Ralph Towner - Solstice

Down Beat: ��Solstice� inspires through its expressive openness� revealing depth of texture, nuance and meaning.� Perfect Sound Forever: �The LP is not only one of the moodiest ever published by ECM, but by anyone.� �Solstice�, recorded 1974, belongs to the great early production projects of ECM, with a new band formed in the studio. It�s the first of Towner�s recorded encounters with the European players, and this US-Norwegian-German quartet has a character all its own. Ralph�s synthesis of classical guitar technique and jazz improvisational skills inspires all participants on now-famous tunes including �Nimbus� and �Oceanus�. (Many future associations grew out of this meeting, including the Garbarek/Towner collaboration on Dis, and the integration of Eberhard Weber into the Jan Garbarek Group, and of Jon Christensen into Weber�s Colours band.)