This has been floating in the ether for a bit now but we need to address the fact that Robert Fripp has written his first book, This is a surprising fact for a man who posted his first online blog very nearly 24 years ago to the day. Readers of his blog know the man has the same studied eloquence on the page as he does with his guitar in his hands.
As Mr. Fripp has held court on a multitude of music and music-related topics on his blog, it will come as no great surprise to longtime fans that the subject of his first tome will be something particularly dear to his heart. What he sees as his life’s work, The Guitar Craft/Circle classes that he has taught for 37 years.
The book is undoubtedly his attempt to codify his life’s wisdom; as experienced through the frame of music, on pages to reach the greatest number of eyes and lives. While Mr. Fripp is my favorite guitarist, I will admit that I began expanding my horizons thanks to interviews I read with him in the 70s even before I had heard him play. The gent is highly disciplined and I would imagine that his carefully considered ethos is put to page in exacting detail. Which would be his Four Pillars Of Ehical Conduct:
Straightforwardness + Transparency translate as Honesty.
Accountability + Owning-up equate to Responsibility.
Fairness + Distributive justice we understand as Equity.
Common decency we recognize as Goodwill.
This is the important stuff he needs to relate and the book will be published on Italian Fedrigoni paper and individually boxed copies will fly to readers on September 1st, 2022. The cost will be $52/US and £39.99/UK. And shortly following the publication, Mr. Fripp will tour North America with David Singleton, his manager and co-founder of Discipline Global Mobile. Having seen a Soundscape tour where the second half of the event was audience Q+A, I’ll admit that I was too cowed to come up with an appropriate question in the mere two months lead time I had for our meeting with The Headmaster, as I call him. But don’t let that stop you! The dates are as follows below.
An Evening With Robert Fripp + David Singleton | North American Speaking Tour | 2022
Friday, September 16 | Toronto | The Royal
Saturday, September 17 | Montreal | Club Soda
Sunday, September 18 | Quebec City | QC Imperial Bell
Monday, September 19 | Syracuse, NY | Carrier Theater
Wednesday, September 21 | Ridgefield, CT | Ridgefield Playhouse
Thursday, September 22 | Boston, MA | City Winery
Friday, September 23 | New York, NY | City Winery
Saturday, September 24 | Albany, NY | Sawyer Room
Tuesday, September 27 | Red Bank, NJ | The Vogel
Wednesday, September 28 | Philadelphia, PA | City Winery
Friday, September 30 | Washington DC | City Winery
Saturday, October 1 | Annapolis, MD | Ram’s Head Live
Sunday, October 2 | Oakmont, PA [Pittsburgh] | Oaks Theater
Wednesday, October 5 | Cleveland, OH | Music Box Supper Club
Saturday, October 8 | Milwaukee, WI | Wilson Theater-Marcus Center
Sunday, October 9 | Chicago, IL | City Winery
I see lots of City Wineries in that list. A pleasant venue to be sure. I’ll admit that it will be challenging to read a 564 page book in the two weeks prior to the start of the speaking tour, but surely you’ll have good questions after that? Just don’t look to get your copy autographed!
“The Guitar Circle” US Pre-Order
“The Guitar Circle” UK Pre-Order
-30-
![REVO Remastering: Spandau Ballet – Canon boxed set [REVO 045]](https://postpunkmonk.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/spandau-ballet-canonbsoga.jpg?resize=200%2C200)
Post-Punk Monk 
Although I enjoy and admire Guitar Craft,I will be more interested in the later books to follow,covering other areas of his career and work.
There is a great documentary about Guitar Craft called “Careful with that Axe” which I think was released on LaserDisc in Japan. Its on YouTube thankfully.
LikeLike
Gavin – Yes! I forgot to mention in my haste that this was merely the first of Fripp’s books to come. With perhaps the greatest philosophical angle to be included in this one. And I remember that Japanese laserdisc you speak of from old “Laserdisc Quarterly” JPN catalogs! I also remember the very first Guitar Craft course taught in West Virginia where in my flights of fancy as a youth [who had never touched a guitar] briefly considered attending in 1985! That I even knew of such things pre-interet seems astounding to me now.
LikeLike
Since I won’t be able to attend any of these events (sadly), here’s a question you can ask on our behalf: “While I’m sure you’ve gotten a lot of questions about David Bowie and Brian Eno, perhaps this one hasn’t already been asked: I wonder if you mind relating the circumstances under which you first met David and Brian, and what your initial impression of each of them was?”
LikeLike