Trey Gunn Band - Live Encounter (2001)

Multi-instrumentalist Trey Gunn made his bones as a student in Fripp’s League of Crafty Guitarists and subsequently became a member of King Crimson in 1995. Since then, the master of the enigmatic Chapman Stick has developed a following of his own through a handful of adventuresome albums with his Trey Gunn Band. Although his work with King Crimson has no doubt exposed Gunn’s considerable instrumental prowess to a larger audience, it is his personal work, such as Live Encounter, which has earned the artist a solid reputation.

Culled from tours in September 2000 and February 2001, Live Encounter revisits previous Gunn compositions in a live setting, allowing the band members to stretch out and experiment. A new song – “Hierarchtitiptitoploftical” – is sandwiched in between four songs from Gunn’s 2000 album The Joy of Molybdenum and his 1996 release The Third Star. For listeners unfamiliar with Gunn and company’s considerable chops, Live Encounter serves as an excellent introduction. Playing a 10-string Warr guitar, a remarkable instrument created by California designer Mark Warr that allows a skilled user to play both percussive rhythms and straight melody (if I understand correctly), Gunn creates a rich tapestry of sound.

The instrumental sound sculptures crafted by Gunn are complimented by the efforts of collaborators Joe Mendelson on 8-string Warr guitar, Tony Geballe on electric and 12-string acoustic guitar and percussionist Bob Muller. Together the foursome create a magnificent noise, incorporating Eno-inspired ambient passages and Eastern-influenced rhythms with an electric jazz/rock fusion undercurrent that draws as much from King Crimson as it does John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana. Defying musical genres and critical pigeonholing, the Trey Gunn Band are gamblers taking music to the edge, challenging the boundaries of live sound much as jazz artists like Miles Davis and John Coltrane did half a century ago. Making music that is both entertaining and thought provoking, Trey Gunn and crew solidify their reps as instrumental virtuosos with the amazing Live Encounter. (First World Records)

(The Live Encounter disc also includes a pair of Quicktime videos that you can view on your computer, including a full-length performance of “Kuma” that allows you to see these incredible instrumentalists at work.)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Live Encounter from Amazon.com)