John Abercrombie & Ralph Towner - Sargasso Sea

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:09
Size: 98,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:41) 1. Fable
(5:19) 2. Avenue
(4:00) 3. Sargasso Sea
(2:51) 4. Over and Gone
(5:11) 5. Elbow Room
(6:24) 6. Staircase
(3:17) 7. Romantic Descension
(5:24) 8. Parasol

John Abercrombie and Ralph Towner have forever been tied to the ECM roster as leaders and individualists, and initially it was hard to imagine their styles being compatible. As an amplified electric guitarist, Abercrombie's steely, sometime unearthly sound was an uneven puzzle piece alongside the graphic, stoic, classically oriented style of Towner. Yet on Sargasso Sea, there are several instances where they merge together as one, feeling their way through pure improvisations, angular and colorful motifs, or thematic nuances and a certain strata of consciousness that makes a world of common sense. There are selections where they both play acoustic guitars, but it is mostly Abercrombie's hopped up sound through an amp over Towner's bold and beautiful unplugged instrument, tossing in a piano overdubbed on two tracks.

Where selections such as "Fable" are folksy and far from overwrought, "Avenue" lopes gracefully and the exceptional "Parasol" is semi-lyrical. Abercrombie's guitar stands in stark contrast on the near macabre title track, and more so during "Elbow Room" with heavier moans, cries, vibrato, echoplex slide incursions, and Towner as an afterthought. The best track "Staircase," with twin acoustic guitars, sports tricky intricate lines and changes only virtuosi can achieve. In laid-back surrender for "Romantic Descension," and in passive voicings on "Over & Gone," Towner need not strain to make his brilliant voice heard clearly. An uneven recording for many listeners and critics, Sargasso Sea deserves a second chance, not as an absolutely flawed, imperfect, or unbalanced effort. Like a tale of two cities, it stands as a unique project, perhaps deserving a more refined approach. Though there was a follow-up album released, a third-time's-the-charm contemporary revisit from these masterful guitar geniuses would be welcome.~ Michael G. Nastoshttps://www.allmusic.com/album/sargasso-sea-mw0000198776

Personnel: John Abercrombie – electric guitar, acoustic guitar; Ralph Towner – twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano

Sargasso Sea

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Ralph Towner - Lost And Found

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:52
Size: 134,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:36)  1. Harbinger
(3:00)  2. Trill Ride
(6:19)  3. Elan Vital
(5:12)  4. Summer's End
(3:15)  5. Col Legno
(2:16)  6. Soft Landing
(4:56)  7. Flying Cows
(4:04)  8. Mon Enfant
(5:15)  9. A Breath Away
(1:27) 10. Scrimshaw
(3:24) 11. Midnight Blue ... Red Shift
(4:37) 12. Moonless
(3:44) 13. Sco Cone
(3:06) 14. Tattler
(4:34) 15. Taxi's Waiting

This 1995 date shows guitarist and composer Ralph Towner in estimable form. For a guy who's released literally dozens of records under his own name and with his band Oregon and played on dozens more, he still seems to have plenty to say with only two guitars in his arsenal (well, there was the period where he used a Prophet Five synthesizer with Oregon, but we won't go into that here). Using familiar (Marc Johnson and Jon Christensen) and new (Denny Goodhew) faces, Towner goes searching for that elusive muse he has been pursuing for over 30 years: the root of what makes complex harmonic and melodic improvisation possible. His relentlessness is in fine shape here. Using the horns and Johnson's large dynamic range for texture and shading, he, with Christensen in tow, can go ferreting through intervallic forests of prismatic chromaticism and changeling modal systems to place notions of "song" firmly within the context of spontaneous composition. Nowhere is this more evident than on the striking "Élan Vital." Towner opens the track and Goodhew follows him playing soprano. There are three melodic exchanges, each more far-reaching than the last, before Towner goes off with Christensen trading fours and slipping through chorded wreaths and trills of augmented sevenths and ninths. There is a space at midpoint where Johnson, for the sake of adding color to the melodic abstraction, begins by playing chords and then others based on those, singly, then doubly, until the bass sings! There are 15 tunes on Lost and Found, most of them Towner's compositions, but two by Johnson -- "Col Legno" and "Sco Cone" deserve special note. On the first, his bowing of this wrinkled, out of time immemorial melody, and his restraint to keep the timbres in the piece from mixing too much, are stunning. On the second, a solo work, his subtle lyricism is in dramatic contrast to his funkiness and staccato playing. It was gracious of Towner to include them. This is a guitar player's recording, but it is obvious that Towner writes for ensembles equally well, and he has clearly written the vast majority of this recording for this particular ensemble. It's seamless from start to finish; it moves and is far less ponderous than some of his earlier outings; it's a winner for sure. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/lost-and-found-mw0000181545

Personnel: Ralph Towner - Classical Guitar, 12 String Guitar; Denney Goodhew - Saxophones; Marc Johnson - Double-Bass; Jon Christensen - Drums

Lost And Found

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Duke Pearson - I Don't Care Who Knows It

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:00
Size: 138,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. I Don't Care Who Knows It
(7:40)  2. Bloos
(6:38)  3. A Beautiful Friendship
(5:53)  4. Horn In
(6:38)  5. Canto Ossanha
(6:33)  6. Xibaba - Remastered
(6:58)  7. I Don't Know
(5:22)  8. O Amor En Paz (Once I Loved)
(1:59)  9. Upa Neguinho
(5:47) 10. Captain Bicardi
(3:17) 11. Theme From Rosemary's Baby

The sessions that comprise I Don't Care Who Knows It date from 1969 and 1970 (with one stray track from a 1968 session with Bobby Hutcherson), when Duke Pearson was experimenting with Latin jazz, soul-jazz, and funk; they are also the second-to-last dates the pianist ever recorded for Blue Note. Working with a fairly large group that included bassist Ron Carter, drummer Mickey Roker, saxophonists Jerry Dodgion, Frank Foster, Lew Tabackin, trumpeter Burt Collins, trombonist Kenny Rupp, and occasionally vocalist Andy Bey, Pearson plays the electric piano throughout the majority of the album. As expected, the music swings with an understated funk, with the band alternating between standard hard-bop and mellow, soulful grooves. On the whole, I Don't Care Who Knows It is fairly uneven the sessions don't set well together, but work well as individual sets. Nevertheless, there is enough good material here to make it worthwhile for soul-jazz, Latin-jazz and, especially, Pearson aficionados. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-dont-care-who-knows-it-mw0000181100

Personnel:  Duke Pearson - piano, electric piano, arranger; Burt Collins - trumpet (tracks 1-6 & 8); Kenny Rupp - trombone (tracks 1-5); Jerry Dodgion - flute, alto flute, alto saxophone (tracks 1-8, 10 & 11); Al Gibbons - flute (tracks 6 & 8); Lew Tabackin - tenor saxophone, flute (tracks 1-5, 7 & 10); Frank Foster - tenor saxophone, alto clarinet (tracks 1-5); Bobby Hutcherson - vibes (tracks 6-8, 10 & 11); Sam Brown (track 11), Ralph Towner (tracks 7 & 10) - acoustic guitar; Dorio Ferreira - guitar, percussion (track 9); Al Gafa (tracks 6-8 & 10), Wally Richardson (tracks 7 & 10) - guitar; Bob Cranshaw - bass (tracks 6-8, 10 & 11); Ron Carter - bass (tracks 1-5); Bebeto Jose Souza - bass (track 9); Mickey Roker - drums (tracks 1-8, 10 & 11), percussion (track 9); Airto Moreira - percussion, vocals (track 5-8, & 10), drums (track 9); Stella Mars - vocals (track 8); Andy Bey - vocals (track 1); Flora Purim - vocals (track 9)

I Don't Care Who Knows It

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Ralph Towner & Gary Burton - Matchbook

Styles: Guitar And Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:57
Size: 137,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Drifting petals
(6:16)  2. Some other time
(1:12)  3. Brotherhood
(5:53)  4. Icarus
(5:10)  5. Song for a friend
(4:34)  6. Matchbook
(0:56)  7. 1x6
(5:11)  8. Aurora
(4:22)  9. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

This set of duets by vibraphonist Gary Burton and guitarist Ralph Towner features a logical matchup, since both musicians are open to folk melodies and are generally quiet improvisers. In addition to six Towner originals and Burton's "Brotherhood," the set has thoughtful versions of "Some Other Time" and "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat." More tempo and mood variation would have uplifted the otherwise fine music. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/matchbook-mw0000203780

Personnel:  Ralph Towner — twelve-string guitar, classical guitar;  Gary Burton — vibraphone

Matchbook

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Ralph Towner - City of Eyes

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:29
Size: 163,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Jamaica Stopover
(6:51)  2. Cascades
(6:14)  3. Les Douzilles
(4:14)  4. City of Eyes
(2:36)  5. Sipping the past
(4:26)  6. Far Cry
(3:24)  7. Janet
(5:06)  8. Sustained Release
(4:43)  9. Tundra
(5:36) 10. Blue Gown

Ralph Towner breaks out in more ways than one on City of Eyes. Despite his band Oregon's lagging creative slump and his own obsession with a synthesizer he is only beginning to learn how to "play," Towner cuts some new grooves on this set with an all-star cast. New to Towner's musical universe is drummer/percussionist Jerry Granelli and brass auteur Markus Stockhausen. Even Paul McCandless who has spent the better part of the '80s making new age albums doesn't muck things up this time out. The opener, "Jamaica Stopover," is Towner's freshest solo guitar piece in ages. It's slippery, has a groove, and is actually rooted in both the blues and gypsy swing. The first ensemble piece, "Cascades," sounds a little florid at the outset, but Granelli's percussive ambience is a cure for the rococo melody (it again reeks of Offramp-period Pat Metheny-ism). Towner kicks it into classical gear on "Les Douzilles," before moving into a hot improv duet with Gary Peacock, who believe it plays his bass like a guitarist. The fretwork by Towner and the pizzicato by Peacock are among the most intricate, complex, and purely "musical" duets in recent history between the two instruments. This is where Towner shines, when challenged by a musician equal to, or greater than, his own abilities. The entire ensemble plays together on only three selections, the aforementioned "Cascades," the title track, and "Tundra." On the title track the music shifts modally from one series of chamber jazz timbres to another; mood and tempo relentless move throughout the piece's first five minutes, giving a feeling as if it is a free improv piece one moment and something strictly composed for rhythm and meter the next. Harmonically, Towner pianistically creates intervals that offer shades and colors of ambient-like texture. He extends the musical reach of Peacock's bass role by making it of primary importance to the work's lyrical line and its role in the "free" sections. On "Tundra," the focus is on Towner as musical interloper, connecting each player's lines with his riveting 12-string work. The melody comes from minor, augmented chords. Granelli stays in the pocket, painting over the guitar with bells and chimes, but the others engage Towner separately. Stockhausen's contribution is especially noteworthy, as he punctuates each short guitar line with a long, beautiful phrase that is an extended tonality from that of the guitar. In essence, City of Eyes shows Ralph Towner as a musical explorer again, a composer and instrumentalist who can persuasively create aural travelogues through time, space, and terrain. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/city-of-eyes-mw0000200227

Personnel:  Ralph Towner — twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer;  Markus Stockhausen — trumpet, piccolo trumpet, fluegelhorn;  Paul McCandless — oboe, English horn;  Gary Peacock — bass;  Jerry Granelli — drums, electronic drums

City of Eyes

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Larry Coryell - The Restful Mind

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:26
Size: 83,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:14)  1. Improvisation On Robert De Visee's Menuet II
(5:01)  2. Ann Arbor
(5:39)  3. Pavane For A Dead Princess
(5:20)  4. Improvisation On Robert De Visee's Sarabande
(3:15)  5. Song For Jim Webb
(5:46)  6. Julie La Belle
(3:09)  7. The Restful Mind

Guitarist Larry Coryell recorded several sessions for the Vanguard label during the '70s with varying results. He did manage two classics, Spaces, and this one, The Restful Mind. It is no small coincidence that the better the personnel he surrounded himself with, the better he played. On Spaces, the presence of John McLaughlin and Chick Corea raised his playing to another level. Here, with the backing of the group Oregon (with the exception of Paul McCandless), who were also signed to Vanguard at this time), bring out a more reflective and relaxed Coryell. His tendency to fall back on his chops was always a weak spot in his playing, but it is thankfully absent here. Both of the "Improvisation" pieces are highlights in Coryell's career, which along with the other beaufitul selections, make this one of his best, and certainly most overlooked, recordings.~ Robert Taylor https://www.allmusic.com/album/restful-mind-mw0000215215 

Personnel: Larry Coryell (acoustic & electric guitars); Ralph Towner (guitar); Glen Moore (acoustic bass); Colin Walcott (congas, tabla).

The Restful Mind

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Robben Ford - City Life

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 55:51
Size: 127.8 MB
Styles: Blues-jazz guitar
Year: 2006/2013
Art: Front

[9:28] 1. City Life
[8:30] 2. One Day At A Time
[6:22] 3. I Could See Forever
[7:39] 4. Wanderlust
[6:19] 5. Billie's Bounce
[7:22] 6. I Put A Spell On You
[6:01] 7. Blues Connotation
[4:06] 8. Blues Connotation (Reprise)

"City Life" is a collaboration between guitarist Robben Ford and drummer Jerry Granelli, an all instrumental jazz and fusion project which was partially recorded in 1988 and partially recorded in 1992. "City Life" also features stellar artists contributing to the music, including guitarist Bill Frisell, synthesist Ralph Towner, trombone player Julian Priester, bassist Charlie Haden, alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett and more. Sharp-eyed fans will remember these tracks released under the album title of "Blues Connotation" back in the mid-1990's, and now these tracks are finally available again. Shortly after the recording of these tracks, Ford returned to his devotion to the blues, so this fusiony improv style wasn't to be heard again in a long time.

City Life

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Various - Come Together: Guitar Tribute To The Beatles

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:42
Size: 136.1 MB
Label: NYC Music
Styles: Album rock, Alternative rock, Guitar jazz
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. Mark Whitfield - Come Together
[6:04] 2. Toninho Horta - She's Leaving Home
[5:54] 3. Ralph Towner - Here, There, And Everywhere
[8:19] 4. Steve Khan - Within You, Without You/Blue Jay Way
[5:13] 5. Zachary Breaux - Eleanor Rigby
[2:16] 6. Adrian Belew - Blackbird
[5:24] 7. John Abercombie - And I Love Her
[4:54] 8. Allan Holdsworth - Michelle
[5:53] 9. Leni Stern - Norwegian Wood
[5:41] 10. Larry Coryell - Something
[4:09] 11. Toots Thielemans - Yesterday

Strictly speaking, this isn't just a guitar tribute to the Beatles, although stringed instruments that are plucked, strummed, and otherwise manipulated are in abundance, representing styles and sounds that will recall Django Reinhardt at one moment and the Mahavishnu Orchestra at the next. Toots Thielemans adds some astonishingly tasteful harmonica (and whistling) to "Yesterday" and Thomas Dawson's organ is almost a lead instrument on "Come Together." But it's the guitars (plus some superb bass) that make up the core of this delightful recording. Larry Coryell, Steve Khan, Ralph Towner, Adrian Belew, John Abercrombie, Allan Holdsworth, Toninho Horta (whose Brazilian-flavored rendition of "She's Leaving Home" is worth the price of admission by itself), and others do what they do best, and the results are revelatory and dazzlingly entertaining. This reviewer's favorite cut was Khan's medley of "Within You, Without You/Blue Jay Way," but that's just because it's that much more unexpected than anything else here. Mark Whitfield's lead work on the title cut, which is also the leadoff track, sets the bar pretty high for the rest of the CD, but everyone clears it and then some, each in his own way. One only wishes there'd been a follow-up album. ~Bruce Eder

Come Together: Guitar Tribute To The Beatles

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