California Guitar Trio – An Opening Act On Tour With King Crimson (1999)

1. Yamanishi Blues 
2. Melrose Avenue 
3. Train To Lamy (incl. 21st Century Schizoid Man Homage) 
4. Blockhead
5. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly 
6. Punta Patri 
7. Toccata And Fugue In D Minor (J.S.Bach) 
8. Pipeline 									play
9. Kan-Non Power 
10. Invitation 
11. Walk, Don't Run								play 
12. Misirlou

Musicians
- Bert Lams - guitars
- Hideyo Moriya - guitars
- Paul Richards - guitars

The California Guitar Trio consists of three musicians who are not necessarily California-bred; Bert Lams is from Belgium, Hideyo Moriya hails from Japan, and Paul Richards is the only native of the U.S. The three first crossed paths at a guitar seminar held at Robert Fripp's home in England in the late '80s. Lams, Moriya, and Richards toured the U.S. and England as part of Fripp's League of Crafty Guitarists until deciding to branch out on their own in the fall of 1990.

The band officially became the California Guitar Trio in February of 1991, after relocating due to the fact that Lams was getting married and was moving there anyway. By starting out playing small clubs and coffeehouses on the West Coast, the group soon became well-known in guitar playing circles, thanks also to their Fripp/King Crimson connection. They were eventually signed to the Fripp/Crimson label Discipline Global Mobile, releasing 1994's Yamanashi Blues and 1995's Invitation. The group has toured intensely ever since their debut, opening for King Crimson, David Sylvian, Robert Fripp (solo and with his Robert Fripp String Quintet), and John McLaughlin, as well as headlining shows themselves; Pathways followed in 1998, and two years later the group resurfaced with Rocks the West. --- Greg Prato, Rovi

Out of a stack of California Guitar Trio (CGT) CDs, my favorite may be "An Opening Act: On Tour With King Crimson." It's everything that we've come to love about the group. It features that distinctively CGT balance of surf and classically inspired material. This trio met while enrolled in Robert Fripp's Guitar Craft program. Afterwards, they took it to the next level by becoming one of the most active elements in the guitar craft movement. Coming full circle, we can only imagine how wonderful it would have been for the group to actually open for Fripp's King Crimson. While CGT's music has always been infused with the sensibility of the League of Crafty Guitarists, "An Opening Act" feels an especially heavy shadow of Robert Fripp. 'Train To Lamy' even features an exciting nod to '21st Century Schizoid Man.' One of the benefits of this live show is that it plays like a greatest hits. In terms of the Americana, 'Walk Don't Run' and 'Misirlou' are strengths. 'Kan-Non Power' is a CGT original that Robert Fripp assimilated into the setlists of his String Quintet. From Morricone's 'The Good, The Bad And The Ugly' to Bach's 'Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,' the listener simply can't go wrong. What is gained in the studio is often lost on the stage and vice versa. Live performances tend to trade production quality for energy. One of the outstanding dynamics of this release as a live recording is that it shows that these guys still shine in terms of their technical precision and blinding speed. Indeed, "An Opening Act" kills any suspicion that the merits of CGT have been engineered with studio trickery. After a dozen albums, this late 1990s show is special given that it is the group's only live release. All in all, "An Opening Act: On Tour With King Crimson" stands as an exciting document of what California Guitar Trio can do on stage. --- The Delite Rancher, amazon.com

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