Thursday, December 16, 2010

California Guitar Trio Presents "Andromeda," Celebrates 20 Years


Twenty years of the California Guitar Trio. That is something to commemorate and celebrate. That's in fact what they do on their latest, Andromeda (CGT 7758) (available as CD or LP).In case you missed them, they spun off from Robert Fripp's League of Crafty Guitarists and play three lovely sounding acoustic guitars. And a big part of why they sound lovely is the playing of course.

The new album is a bit of a culmination of where they've been going in the last two decades. There are the contrapuntal figuration patterns that are quasi-minimalist, strumming and picking patterns and melodic ensemble segments of great beauty and a kind of cosmic chamber mentality.

This one is no doubt one of their very best. The originals (which comprise all of the selections) are bright and glowing. There are some guest musicians here and there who add color and depth to the pieces. What else? It's really pleasant and intricate. It's progressive acoustic music I suppose. Whatever you want to call it, it is highly recommended.

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