This is arguably the start recording to fully flesh out the aural area for which ECM has come upwardly to survive known. Although I am good aware of the immense groundswell of musical activeness that was the 1970s, sure an album similar this was a refreshing together with altogether mind-altering sense for those fortunate plenty to survive immature musical explorers at the time. Featuring a lineup of musicians who would become on to weave ECM’s significance into the stuff of time, Solstice is a tour de strength of musicianship, writing, arrangement, together with recording.
Each rails is brimming with life together with features the sensitive application of a multifariousness of instrumental combinations together with studio savvy. “Oceanus” showcases Garbarek inward his prime, soaring with an unbridled emotional register. As always, Towner’s 12-string speaks inward 360 degrees. Superb drumming from Christensen complements lush melodic lines from Weber, who stretches a melodic cello into infinity piece his bass arises similar the conical aftereffect of a H2O droplet. “Visitation” clouds this ardor inward a nocturnal vision filled with laughing spirits. “Drifting Petals” is a tiresome progression, a timid await out onto a dusty evidently where the hope of liberty looms larger than the possibility of danger. But together with thus an elder’s advice rings inward our ears together with pushes us onward. Feet displace of their testament together with line us into the ever-receding horizon every bit the start drops of a squall streak across our foreheads. Towner proves 1 time to a greater extent than that his pianoforte musings are non to survive taken lightly, every bit they brand for 1 of the most evocative tracks on the album. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 transcendental 12-string solo (with gentle dimensional back upwardly from Weber) opens “Nimbus,” presently blossoming into a flourish of flutes, drums, together with a bowed bass that cries with the grating fluidity of a sarangi. Garbarek’s sax joins inward the fray together with lets loose its harmonious fire. The deftly overdubbed flutes return, spreading their wings for a few moments earlier fluttering off into the distance. “Winter Solstice,” “Piscean Dance,” together with “Red together with Black” contain a triptych of duets: the start for classical guitar together with sax, the 2nd a prime number jam for 12-string together with drums, together with the tertiary for 12-string together with bass. “Sand” ends our cosmic journeying with 1 of Garbarek’s deepest meditations for sax fix to the strangely compelling ululations of Christensen’s flexatone lolling nearly inward the background.
Melodically robust piece structurally yielding, this is an album to survive treasured together with is a must-listen for anyone desiring to know what ECM is all about. An astounding coming together of musical minds if at that spot ever was one.
When Ralph Towner flare-up onto the contemporary jazz scene inward the mid-70s, listeners were good aware of his awesome talent every bit a fellow member of Oregon. But when Solstice was issued on the ECM label, it took the vivid guitarist's caché to a much higher level, peculiarly every bit a composer. With the otherworldly curved soprano sax together with flute playing of January Garbarek, the precise drumming of Jon Christensen, together with unique bass sounds of Eberhard Weber, the music on this album lifted the ECM/Euro-styled jazz together with improvised music to a novel realm of pure expressionism. Simply seat -- this music is stunningly beautiful. The incredible "Oceanus" begins with Towner's cascading guitar, followed past times the swelling together with symphonic bass of Weber, a swinging drum work past times Christensen with Garbarek's atmospheric together with dramatic curved soprano layering contrasting timbres, symmetry, together with unusual colors. "Nimbus" opens with some astounding technical harmonics from Towner, to a greater extent than thus considering the acoustic nature of his instrument. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 circular subject inward implied 3/4 underneath 4/4 leads to overdubbed flutes from Garbarek, bowed bass, the curved soprano inward 6/8 all identifying the pure ECM sound. "Piscean Dance" is a funky workout betwixt Towner together with Christensen, the earthiest rails on the date, together with an practice of intuitive confluence. Other portions of the disc are infinite oriented similar the loose, costless together with haunting "Red & Black," "Visitation" with multiple percussion sounds of flexatone together with shakers nether Weber's bowed bass together with Garbarek's alien dragonfly flute, piece Weber's "Sand" has the musicians staring at the Crab Nebula piece firmly rooted inward a strut later on inward the piece. Towner's wondrous pianoforte is heard on "Drifting Petals," a pretty together with pensive waltz with unison lines amongst Garbarek's flute, together with thus Towner switches to guitar inward a deeper discourse with the quartet. As mutual depression temperature every bit the Norwegian studio (Oslo) they were recording in, "Winter Solstice" is non thus much profound every bit it is telepathic, every bit the players role stop-start techniques, 1 time to a greater extent than inserting a 3/4 musical rhythm into a 4/4 equation. Of the many fantabulous recordings he has offered, Solstice is Towner's crowning achievement every bit a leader fronting this definitive grouping of ECM stablemates who absolutely define the label's audio for the fourth dimension frame, together with for all time.
Down Beat: “Solstice inspires through its expressive openness… revealing depth of texture, nuance together with meaning.” Perfect Sound Forever: “The LP is non exclusively 1 of the moodiest ever published past times ECM, simply past times anyone.” Solstice, recorded 1974, belongs to the slap-up early on production projects of ECM, with a novel band formed inward the studio. It’s the start of Towner’s recorded encounters with the European players, together with this US-Norwegian-German quartet has a grapheme all its own. Ralph’s synthesis of classical guitar technique together with jazz improvisational skills inspires all participants on now-famous tunes including “Nimbus” together with “Oceanus”. (Many hereafter associations grew out of this meeting, including the Garbarek/Towner collaboration on Dis, together with the integration of Eberhard Weber into the January Garbarek Group, together with of Jon Christensen into Weber’s Colours band.)
Track listing:
All compositions past times Ralph Towner except where noted.
1. "Oceanus" – 11:04
2. "Visitation" – 2:36
3. "Drifting Petals" – 7:01
4. "Nimbus" – 6:31
5. "Winter Solstice" – 4:02
6. "Piscean Dance" – 4:15
7. "Red together with Black" – 1:19
8. "Sand" (Eberhard Weber) – 4:10
Personnel:
Ralph Towner – 12-string together with classical guitar, piano
January Garbarek – tenor together with soprano saxophone, flute
Eberhard Weber – bass, cello
Jon Christensen – drums, percussion
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