When I was writing the KC biography I talked to trombonist Nick Evans about the period when he was playing on Lizard. During the course of our interview he mentioned an album he had recorded which had been produced by Robert Fripp.
It was a double called Guilty But Insane and apparently featured several jazz luminaries of the day including pianist Keith Tippett, Marc Charig and Harry Miller, all of whom had played with Crimson of course. Other musicians featured on the record include Soft Machine sax player Elton Dean and Blue Notes bassist Johnny Dyani (you can read my take on the recent Blue Notes box set over on the blog) as well as drummer Keith Bailey.
Sadly, Nick told me, the tapes were long lost and Guilty But Insane passed into that limbo world of tantalising speculation that surrounds all such “lost” projects.
Fast forward over eight years later and happily, some of that album is now about to be released on Reel Recordings. Label boss (and author of the excellent Robert Wyatt chronology/biography Wrong Movements) Mike King, told me on the blower a couple of weeks ago how Nick had turned his whole house upside down looking for anything of interest in long-forgotten places, and had eventually found half the reels of the Guilty But Insane project!
You can find out more about the album now trading under the name of Command All Stars Curiosities 1972 by nipping over here. Also of potential interest to Crimheads with an interest in jazz, Mike will also be releasing a Harry Miller album (Harry provided string bass on Formentera Lady from Islands). Exciting stuff for all of us who are partial to the UK jazz scene. My thanks to Owen for the Harry Miller heads-up.
