Kevin's Watch

Posted: **Thu Jun 17, 2010 6:31 pm**

from Belew's site:

the question which is most often posed is:
what is happening with king crimson?
so I'll attempt here to answer that question.

a few weeks back I wrote an email to my pal robert
asking him to call me to talk about something of
"heartfelt importance".
he called and we began a conversation about the miserable
plight of the working musician who often is not paid for his
or her contributions to the world of music.
robert said he now spends most of his professional life
chasing down money owed to him or king crimson.
for example, neither robert nor I have been paid
one single penny for our work on the construkction of light,
made how many years ago??
not a single penny.

imagine in your job if this were the case.

then we got on to the "heartfelt importance" part.
I reminded robert that next year 2011 would mark the 30-year
anniversary of what was once called
"the best live band in the world",
the 1981 krimson quartet with robert, bill, tony, and myself.
I said I'd like us to put that band back on the road next year.
I said it would be a shame for the young people who missed it
never to have that experience, especially considering the mostly
lame-ass crap that has passed for "great music" in their lives.
I said I would do everything in my power to make the touring
as pleasant as possible and believe we could hand-pick
what we were willing to do, i.e. how many dates, where, etc.
I offered my home and studio for as much rehearsal as needed.

I said "don't say no yet, think about it, then call back and say no".

there are serious issues of course, such as bill's recent
retirement from live music, but I feel a "heartfelt" urge
to let the world see and hear that band one more time.
robert is considering the matter now which is where we left it
and I hope this entry does not put extra pressure on him.
he has every right to decline, as do bill and tony.
I'm just hoping it might happen.

king crimson has always been one pillar of my career,
the other pillar being whatever solo efforts I can make.
for the last 4 years I've poured my heart and soul
into the power trio with eric and julie slick.
with an incredible amount of work put forth
by a small group of people, mostly my wife martha
we have managed to play around the world
and been successful beyond what I imagined would happen.

but the sad fact is I cannot keep the power trio working
year round so eric has found work in another band
which is keeping him so busy he is not available
for the rest of this year and who knows when next year.
(all the more reason to buy our new DVD:
a crass commercial plug, I realize).

to be honest the loss of eric and possible end of the slick trio
has truly sickened me and caused a paralysing deep funk
over the last few months which I have struggled to overcome.
my salvation has been the music I continue to make.

but I'm truly excited about my future hopes for the one-man shows,
anxious to experience a different power trio with the eight-armed
wonder drummer marco minnemann and julie and myself,
hopeful of an amazing reunion with my pals robert, bill, and tony,
and hoping maybe the slick power trio can reappear
next year if eric's schedule ever takes a breath.

isn't life exciting?

wow, that would be the only concert I would almost pay anything to see and hear...

Posted: **Sat Jun 19, 2010 2:14 am**

I hope they do this, I hope they come to Tampa, and I really hope I can afford to go. I saw Belew when he was here with Bowie in 1990 or so, but I've never seen KC. Beyond being an amazing group, they have ties with just about all my favorite musicians; Yes, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Frank Zappa.......

Posted: **Sat Jun 19, 2010 4:04 pm**

ohhhh yeah. gimme fripp's and bill's phone numbers! i'll call em up
and say PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!

Posted: **Sat Jun 19, 2010 11:53 pm**

This made me do some research to see what I've been missing by not keeping up with Belew lately. I noticed "e," the new (last year) studio album by his Power Trio. I love the way Side 1-3 stuff was captured live by the Trio. Very powerful and scaled-down to its rocking essentials. I'm quite excited by a new studio release by this ensemble. Has anyone heard it? Own it?

Posted: **Sun Jun 20, 2010 10:23 pm**

I watched a YouTube of the trio as there's been some talk in the Bass magazines about Julie Slick, and her brother Eric, the drummer. I remember it being good (probably great), but I got distracted by Tal Wilkenfeld (who's been playing with Jeff Beck), and Esperanza Spalding, who's an upcoming jazz bassist/singer that I think is awesome.

Posted: **Sun Jun 20, 2010 11:12 pm**

I saw some Youtube clips of the power trio, too. And then I saw Beck on Palladia, and thought that his bassist was Julie Slick. But then I read the credits. Both girls are awesome bassists (Julie seems MUCH better!!). And it's not a bad marketing tool to have some young females in a band led by wrinkly old grandpas.

Posted: **Mon Jun 21, 2010 2:41 am**

As a bass player, I'd have to say Tal's better. Of course, it'd be easier to tell if the two switched gigs.

Posted: **Mon Jun 21, 2010 2:34 pm**

___ wrote:As a bass player, I'd have to say Tal's better. Of course, it'd be easier to tell if the two switched gigs.

Oh,well in that case, I must be wrong.

[I play bass, too.]

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:45 pm**

Zarathustra wrote:
___ wrote:As a bass player, I'd have to say Tal's better. Of course, it'd be easier to tell if the two switched gigs.
Oh,well in that case, I must be wrong.

[I play bass, too.]

Good for you. I was referring to Tal and Julie, though; not myself. I meant that I thought Tal was better as a bass player. I guess I was thinking that Belew's music is more interesting to prog fans like you and me, and maybe that was what made you think Julie was better.

I'm buying the mp3's of Belew's Power Trio Live Overseas so I can better listen to Julie. I can't seem to find the studio cd anywhere yet, which is a shame, as it's usually easier to hear the bass on a studio cd. Also, if the songs are all originals, I won't be comparing her to Tony Levin.

EDIT: I'm two songs in, and clearly I wasn't really hearing her properly on YouTube. I think that, combined with her unusual strumming (raking?) threw me off. Writing on The Wall has a KILLER bass line.

Posted: **Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:34 pm**

I was referring to Tal and Julie, though; not myself.

Oh yeah, I got it. I was just teasing you for using your musician status as an "argument by authority" justification for your claim. No big deal, I do it too. I feel that someone who actually plays an instrument is in a better position to judge another musician's skills. But sometimes musicians can assume that others don't know what they're talking about (not saying you did that).

I guess I was thinking that Belew's music is more interesting to prog fans like you and me, and maybe that was what made you think Julie was better.

You're probably right. We'd need to see them trade places to truly judge. I personally think that prog is harder to play than bluesy stuff like Jeff Beck. But that's the musical elitist in me coming out. I just don't like blues as much (though Beck doesn't neatly fit into that category, either).

Posted: **Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:38 pm**

Beck has his jazzy side, and Tal's solo cd is jazz. That being said, prog is awesomely complicated, and Julie's clearly great at it.

Posted: **Wed Jun 23, 2010 8:30 pm**

I read up on Tal after this recent exchange. She's damn impressive. After 3 years of playing, she went pro! Clearly a prodigy.

One thing is certain: both are better than I am!

During my youth, I played in my own "power trio" with my brother on drums, and a very gifted singer/guitarist/songwriter. We played in about 4 or 5 different cities. We even made a little money. It was great to play mostly original stuff, though I grew tired of the frontman's material. I wanted to go in a harder, more prog direction. He seemed to be increasingly satisfied being a one-man Page/Plant doing Eagles-style ballads. Sure, we played some Rush, and some rocking original tunes (even about 5 of my own songs), but eventually we grew apart. My brother started playing in a Black Sabbath/Pantera style band on the side, and everything went downhill from there.

I just started playing bass again once my 17-yr-old got interested in it. It had been about 15 years since I even touched a bass. It's not exactly like riding a bike, but it's a lot more fun.

I've been using the time off to forget old habits and teach myself some new tricks.

Have we done a best bass player poll on this site? Seems like I remember one ... anyway, Victor Wooten gets my vote.

Posted: **Thu Jun 24, 2010 6:53 pm**

Zarathustra wrote:Have we done a best bass player poll on this site? Seems like I remember one ... anyway, Victor Wooten gets my vote.

Wooten? Ugh. I mean, sure, the technique is impressive, and he can play about 30 notes a second, but it just doesn't do anything for me emotionally. Anyway, we've done Guitar Gods, Drum Gods, and Even Keyboard Gods, but no Bass Gods yet. I think they got included in the guitar Gods thread......as a mod, I suppose I could split them out in their own thread.

Zarathustra wrote:I just started playing bass again once my 17-yr-old got interested in it.

My 17 yo plays bass too; an old fretless.

Posted: **Thu Jun 24, 2010 7:39 pm**

___ wrote:
My 17 yo plays bass too; an old fretless.

I'm a big fan of fretless [probably cuz that's what I learned on].
The nicest playing bass I've touched was fretted, but scalloped fretboard [I'm not sure if it was great because of scalloping, or because the guy who made the neck was just that good...it was the only scalloped bass I've ever laid hands on].

On topic though...
First, I recently converted a second of my nephew's to big King Crimson fan.
Second, Wooten does leave me impressed, but a little cold. I'm going to look for Tal now [and like Z, they're all better than me. I'm just a "yea, I can play bass if you can't find anyone else" guy].

Posted: **Thu Jun 24, 2010 7:54 pm**

I saw that KC incarnation on the Three of a Perfect Pair tour. I'd love to see it again!

Posted: **Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:40 am**

___ wrote:
Zarathustra wrote:Have we done a best bass player poll on this site? Seems like I remember one ... anyway, Victor Wooten gets my vote.

Wooten? Ugh. I mean, sure, the technique is impressive, and he can play about 30 notes a second, but it just doesn't do anything for me emotionally.

That's the first time I've ever heard anyone fault Vic for emotion. Yes, his technique is amazing, but I don't think I've ever heard a more emotional player. Of course, I'm a huge Flecktone fan, and I've seen them live in tiny venues at least 6 times (where they wait around after the show and shake everyone's hand and sign autographs for anyone who wants one ... very cool guys). His improvisation is just magic. I posted a couple youtube links last year, so I won't repost all those now in this thread. But you've got to Google the one where he's soloing and breaks a string and keeps on going, working around the limitation and using the 3 strings left like it never happened.

And as for emotion ... have you seen his Amazing Grace solo? (The AG part starts at about 1:38.) Another good one is his Norwegian Wood (the Beatles tune) solo. But nothing can replace seeing the Flecktones live. Without a doubt, you won't see another group (not even Crimson) with more virtuosity. Of course, if banjo-led jazz fusion isn't your thing, it will be difficult to give it a chance.

Posted: **Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:45 am**

I've got Bela Fleck cds and a dvd. I've got Wooten solo stuff and a Bass Extremes cd with him and Steve Bailey. I do like Bailey's playing; it's very pretty. I've listened to Wooten, gave him a fair opportunity, but I'm not a Wooten fan.

Posted: **Fri Jun 25, 2010 8:07 pm**

I'd say you definitely gave them a chance!

Oh well, different tastes, personal opinions ... agree to disagree.

Posted: **Fri Jun 25, 2010 8:44 pm**

Sounds similar to how I feel towards early Al DiMeola among guitar players. I personally think he has grown emotively since then. But his early stuff left me cold, even though it was technically amazing.

Posted: **Sat Jun 26, 2010 12:06 am**

Another great bassist (who has ties to KC) that I think allows his technical side to overtake his emotion is Jeff Berlin. I love his playing in Bruford, but his solo stuff is hit-or-miss. It's all dazzling, but I haven't connected to a lot of it. In his case, however, I have gotten all the cd's. Eventually I'll get all the Wooten stuff too. I don't think I can help myself.

Kevin's Watch

King Crimson news (for anyone who is a fan)

King Crimson news (for anyone who is a fan)