and his own pending angioplasty. The likelihood of an ELP reunion is also discussed.
The February 2008 issue of Guitar Player magazine has a cover story picking the 50 essential guitar DVDs. King Crimson made the cut to this unraked list with Neal and Jack and Me. The DVD features two classic Crimson concerts: Three of a Perfect Pair-Live in Japan 1984 and The Noise-Live in Frejus 1982. In describing Adrian and Robert’s fretwork, Barry Cleveland states that “both solo with otherworldly abandon.” It is “Post-prog at it’s best.”
Guitar Player hasn’t posted a link to the article and list yet, but it should be on the home page and news stands in about two weeks. Visit their site here.
The November issue of Guitar Player magazine is about to hit the news stand. It features 26 legendary lessons from guitar heroes, including Robert Fripp. Douglas Baldwin breaks down three bars of Fripp’s Guitar Craft stylings in “New Standard Tuning.” Besides the C major example, he reveals the tuning and gives tips on string gauges as well insight into Fripp’s playing.
The previous month’s issue (October) of Guitar Player contains an interview with touch guitarist Markus Reuter. In it, Markus discusses the influence of Fripp and the variance on the “New Standard Tuning” he uses on his Warr Guitar.
Unfortunately, Guitar Player hasn’t put either article on its web site, but you can visit their home page here.
Tony Levin will be releasing his new CD Stick Man in two weeks on September 24th. This all new music will be heavy with Tony’s virtuoso Chapman Stick playing and features Pat Mastelotto on drums. The first 1,000 CDs ordered from Tony’s own Papa Bear Records will be autographed and can be purchased here. For an interesting story about the horrors of autographing ‘Double Trio’ CDs you can read Tony’s diary here.
Johm Kelman of AllAboutJazz.com is at it again with his detailed reviews of Crimson related artists. This time it’s the muti-media project The Arrow by Quodia. The seven part story is a collaboration by touch guitarist Trey Gunn and keyboardist Joe Mendelson. Pat Mastelotto guests on one track. The two disc set contains the audio CD and is accompanied by a DVD in 5.1 surround sound showing the projected images used in the live performance. Kelman writes that the set is “completely captivating and an undeniable triumph.” You can read the review here.
October will see another collaboration titled Unreleased Works of Startling Genius by Robert Fripp and Brian Eno. The DGM mail Order Shop will begin taking preorders on September 1st for a limited edition 2 disc set with one of the discs running in a continuous mix. Once the limited edition runs out, a standard edition containing just one disc will be made available. There is no information yet at the DGM Shop. Be sure to click here on September 1st to reserve this ambient treasure.
Reunited super group Asia releases a new double live CD on June 26th. Fantasia-Live in Tokyo: 2007 was recorded in March 2007 on the Japanese leg of their world tour. A companion DVD will be released this Fall. All four original members of Asia give a heavy dose of songs from their platinum selling first two Asia albums. John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Steve Howe and Geoff Downes also dip into the past with classics by Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and even King Crimson with ‘Court of the Crimson King’. The CD has original artwork by Roger Dean.
Asia also kicked off a new North American leg of their tour last week. They will be playing some dates in Germany and Italy in late July and the UK in December. You can find the tour dates at the Original Asia website here. Keep checking as more European dates will be announced.
Finally, Steve Howe was interviewed by Billboard a week ago about the tour, but also mentioned that Asia will begin recording a new studio album in early 2008. You can read about it here.
To keep up with breaking news on the band visit the Asia Official Reunion Site.
The June issue of Guitar One magazine has a three page feature on the soloing techniques of Robert Fripp. Titled “The Strange and Exciting Lines of King Crimson’s Guitarist”, there are five lessons in all. The first two lessons contain lead quotes from ’21st Century Schizoid Man’. Lesson three looks at the ominous riff from ‘Red’ and lesson four even details some Frippertronics. Lesson five contains a chromatic chord progression reminescent of ‘Red’ and ‘Vrooom’ with 15 bars of various lead techniques used by Robert and ends on a quote from ‘Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part I’.
If you can’t pick up an issue of the magazine, Guitar One has a free video demonstration of each solo here. The Fripp lessons aren’t clearly marked but can be streamed by clicking on Guitar One: Soloing-Fig. 1 through 5. The video lessons usually stay on the website for about a month. The tablature for these lessons is some of the more extensive Fripp music I’ve seen in a guitar magazine.
Guitar One’s June issue is a Prog Rock special and also contains lessons and transciptions for Steve Howe, Rush and Jethro Tull among others.
