While it is true that King Crimson has officially ended its reign, the ripple effect of Robert Fripp has been heard and felt most successfully by two bands created by touch guitarist Mark Reuter and Crimson alumnus drummer Pat Mastelotto. Last year the two came to the Baked Potato with Crimson-ite Tony Levin on Chapman Stick with the band Stick Men. This time around another man from the Kingdom, Trey Gunn, brought his War Guitar, replaced Levin and formed the first cousin of tu-NER, which also created music for the packed Potato that seems like the logical extension of the knight visions.
The key difference between Crimson and the two offshoots is that both Stick Men and tu-NER have a much larger sense of improvisation, the latter even more so. Interspersed between songs from their own material, that of the Sticks and Crimson were creative and excitingly performed “Improvs” which mixed tape effects, a vast supply of sounds from the myriad of guitar pedals, and percussive permutations from Mastelotto’s DW electronic drum kit. Songs such as “Construction of Light” mixed spacey and spaced effects from Gunn and Reuter with caroming drums, cymbals and crashes (along with animal sounds) from Mastelotto. Likewise, “Cusp” and “Tuma” featured relentless deep grooves that ricocheted off the walls as Reuter and Gunn traded roles of supplying bass lines and searing stratospheric sinewy guitar solos.
“How many strings do these guys play” joked Mastelotto as the strings went from thick and dark nimbus clouds to twirling and swirling lines on the Mid-Eastern toned harmonies of “Absinthe”, making the heart grow fondle, while Mastelotto used his drums as an almost orchestra form, guiding through his various chimes, crashes and snaps that directed the metallurgy of 8 and ten strings slowly emerging from the depts. Of magma on “Larks Tung IV” and “Coda”. The change of directions, angles and extrapolations of beats, blats and boomerangs of sound made for a thrilling 90 minute ride, and although the kingdom of one dynasty may have ended, bands like tu-NER, in the hands of creative and forward looking artist like Mastelotto, Reuter and Gunn playing instruments completely unheard of 50 years ago, show that musical kingdoms can last longer than some modern nations.
Upcoming shows at The Baked Potato include Jeff Lorber Fusion 05/61-17, John Daversa’s Progressive Big Band 05/23-25 and One Shot Deal Plays Zappa 05/29-30-31