To put the fusion pioneer band’s career into perspective, Robert Fripp’s King Crimson has now been together for over 50 years, longer than Duke Ellington’s venerable orchestra. Judging by the packed house of multiple generations of fans, it is impressive to assume that Fripp’s iconic band has made as large an impact as the Duke, and that is saying something.
As with all great bandleaders, Fripp is a master of changing with the times as well as mixing and matching musicians in order to create new sonic versions of his ideas. He still retains woodwind master Mel Collins from his days during the Nixon administration as well as long time associate Tony Levin, master of bass and Chapman Stick. Jakko Jakszyk handled well the passionate vocals and second guitar, with the latest trick up Fripp’s musical sleeve being the inclusion of three, count ‘em, three drummers in Pat Mastelotto, Gavin Harrison and relative newcomer Jeremy Stacey, who also added keyboards occasionally.
The drummers proved early on the biblical adage that “a chord of three strands is not easily broken” with the opening “Drumzilla” having the gents in a drum trio that was like a fusion version of synchronized swimming. From there vocal pieces included Fripp’s serpentine guitar and Collins’ agonizing soprano sax teamed with Jakszyk for a dark, solemn, funeral and majestic “Epitaph” while soft bass flute, tender minstrel guitar and pastoral piano had him sing like a troubadour on a velvet “Islands”.
Levin led the way through the various instrumental permutations as the band displayed an alchemist’s talent for mixing sounds. His solo spotlight was exquisite, and his interplay with the leader, imperceptivlely building up with the rumbling drums and Collins’ free form blowing on the melancholic “Starless” was a tension building treasure. His thick bass/Chapman Stick line trudged the three drum interplay, guided along by Fripp’s ominous guitar, creating a mix of Metallica and Coltranesque modal form once Collins jumped in with his stratospheric soprano. Levin’s Chapman stick went back and forth between the three drummers’s accents, tom toms, high hats, snares and paradiddles on “Indiscipline” and even teamed up with rich harmony on vocals before ending on a free form deep groove.
The anthem encore of “21st Century Schizoid Man”, with its paranoid chords,kinetic jam, ricocheting accents, and patented unison seque tighter than Kim Kardashian’s one piece, showed that not only has Fripp’s music lasted a half century, but so has his prophecy.
Opening up was the deft California Guitar Trio with two guitars and a Chapman Stick melding Irish jig rock, bluesy chords and a tribute to vintage Pink Floyd. Next up was The Zappa Band that held true to the founder’s idea of mixing vocal harmony to wacky, sardonic and sophisticatedly intellectual jazz/rock.
Upcoming shows at The Greek include Smokey Robinson 09/18 , John Legend 09/21-22 and Gipsy Kings 11/06
All photos by David Singleton