Ralph Towner goes solo here with usually his classical guitar and intermittently his 12 string on this rich tapestry of material. He returns to his days of Oregon with a elegantly displayed “Shard” and folksy “Rewind” while the textures of the title track are palpable. He shows the confidence of a master throughout, allowing silence and space to be part of the equation as on the thoughtful and clever tribute to Paul Bley on ”Blue as in Bley” and the bluesy and pastoral “Saunter.” He can make his classical harp charm like a harp on “Ubi Sunt” while on the 12 strings show rich lower hues on the conversational “Clarion Call.” Sonic sounds of a master sculpture, chipping away to find the portrait in the marble.
He’ll be on tour for this album in the West Coast with a March 3 gig at the Blue Whale. Should be a real treat!
ECM Records