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Jazz Articles about Ralph Towner

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Play This!

Ralph Towner: Winter Solstice

Read "Ralph Towner: Winter Solstice" reviewed by Geno Thackara


It's a thoughtful, pastoral yet playful album--an early touchstone of the ECM label's sound, for good reason--and right in the middle, Ralph Towner decides to take a breather a bit more sparse than the rest. The quartet lineup drops to just a duo, and he and Jan Garbarek spin a cozy little tone poem evoking the season's quiet while keeping a fun skip in their step. The darkest day of the year doesn't mean there isn't still a little space ...

8
Liner Notes

Bill Bruford: The Summerfold Collection 1987-2008

Read "Bill Bruford: The Summerfold Collection 1987-2008" reviewed by John Kelman


Intrepid percussionist/composer/bandleader Bill Bruford began his career in the late '60s art-rock arena with Yes and, later, King Crimson, but jazz has always moved underneath, like an eddying current. His early recordings, well documented on the companion Winterfold Collection, may not speak the language of jazz, but they possess its spirit. By 1986, Bruford was looking for a new path. Crimson had again dissolved, the 1981-'84 incarnation having provided him with the opportunity to explore nascent electronic drum ...

Album Review

Ralph Towner: At First Light

Read "At First Light" reviewed by Mario Calvitti


A 83 anni appena compiuti, il chitarrista americano Ralph Towner è ancora attivo, e la sua discografia si arricchisce di un nuovo album a 6 anni di distanza dal precedente My Foolish Heart, e a 50 anni esatti dalla registrazione del suo primo disco solo, Diary, che sarebbe stato pubblicato l'anno seguente su etichetta ECM, come tutti i suoi lavori successivi. Nelle note di copertina il chitarrista sembra stupirsi di essere stato legato a una stessa label per così tanto ...

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Album Review

Ralph Towner: At First Light

Read "At First Light" reviewed by Cary Tenenbaum


If you love the sound of the acoustic guitar, do yourself a favour and listen to this recording. Place the record on the turntable, slip the CD in the tray, press play on your streaming service, turn up the volume one notch higher than you might usually and close your eyes. As if by magic, guitarist Ralph Towner is in your home playing the songs from At First Light for you. This is a beautifully recorded and wonderfully played solo ...

Album Review

Oregon: 1974

Read "1974" reviewed by Mario Calvitti


Tra le numerosissime pubblicazioni di materiale inedito che emerge dagli archivi rischia di passare inosservata questa preziosissima gemma, che riporta alla luce un concerto tenuto in Germania nel 1974 dagli Oregon, uno dei gruppi musicali più importanti dell'ultimo mezzo secolo per il loro approccio rivoluzionario a una concezione della musica senza confini o barriere create da categorizzazioni dovute più a esigenze di mercato che espressive. La loro musica fonde in maniera pressoché perfetta elementi jazzistici, classici, folkloristici ed etnici attraverso ...

4
Live From New York

Ava Mendoza, Nels Cline & Ralph Towner

Read "Ava Mendoza, Nels Cline & Ralph Towner" reviewed by Martin Longley


Ava Mendoza & Nels Cline National Sawdust March 27, 2019 Since its old space closed its doors, John Zorn has been spreading The Stone out into other locations, besides its current main home at The New School. One of these alternative platforms is at National Sawdust, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where Zorn programmes a monthly commissioning series, inviting artists to present specially penned works. This guitaring bill opened with a solo set from ...

Live Review

Ralph Towner al Parco della Musica, Roma

Read "Ralph Towner al Parco della Musica, Roma" reviewed by Mario Calvitti


Ralph Towner Parco della Musica Roma 18.05.2018 Ralph Towner è un chitarrista dallo stile completamente unico e inconfondibile, sviluppato e affinato negli anni fino a un livello di assoluta maestria che fonde la tecnica classica con l'improvvisazione jazzistica, aggiungendo occasionalmente un tocco di Brasile. Nato come pianista nel segno di Bill Evans, Towner ha successivamente adottato la chitarra classica come strumento principale, trasferendo sulle sei corde le tecniche di armonizzazione introdotte da Evans sul ...


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