Anthem

Description

Product Description A new solo album from one of the great masters of the acoustic guitar. Ralph Towner has appeared in many contexts for ECM since 1972, but it is perhaps his outstanding solo recitals which most clearly emphasise both his improvisational brilliance and his finely-wrought compositional sense. The dictionary defines an anthem as a solemn song of praise; there are several on this disc. Most are written by Towner himself and played with the almost oriental sense of balance and dignity" that the New York Times long ago singled out as hallmarks of Ralph's work, but the repertoire here also includes Charles Mingus's solemn song of praise in memory of Lester Young, "Goodbye, Pork Pie Hat" as well as "Gloria's Step", written by the late Scott LaFaro." desertcart.co.uk Towner's last few albums for ECM have been relatively small-scale affairs and Anthem is no exception. It is a solo guitar recital, differing from 1997's solo effort, Ana only in that he allows himself two compositions not from his own pen: Scott LaFaro's sprightly, carefree "Gloria's Step" and Charles Mingus's bluesy lament, "Goodbye, Pork-Pie Hat". Towner passed the point of mere technical excellence decades ago: we have every reason to expect a larger conception and a telling commitment to expression from him. As usual, he doesn't disappoint, his touch and phrasing continually revealing layers of meaning from the lines he spins out. None of the performances are particularly long, the most extended (nearly seven minutes) being the first track, "Solitary Woman", the shortest being just over 30 seconds in duration. This avoidance of the long-winded happily steers the album well clear of meandering longueurs, keeping his improvisations concise and germane, his sense of form unerringly on track. Towner has achieved so much in his career: it is good to hear him still testing himself in a solo setting. --Keith Shadwick Review: Ralph Towner - Master of the Acoustic guitar! - Anthem Ralph Towner CD - issued 2001 in slipcase with 6 page fold out sleeve. Classical & Twelve-String Guitar – Ralph Towner Recorded February 2000 Rainbow Studio, Oslo Most compositions are by Towner but the repertoire here also includes Charles Mingus's solemn song of praise in memory of Lester Young, 'Goodbye, Pork Pie Hat' as well as 'Gloria's Step', written by the late Scott LaFaro. The dictionary defines an anthem as a solemn song of praise; there are several on this disc. This is another superb solo outing from Ralph Towner - one of the great masters of the acoustic guitar. Review: pristine performance - simply perfect acoustic guitar performance