Fayman Fripp | nl

Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946 in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England, United Kingdom) is a guitarist, composer and a record producer, perhaps best known for being the guitarist for, and only constant member of, the progressive rock band King Crimson. His work, spanning five decades, encompasses a variety of musical styles. Fripp began playing guitar at the age of eleven. He says he was tone-deaf with no sense of rhythm when he started. His comment on dealing with the obstacle is "Music so wishes to be heard that it sometimes calls on unlikely characters to give it voice". Being taught...

With four of A Scarcity of Miracles' participants past Crims—Fripp; drummer Gavin Harrison, from the 2008 tour; bassist Tony Levin a longstanding alum from 1981 on, barring the 2000-03 lineup; and saxophonist/flautist Mel Collins returning after an absence of over 35 years, last appearing as a guest on the landmark Red (DGM Live, 1975)—it's a small leap to place it within the Crimson continuum. Add Jakko M Jakszyk, who managed to do the near-impossible—sing and play Fripp's knotty parts in the all-Crimson-alum tribute, 21st Century Schizoid Band (also featuring Collins)—and it would seem impossible for this group to be anything...

This unique and almost inevitable collaboration has yielded a beautiful sequence of recordings that artfully avoids the clichés routinely associated with “ambient” and “improv”, while wholly encompassing the core elements of both musical forms. The strength of the duo as players and listeners never allows the improvisational base to sound insular or indulgent; the overall sound is expansive and accessible, with the passion and commitment of the players audible from the first moments. Unfashionably, perhaps, in an era where music is often portrayed as ephemeral or disposable, this is an album that rewards repeated listening, revealing new depths with each...