Customer Reviews

Solo Concert

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ralph Towner has, in my opinion, created two 'classic' recordings which everyone should hear at least once in their lives. This record is one of the two (the other is 'Blue Sun' recorded some 6 years later).

This record is nothing more or less than a solo guitar performance, recorded live in Munich in the late 1970s. Playing both 12 string and 6 string guitars (not at the same time of course) Ralph accomplishes the remarkable feat of making all 40 minutes of music wonderfully interesting. The opening track 'Spirit Lake' is such a beautiful piece of music, it is uplifting in the best sense of the word.

For years Ralph was just a member of the jazz group 'Oregon' but in the mid-70s he started recording solo records for the ECM label. Some of these recordings feel more like jazz than others, others less like jazz and more like classical music. This record is very unlike jazz. In a very real sense this record could have been released by Windham Hill and it would have fit right in.

Bottom line: technical mastery combined with some lovely tunes in an inspired performance. A must-have for any lover of the accoustic guitar.

Ralph Towner's Solo Concert, recorded in 1979 at the height of a period when Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett were concertizing and recording solo performances, marks an ultimate high in the history of jazz guitar playing. Towner's technical approach to the instrument, incredibly originally-voiced compositions and deeply emotionally-charged performances make this recording a landmark. Solo Concert may be the finest hour for serious solo guitar jazz and improvisational music performances. Other great guitarists have recorded solo jazz standards and modern music but this recording is very different than those, largely because of Towner's artistic originality and musical weight. These qualities cannot be overstated. It is rare in all music to find an artist this deep and true - one who has developed a musical technique so great and yet maintains the ability to express himself without getting caught in the web of technique. Towner's now historic recording of 'Nardis' is perhaps one of the great performances of this tune. He captures both the spirit of Miles Davis' intentions and develops the improvisation in an idiomatic manner which sings on the guitar. One can also readily hear the influence of Scott LoFaro in his approach, though without derivation. Towner has long stated that he never wanted to play bop-related music on the classical guitar - he plays in a more straight-ahead style on the piano. Thankfully though, hearing Nardis, we can be happy that he records a standard or two with each of his newer recordings. Yet, Towner as one of the great improvising composers has developed his own compositions as his vehicle for expression.
His 'Anna' and 'Anthem' are also truly remarkable, and in some ways mark another evolutionary step for him - he seems to improve with age - but there is some quality to this recording which seems never again to be captured. Listen to his expressions on the 12-string in 'Spirit Lake' for example. This recording is for those who are willing to be captured in a sound world totally unusual -even for those experienced in the complexties of music. This music is at times simple, and complex yet easy to listen to. Mostly though, Towner's performances are simply captivating. Here he offers what a real new age of music could be - a vernacular american masterpiece.

Ralph Towner's Solo Concert sparkles with virtuosity -- his classically-precise fingerpicking is dazzling -- but it's the emotional depth of the "Chelsea Courtyard"/"Nardis""Timeless" sequence that makes this one of the most haunting recordings for solo guitar. Towner is all over the strings, combining dazzling harmonics with resonant muted bass passages, shading chords into silence, letting overtones hang in the air. Of the couple of hundred recordings of Miles Davis' sublime "Nardis," Towner's version here ranks up with the original Bill Evans Trio version as the very best. After the solo symphony of "Spirit Lake" and the atonal busyness of "Train of Thought," the record takes a profound turn inward. It's a trip worth taking.

The compositions are brilliant. The interpretations are what you expect or hope from Ralph Towner; they are huge. It's like an orchestra in an immense valley (sorry not a professional poet, but trying my best here...). Not only a musical masterpiece, but the recorded sound is the best you will ever get for the guitar. You get the richness, the airy-ness, the sparkle. It's an album that is very deep, and one should be prepared to LISTEN and let the compositions develop. To me, it is a masterpiece.

This is without a doubt one of the greatest acoustic guitar albums ever. Ralph Towner's 12 string and 6 string excursions are beautifully recorded and performed to perfection. The opening, "Spirit Lake", is as dramatic as any Aaron Copeland composition. The imagery and drama of the piece is absolutley stunning. His interpretations of John Abercrombie's "Ralph's Piano Waltz" and "Timeless", are other album highlights. The latter comes very close to surpassing the original version, which is no small undertaking.
Ralph Towner's Solo Concert redefines acoustic music, mixing excellent compositions with sophistiated improvisations. No one should ever buy any other solo acoustic guitar album without buying this one first.

I concur with the superlatives offered by others here.

I can simply say that this album has been on my desert island list for all of the 20+ years I've owned it. It is an achingly beautiful and technically amazing guitar showcase. It is extraordinary too in its balance of compositional depth and nuanced interpretation.

If you have not heard much Ralph Towner, especially his solo works, then it will be a novelty to you as well, and will reward your curiosity - it really does not resemble the work of anyone else I can think of. If you like Towner, this is a must-have.

Oh yeah, the sound is amazing, too.

In these two live performances Towner displays his great abilities as an interpreter and improviser. His tone is especially bright and clear, true to form he avoids the slurred arpeggiated sound that characterizes so much jazz guitar. Most of the compositions are his, two are not. His rendition of John Abercrombie's "Ralph's Piano Waltz" is wonderful, and short of hearing Miles Davis himself perform "Nardis," you will not hear a better version anywhere by anyone else - ever. I can't recommend this CD enough. This is the best acoustic guitar concert I've ever heard. Buy this music, you will never regret this.

Ralph has accomplished something quite amazing here on several levels. There's the beautiful sound he coaxes out of his guitars. There's his truly unique style of music composition. And there's his incredible guitar playing, which is harmonically and rhythmically very deep and soulful. And he's doing it ALONE, live on stage. Incredible. In addition to being a great guitar player, he's an accomplished pianist as well! I think the combination of these two is what has helped give him such a truly unique style on the guitar. The sounds you will hear on this disc will touch you very deeply. You can almost feel Ralph breathe and move with this music as he's playing it. He's so honest in his performance that you can't help but be drawn into it. Particularly amazing to my ears was hearing his take on Miles Davis' "Nardis". To improvise on a theme like that and get deep into it and come up with something rewarding, and to do it on a guitar all alone with no other instruments supporting you....to me that is amazing, and it shows how special Ralph Towner is. This album will never sound old or out of date. Please do yourself a favor and buy it now.

I am a practicing acoustic guitarist and a collector of solo guitar music. I had no experience with Ralph Towner prior to this purchase. I bought it because it said, "solo concert" and had a picture of a guy with two Guild Guitars, alone on a stage. It was love a first site.

Upon listening, I was not disappointed. This is probably the best solo, 12-string recordings I have. Towner's flavor in songs like, "Spirit Lake", at the risk of sounding "poly-anna", really takes you there. Its extremely beautiful....the entire album is less tune oriented and more impressionistic and progressive.

Of course Mastery of the instrument adds impact.

If you are a fan of solo guitar music, this is a GREAT Ralph Towner CD for your collection.

"Solo Concert" was recorded October 1979 and released in 1980 on ECM and is a fine example of solo guitar. Ralph Towner may be best known for his involvement in the group Oregon, but while this may be true, he has done some very excellent albums under his own name. He has worked with several fantastic musicians on his solo albums up to this point in 1979: Kenny Wheeler, Eddie Gomez, Jan Garbarek, Eberhard Weber, Jack DeJohnette, John Abercrombie, David Darling, to name a few. If you want to hear Ralph Towner in a great group setting then check "Solstice," "Solstice: Sound and Shadows," and "Old Friends, New Friends." All these albums demonstrate great group playing. But all of Ralph's albums are highly recommended.

"Solo Concert" is one of those rare performances that captures the excitement of Ralph Towner. The song selections are all top-notch ranging from his own compositions like "Spirit Lake" and "Chelsea Courtyard" to John Abercrombie ("Ralph's Piano Waltz, "Timeless") to Miles Davis' "Nardis." All selections are performed with passion and enthusiasm. They are also all very interesting. Solo performances sometimes leave me cold and make me feel like what I just heard was a waste of perfectly good cd space, but "Solo Concert" is an exception. Towner's 12-string and classical guitar playing are very interesting and there are good uses of dynamics which is something I feel is important in music. His attention to tonal variety is also worth mentioning as he merely acts like a painter with his guitar. I wish I would have checked this recording out sooner than I did. I've owned his album "Solstice" for years, but haven't checked out anything else by Towner until recently. I now own 14 Towner albums.

For anyone interested in solo 12-string guitar and classical guitar, excellent musicianship, and great compositions, then look no further as "Solo Concert" will provide you with a great listening experience and hopefully repeated listenings for you in the future.

If you like Ralph Towner, then buy this album now!