Track Listing

1. Solitary Woman
2. Anthem
3. Haunted
4. Lutemaker
5. Simone
6. Gloria's Step
7. Four Comets
8. Four Comets
9. Four Comets
10. Four Comets Part 4
11. Raffish
12. Very Late
13. Prowler
14. Three Comments
15. Three Comments
16. Three Comments
17. Goodbye Pork-Pie Hat

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #129187 in Music
• Released on: 2001-03-19
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .24 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
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

Album Description
A stunning new solo album by one of the great masters of the acoustic guitar.

American guitarist Ralph Towner has recorded in very many contexts for ECM over the last three decades but his outstanding solo recitals including 'Diary', 'Solo Concert' and 'Ana' are the albums that emphasise most clearly his improvisational brilliance, his outstanding technique, and his finely-wrought compositional sense. Now 'Anthem' tops them all. It's a superb album, and the recorded sound is exceptional, even by ECM standards.

The album includes original compositions by Towner and cover of two of modern jazz's most beautiful songs, Charles Mingus's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" and Scott La Faro's "Gloria's Step".

Amid the sculpted, strongly melodic songs, two sets of miniatures - "Four Comets" and "Three Comments" - for classical and 12-string guitars respectively, dazzle and flare. As ever they resist easy categorisation, for jazz and a very personal approach to modern composition overlap in Towner's world.

Recorded 2000

Personnel:
Ralph Towner - classical and 12 string guitars

Customer Reviews

Where have I been?
This is the first CD by Ralph Towner I've heard - where have I been and what have I been missing?!

His guitar playing has a beautiful, unhurried sensitivity and depth. He takes you through a wonderful range of tones and refrains, with pauses and changes of tempo that capture your interest and draw you into the music. This is not really music for hero-worshippers of flash solists - more for those at ease with themselves and the world. Thanks Ralph!

Neo-classical precision
Towner's modus operandi consists of a towering acoustic technique played with a disciplined neo-classical precision, but the overall effect still sound like a man sufficiently comfortable that the style appears almost laid-back. Some tracks betray immense technical complexity, which Towner translates to a lyrical purity matched by precious few guitarists. Elements of jazz and blues licks creep in on several compositions, and sound entirely natural in their setting. A joy to behold, and certainly worthy of 5 stars.