Search - Trey Gunn :: Live Encounter

Trey Gunn wages Warr on Rhythm

o dubhthaigh | north rustico, pei, canada | 11/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Gunn & Co have released a live document of their recent tour and the band features Gunn on 10 string, Mendelsone on 8 string Warr guitar, as well as Tony Geballe on electric and 12 string acoustic guitar, and drums. This is all rhythm and intricate time signatures executed with extraordinary precision. It put me in mind of Thelonius Monk's "Brilliant Corners", not for the sound of the music, but its sheer brilliant dynamics. While the shadow of Fripp and the New Standard Tuning school of guitarcraft hangs heavy in the air, particularly in the hands of both Gunn & Geballe, the results push that approach to the craft in new directions. There are hints of the post-gamelan style of the double trio and double-duo line up of the mighty Crim, there are suggestions of Soundscapes, and there are whole new worlds opened up by this band. This is not swing, blues or dance music (Rick Wakemen's observations notwithstanding). Yet, it is entirely captivating. Well worth a very careful listen and sure to inspire and confound every one playing guitar. Once upon a time, the question was posed whether the Greater Crim could survive Frippless. In Trey Gunn, the venal leader has a worthy successor for the Court."

Amazing

Liza Sher | San Francisco, California United States | 01/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Live encounter with the Trey Gunn band composed of four amazingly talented and spiritual musicians is one of the most inspiring experiences. But when that is not possible, this album Live Encounter can most closely approximate that situation. It represents live recordings of masterpieces from the band's previous albums, Third Star and The Joy of Molybdenum. Since it is recorded from live performances, it captures that special energy, depth and dimension that only live music can offer. Also, this is the first album exposing Joe Mendelson, who plays another Warr Guitar and who is already well-known to those who were lucky enough to see the band during their two last tours. The album gives us a taste of the band as it is in the present.
Trey Gunn Band' music is deeply moving and inspiring. It is hard to classify as it draws from many different genres, including rock, world music, Middle Eastern tunes, soundscapes and much more, creating a very unique blend. Gunn's solos are astonishing displaying the virtuosity and creativity of the artist. Bob Muller's drumming and use of an amazing variety of percusiion tools give this music richness and power. Tony Geballe adds his signature with his masterful play of the electric guitar and saz. Joe Mendelson gives a heavy edge to the tunes with his 8-string Warr guitar.
This music, powerful and seducing, invinting us to a whole new world, would certainly deeply move and inspire any lover of true art."

Musical Alchemy

spiral_mind | Pennsylvania | 05/09/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"How to describe the TGB to someone who hasn't heard them? Imagine a group of Middle Eastern street musicians with thorough jazz training and an affection for the complex interaction of prog rock. As long as we're using our imaginations here, let's have them all telepathically linked so they can effortlessly bounce and weave around each other while staying rooted in a central melody, all without a single word. This may give an idea what there is to hear on Live Encounter. Bob Muller whips up an endlessly inventive stew of percussion over which the others groove, dance and whirl. As for the others - it's hard to even tell who's playing what. The instrument of choice for both Trey and newcomer Joe Mendelson is the Warr guitar, a wide-ranged instrument capable of guitar and bass sounds. Who's playing the bass part there.. the high guitar there? No way to tell. Tony Geballe contributes electric guitar as well as mandolin, saz (a Turkish guitar) and a host of others. However, I don't think the audience is meant to pick the instruments apart. Everything about this music points toward a blending of different talents.You may have noticed that I'm talking about the music in general terms rather than describing songs themselves; that's because they do sound similar despite the variations between each piece's individual melody. Each TGB album is meant to be an overall listening experience rather than a batch of separate tunes.Speaking of tunes: the song list is taken half-and-half from Trey's two latest releases (The Third Star and the superb The Joy of Molybdenum) with one new track thrown in. If you have either one of those, this one won't seem redundant; if you have both, then you'll know enough to decide whether you want to hear more. For someone new to the band I'd recommend either TJoM or Live Encounter as a first choice. If the song titles sound like a bunch of New Age dreck, it's only coincidental - this music oversteps boundaries and joins east and west in all the *right* ways."