Hard to believe guitarist Ralph Towner has spent his entire career as a solo artist with ECM Records, but that is indeed the case, and to celebrate 50 years on the label Towner has a new release, titled At First Light. Containing both original compositions as well as renditions of a few classics, At First Light is simply a man and his guitar, with Towner's gorgeous, virtuoso acoustic melody lines wafting through the mix on such intricately layered yet haunting beautiful numbers such as "Flow", "Strait", "Ubi Sant", and the lush "Empty Stage", which sit so well alongside his haunting take on "Danny Boy" and Hoagy Carmichael's "Little Old Lady". You want to hear the man burn on some fiery solo acoustic Latin flavors? Check out "Guitarra Piccante" and the enchanting "Argentinian Nights", both sumptuous slices of acoustic jazz with a Latin flair, as well as the swinging sounds of the fun "Fat Foot".
Produced by Manfred Eicher and recorded at Auditorio Stellio Molo RSI, Lugano, At First Light sounds just lovely...simple, airy, and warm. Just a man and his guitar, still at the top of his craft at 82 years old. He is a musical treasure.
Track Listing
1
Flow
(Ralph Towner)
05:06
2
Strait
(Ralph Towner)
04:56
3
Make Someone Happy
(Adolph Green, Betty Comdon, Jule Styne)
03:53
4
Ubi Sunt
(Ralph Towner)
04:46
5
Guitarra Piccante
(Ralph Towner)
04:25
6
At First Light
(Ralph Towner)
04:44
7
Danny Boy
(Traditional)
03:40
8
Fat Foot
(Ralph Towner)
03:58
9
Argentinian Nights
(Ralph Towner)
01:41
10
Little Old Lady
(Hoagy Carmichael, Stanley Adams)
03:17
11
Empty Stage
(Ralph Towner)
03:42
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