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  | RALPH TOWNER / GARY BURTON ~ MATCHBOOK
ECM 1056 (Barcode: 602567434825) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1974 Released: 2019
This is a reissue of the 1st duo album by American Jazz legends guitarist / composer Ralph TownerFind albums by this artist and vibraphonist / composer Gary BurtonFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, six composed by Towner, one by Burton and two are standards. The album was recorded at the legendary Studio Bauer in Ludwigsburg, Germany, by the prominent recording engineer Martin WielandFind albums by this artist, who was in charge of recording a large part of the early albums by the ECMFind albums on this label label.
The music reflects perfectly the spirit of the early ECM recordings, on which the music, even when recorded by American musicians, had a distinct European aesthetics and sound. Based mostly on Towner’s beautiful, but quite complex themes, the music allows both musicians to improvise extensively, without losing touch with the underlying melodic themes. Both Towner, with his ensemble OregonFind albums by this artist, and Burton with his various projects, left mainstream American Jazz at the early stages of their careers, exploring many different areas, like World Music, Fusion, Classical influences and other musical avenues, which made them distinct from most American Jazz musicians, and which made ECM to release their music.
The telepathic communication between these two musicians is phenomenal and this album immediately falls into the “Art of the Duo” category. Although seemingly arriving from distant musical backgrounds, their openness to each other ideas is stunning and allows them to create dense and complex dialogues, which sound coherent and accessible despite their complexity.
Overall, this is a brilliant example of the new wave of music introduced by the ECM label at the first decade of its existence, which revolutionized Jazz (and beyond) in every possible aspect, and moved the epicenter of Jazz development across the pond. These two virtuosi are at their prime and this music is absolutely timeless, making this album a classic deserving an honorable place in every serious music collection.
| | Updated: 23/08/2024Posted: 23/08/2024 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
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