California Guitar Trio

For more than three decades, California Guitar Trio has pushed the boundaries of guitar music, bringing together rock, jazz, classical and world music with unexpected excursions into surf music and cinematic Spaghetti Western themes.

Featuring Bert Lams, Paul Richards and Chapman Stick virtuoso Tom Griesgraber, the trio pairs remarkable musicianship and intricate interplay with a repertoire that can move from Bach and Beethoven to The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Radiohead and Queen, alongside compelling original compositions. Their concerts are equally known for the stories and humor that reveal the personalities behind the extraordinary musicianship.

The roots of California Guitar Trio trace back to Robert Fripp’s Guitar Craft, where founding members Lams and Richards first met before touring as part of Fripp’s League of Crafty Guitarists. More than three decades and 2,000 performances later, CGT has released 21 albums, with its music streamed more than 115 million times. The group has collaborated with King Crimson musicians Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto and toured as the opening act for King Crimson, with its 2021 tour captured on Live in Scottsdale – On Tour with King Crimson.

Their music has traveled well beyond the concert stage, appearing in Olympics coverage and programming on CNN, CBS, NBC and ESPN. It has even made its way into space: NASA selected California Guitar Trio’s music to wake the crew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

From intricate classical works to progressive rock, surf music and some of popular music’s most recognizable songs, California Guitar Trio brings seemingly distant musical worlds together with virtuosity, imagination and a playful sense of humor.