Customer Reviews

Chiaroscuro

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Now that both Tomasz Stanko and Enrico Rava have returned to the label, the trumpet has become increasingly important to ECM Records. Here we are introduced to Paolo Fresu, who has led many ensembles and recorded many albums (available as imports) in his native Italy. This is his first widely distributed release in the western hemisphere, and he is teamed with classical/12-string virtuoso guitarist Ralph Towner, who also leads the chamber-jazz group Oregon, and has recently turned 70 (?!?). The two recently met at a festival in Italy, and are now performing and touring together as a duo.

So when was the last time you heard a guitar/trumpet duet? This album works brilliantly on every level despite taking a risk with an unusual pairing. Yes, this is mostly quiet, reflective, introspective, meditative music, but there is also way too much happening with both performers for it to remain placidly in the background. Towner, who has played on many of ECM's greatest albums (Matchbook, Solstice, Batik, Solo Concert, et al), contributes fleet-fingered picking on "Punta Giara", double-tracks a baritone guitar on "Sacred Place" and "Doubled Up", and recaptures throughout the classical/jazz/world/folk sound he has given us for almost 40 years of recording on the ECM label. Fresu plays both trumpet and flugelhorn, and his tone has just enough sharp edges (especially on the title-track) to avoid being dismissed as a smooth impressionist. He performs a muted tribute to Miles Davis on "Blue in Green", which receives a very different arrangement from Towner's cover with Gary Burton on 1986's Slide Show album. The album closes with 2 brief, but haunting improv pieces, "Two Miniatures" and "Postlude".

It all sounds "very ECM", and one wonders why this instrumental pairing hasn't been attempted before (or if it has, why so rarely). At 46:43, the idea is not overworked and never drifts into aimless repetitiveness. Excellent sound and booklet graphics, as always, are a given with ECM. Highly recommended for late-night listening, and for those looking for something different.

CHIAROSCURO is a brand new 2010 Jazz album that is absolutely first rate in every aspect. The artists are Ralph Towner (guitar), and Paolo Fresu (trumpet) - musical soulmates. There is an elegance, an exquisite taste and economy purring throughout this entire album that threw me for a loop. I'm big on 'less is more' when it comes to my musical preferences, particularly Jazz, and this completely unexpected musical gem has soared to the top of the list of my listening pleasures. All but one of the selections on the c.d. are Towner compositions, the one exception being the cover of Blue In Green by Bill Evans. Of course, the one on Kind of Blue will perhaps always be the quintessential version of the song, and yet the one on this album has a serene majesty second to none. One of the songs on the album is reprised. That one is Sacred Place, and its ravishing, gorgeous. Getting the impression I'm crazy about this album? I am, indeed. I discovered/sampled/purchased this album via, and thanks to, Amazon. Most highly recommended.

Up front,I must say that I am a long-time ECM devotee.This is not new age music.It is beyond -and it gets nearer to what it means to be human than any other cd I've heard for years.This is intelligent music for the heart.Towner's masterpiece.Indispensible.

This ECM release, produced by Manfred Eicher, finds the incomparable Ralph Towner paired with Paulo Fresu on trumpet and flugelhorn. Towner is a simply outstanding guitar player and he's proven his greatness time and again on releases that stretch back to 1973. As others have said, the pairing of guitar and trumpet is an unusual one. But it works marvelously on Chiaroscuro. Towner plays classical, 12 string and baritone guitars. There are seven fine Towner originals in this set including the title track and Blue In Green by Miles Davis and Bill Evans. The last two tracks, Two Miniatures and Postlude were written by Towner and Frescu. There's pristine sound on this set, which was recorded in 2008 at Artesuono Studio, Udine, Italy. I love the tone of Frescu's horn playing. If you like this, check out other outstanding Ralph Towner recordings including Diary, Ana and Sargaso Sea (with John Abercrombie). Amazing music!!

Fantastic duo. If you want to just lay back and mellow out this is the one for you. I am sure glad I purchased it.

As has been said, it is an odd pairing of brass and guitar, but it is a good, listenable disc. Nice, atmospheric tunes.

THis is another in a long line of Ralph's pairings that continues the tradition. Beautiful.