“Tu-Ner for Lovers” is the latest release from drummer Pat Mastelotto, guitarist Markus Reuter and bassist Trey Gunn.
Fans of King Crimson need no introduction to the trio, as they already released the highly ambitious Contact Information two-disc record set via the MoonJune Records label last August.
Although the new collection comes out just days before the guys hit the road starting on May 9 in Phoenix, Arizona, Marin County and its neighboring residents will be delighted to know the Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley is among one of the first five shows on their abbreviated itinerary.
For the uninitiated, drummer Pat Mastelotto has proven himself quite the ambidextrous drummer, having played with such disparate acts as Mr. Mister, XTC, David Sylvian, The Rembrandts, Kimmo Pohjonen, King Crimson and Stick Men.
Trey Gunn, who is known in many musician circles as the master of the Warr guitar, also has an impressive resume, having worked with King Crimson, David Sylvian, Robert Fripp, Brian Eno, Happy Rhodes, Puscifer, Tool and John Paul Jones.
Guitarist Markus Reuter is also a versatile musician, having conquered the Chapman Stick and then later the U8 Touch Guitar. Reuter has quite the catalog under his belt and has released numerous solo albums along with collaborating with Gary Husband, Robert Rich, J. Peter Schwalm, Mark Wingfield and Devin Townsend’s touring band.
Others may already know him from his work with Stick Men (also with Pat Mastelotto and Tony Levin from Peter Gabriel and King Crimson fame), TRUCE (with Asaf Sirkis and Fabio Trentini) and the fabulous Markus Reuter/Tim Motzer/Kenny Grohowski project.
We caught up with drummer Pat Mastelotto while in preparation for yet another run of shows.
Pacific Sun: Tu-Ner has a brand new album coming out May 3. How long have these songs been brewing in the background?
Pat Mastelotto: The new album coming out is taken from our live tour last September. They’re basically improvs. We do play songs and several from the King Crimson catalog that Trey and I participated in. We also do others from Trey’s back catalog, Markus’ catalog, some stuff from Tu and Tu-Ner, along with a Stick Men song. However, we are more excited to put out the freshest jams. We put some of the strongest moments together, mixed them in a blender and came out with a cohesive combination of tracks taken from several of the shows.
PS: You’ve been making music on and off with Markus Reuter for 19 years now. Will we see more music from the duo aside from Tu-Ner?
PM: We’re always up to this and that, so even behind the scenes we’re helping each other with different projects. Will there be another duet? I’m not sure. I couldn’t predict that right now, but I am trying to arrange a time for Markus to come join me and record later this year or early next year.
PS: Tu-Ner’s latest is fantastic but begs the question: Will you be playing these compositions verbatim or throwing in even more improv?
PM: Ha! Besides playing songs, we play some of the more epic King Crimson pieces that Trey and I were involved with, as well as some Stick Men material and stuff off of Trey’s and Markus’ solo records. However, the band is largely a vehicle for improvisation, research and development.
Will we play the last record “verbatim?” The short answer is no and highly unlikely. That stuff was all played off the cuff. It was improvised, and then we did some editing as it was being mixed. Those are all live performances. You can expect something very similar, but not the same. The shows are unique and vary depending on the vibe of the venue.
Tu-Ner plays Sweetwater Music Hall, located at 19 Corte Madera Ave. in Mill Valley. Doors open at 7pm, and the show kicks off at 8pm, Tuesday, May 14. Tickets are $30 advance and can be purchased at sweetwatermusichall.com. All ages are welcome. For more info, visit Tu-Ner.com.
