The acoustic triumvirate California Guitar Trio have found an ideal haven by means of Robert Fripp's Global Discipline Music label. After the wonderful Pathways album in '98 they can now prove what they are worth live by means of the Rocks The West live album. Recorded in crystal-clear precision on four various locations this album offers a nice balance between their own original material and some surprising covers. Those covers range from Beethoven's "Symphony N° 9" to "Caravan," made immortal by Duke Ellington, "Pictures At An Exhibition" by Mussorgski and, maybe the most surprising of them all, "Bohemian Rhapsody" by, yep, Queen. The fact that this steers the end result more into a muzak direction is the risk they were prepared to take. Yet it's an understandable journey, as you can't perform the same intricate music all night long so you need to introduce some "lighter" material which people can refer to and also take the tension away from the more difficult compositions. In fact the three acoustic guitars are used as three individual voices that each are put in the spotlight. In order to make it even more professional the band has asked Tony Levin to do his bit as well in order to make Rocks The West a feast for both audience and band. Tony's input on fretless bass and Chapman stick can be heard on no fewer than 8 out of the 13 songs here whilst saxophone player Bill Jansen delivers an extra jazz injection on no fewer than five songs. Now that French band Philharmonie has ceased to exist, the time has come to start giving California Guitar Trio all the credit they deserve. Reviewed by: John 'Bo Bo' Bollenberg |
