Reviewed: 2018-04-27
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Solo guitar from Oregon’s guitarist. Towner has occasionally said that he considers himself less a musician than a sort of audio novelist. An album or concert might not tell a single strict narrative, exactly, but dynamic flow is central to his compositions as much as his marvelously expressive fretting and plucking. Unsurprisingly from a player so known for picturesque sensibility (though always a delight to hear), My Foolish Heart paints another lovely series of aural images with a rich depth of experience behind it all.
If You Like: David Friesen, Bill Frisell, Nels Cline
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
1/ Pilgrim (4:31) – slow start> slow intriguing solo> quick stop
*2/ I’ll Sing To You (4:32) – strong entrance> slow like a ballerina skipping lightly> builds to midtempo> & slows> fade
3/ Saunter (5:01) – slow opening, slow solo like a stroll through a park, observing sights> swings uptempo> quick stop
*4/ My Foolish Heart (4:24) – slow opening> midtempo solo & fullof yearning> shifting melodies like a conversation
*5/ Dolomiti Dance (4:24) – quick opening like a jig> fast solo> false stop> fast solo builds in intensity & volume> shifts back & forth between melodies> quick stop
6/ Clarion Call (4:40) – slow opening with bass strings> hesitating> slow solo with intermittent heavy chords swings to midtempo and fades
7/ Two Poets (2:04) – quiet & slow opening> slow solo> slow fade
*8/ Shard (0:54) – heavy chords start> short uptempo solo> quick stop
9/ Ubi Sunt (1:20) – slow opning> slow solo> quick stop
*10/ Biding Time (1:29) – heavy chords open> uptempo solo> quick fade
*11/ Blue As In Bley (3:53) – strong slow opening> rocking midtempo solo> quick fade
*12/ Rewind (3:43) – strong slow opening> midtempo solo builds to uptempo> fade