Topic: Ralph Towner : his recording career

[Vinbrulé]

In the album " Icarus " by the Paul Winter Consort ,  Ralph Towner is already present, as a performer, composer and vocalist ( in the same album there are the future members of Oregon group as well ) , but .....  which is the very first recording where Ralph plays his instruments ? 

[Artem]

Was it Diary?

[T. D.]

You can look up credits on Allmusic: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ralph-towner-mn0000863963/credits

Earliest shown there is Duke Pearson's I Don't Care Who Knows It on Blue Note (1970).

Which is quite a surprise! 

[Vinbrulé]

Was it Diary?

  Diary has been made( or put on sale ) in 1974 , Icarus in 1972 .  There are 3 other albums from the Paul Winter Consort registered before Icarus (not available in CD format) but probably Ralph Towner was not in that group then

[Mirror Image]

My favorite Towner album is Solstice. For me, everything was in alignment when this recording was made: the musicians are all incredible (Towner, Garbarek, Weber and Christensen) and music is utterly gorgeous. It’s one of those albums that stirs the soul as there’s this searching quality in much of the music, but it is such an incredibly journey that I never tire of hearing it.

[Vinbrulé]

My favorite Towner album is Solstice. For me, everything was in alignment when this recording was made: the musicians are all incredible (Towner, Garbarek, Weber and Christensen) and music is utterly gorgeous. It’s one of those albums that stirs the soul as there’s this searching quality in much of the music, but it is such an incredibly journey that I never tire of hearing it.

From the first listening of Solstice I had the unpleasant suspect that some overdubbing was inserted ( suspect but not certainty )  Of course this is only my personal problem, because I have a sort of mental allergy for overdubbings .... and this a pity, because the music is really, as you say, gorgeous ( with exclusion of tracks 2 and 7 , IMHO )  ---   I like immensely the album Solo in Concert , registered live in Germany and Switzerland !!

[Mirror Image]

From the first listening of Solstice I had the unpleasant suspect that some overdubbing was inserted ( suspect but not certainty )  Of course this is only my personal problem, because I have a sort of mental allergy for overdubbings .... and this a pity, because the music is really, as you say, gorgeous ( with exclusion of tracks 2 and 7 , IMHO )  ---   I like immensely the album Solo in Concert , registered live in Germany and Switzerland !!

I don’t care about the overdubbing as long as it’s done tastefully, which if this is the case on Solstice, I’m fine with it. Certainly an important album for me as I prefer ensemble performance to solo performance.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

My favorite Towner album is Solstice. For me, everything was in alignment when this recording was made: the musicians are all incredible (Towner, Garbarek, Weber and Christensen) and music is utterly gorgeous. It’s one of those albums that stirs the soul as there’s this searching quality in much of the music, but it is such an incredibly journey that I never tire of hearing it.

My favorite RT disc too!!

[SimonNZ]

I remember the Solo Concert album being one I particularly admired, but it's been way too long since I last played it. Also the Matchbook album with Gary Burton.

Does GMG ever do listening projects with jazz artists? One Towner album a week or whatevercouldbe quite interesting.