Trey Gunn - The Third Star (Re-Mastered, Expanded Edition) (2011)

Trey GUNN is probably best known for his contribution to KING CRIMSON's album "Thrak", but he has also toured and recorded with SUNDAY ALL OVER THE WORLD, Toni Childs, The ROBERT FRIPP STRING QUINTET, David Sylvian, Vernon Reid, Michael Brook, Erick Johnson and David Hykes of the HARMONIC CHOIR. A native of Texas, he began his musical life at age seven playing classical piano. His interest in music grew through various instruments: electric bass, electric and acoustic guitar and keyboards. He is an accomplished player of both the Chapman Stick and an instrument known as the Warr Guitar, a custom-made 10-string 'touch' guitar with the range of a piano. In addition to helping run a Seattle collective music label called First World, he is currently sharing his time between his own TREY GUNN band, the next phase of KING CRIMSON and various session work (he plays on the John Paul Jones CD, "Zooma").

He made his solo debut with "One Thousand Years" in '94, followed two years later by "The Third Star". After releasing a third album, "Raw Power", he resurfaced still a year later with "The Joy of Molybdenum" and then with a live album entitled "Live Encounter". His latest effort, "Untune the Sky" (03), is a retrospective of his solo material and a good introduction for neophytes. His music can certainly be labelled 'fusion' although the elements it fuses are much varied: jazz, avant-garde prog, ambient, loose-limbed funk and world music, all handled in a generally unorthodox way. Much of the material rides on deep, solid bass lines over which are laid a variety of interesting sonic textures, melodies and percussion.

CRIMSON and FRIPP fans will certainly find some familiar elements here, although this music will appeal to a wider audience as it covers a wide spectrum of genres. Definitely recommended.