“In the future, can you stop saying nice things about me? It’s ruining my reputation”: What Robert Fripp told Jakko Jakszyk after a 2013 interview
Jakko Jakszyk only has positive things to say about King Crimson’s Robert Fripp, which apparently is much to his annoyance.
Jakszyk joined King Crimson as its new lead vocalist and second guitarist in 2013 as the band reformed, following on from Adrian Belew’s tenure in the role. As King Crimson founder, Fripp had a reputation of being a pretty tough band leader at the time, but Jakszyk came to find that wasn’t the case.
READ MORE: “They didn’t want to piss me off, because I had too much power at that point”: Why the Police’s label didn’t want Andy Summers making an album with Robert Fripp
Speaking to Ultimate Guitar, Jakszyk recalls, “I was interviewed by a magazine in England called Classic Rock, and they asked me the same question… ‘He has a terrible reputation for being this tyrant and an autocratic leader.’ I said, ‘I know he’s got that reputation, but to me, he’s been incredibly supportive and encouraging. And he’s not been like that at all.’”
He adds, “A couple of months later, we started rehearsal for tour… He called me over and said, ‘Can I have a word, Jak? I’ve just read the interview you’ve done with Classic Rock. In the future, can you stop saying nice things about me? It’s ruining my reputation.’
“I thought he would be like England’s answer to Frank Zappa, where he’s completely on top of every moment. But actually, what he does is chooses musicians who he thinks will work in that context. He expects you to learn the stuff and perform it.”
In Jakszyk’s experience, Fripp’s demeanor had been somewhat misconstrued. He continues, “Occasionally, he will say, ‘Well, what [are] you playing there?’ Or, ‘I think you should do this.’ But it wasn’t that kind of Svengali type thing. He lets you do it and assumes, ‘Well, I think he’ll be right for that role.’ It was kind of the opposite of what I was expecting. It was pretty scary, because he was my childhood hero and one of the reasons I became a musician.”
In other Fripp news, the guitarist – who currently makes music with his wife and fellow artist, Toyah Willcox – shared a health update to their shared YouTube channel earlier this month. Fripp revealed that he had suffered a heart attack and subsequently underwent two surgeries back in April. He remains in recovery, and has been back to making music for the duo’s Sunday Lunch cover series already.
Jakko Jakszyk will release a new solo album titled Son Of Glen on 27 June.
The post “In the future, can you stop saying nice things about me? It’s ruining my reputation”: What Robert Fripp told Jakko Jakszyk after a 2013 interview appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
