@@artiefischel2579 I quote from articles: Ralph has "two custom-made at Guild's workshop: a Florentine cutaway F-212 and an abalone-less fretboard F-512: the first mahoganny bodied and the second in Brazilian Rosewood, both with flat, classical-like 52 mm at nut fretboards as per Ralph's wishes, needing the same room he was used to while playing his classical guitar." "The two custom-made guitars, possibly made by luthier Greco himself at Guild's custom workshop, have been with Towner for decades, standing infinite flights abuses and recordings and concerts and, sure, some refrettings and overhaulings."
Yes I agree a custom Guild.The neck is built to his specifications of a classical guitar..possibly also to his hand width.He said in a interview once his family lineage must have had a horse in it..reference to his hand width. It's a beautiful guitar.He now has custom built Baritone guitar..I don't know who built it thou.Many years ago I got to talk to Ralph Towner on a break from his show in Yoshi jazz club and asked about his Guild 12 strings and he said one of them had the low E string dropped to a D.Both are exquisite guitars.
@@michaelvaladez6570 You have made a slight error of interpretation there, methinks : - In the ECM podcast Ralph says he thinks there must have been a horse in his family, a reference to his " unbreakable " nails !
This piece titled Spirit Lake is an quintessential classical/jazz improvisational work that goes back to Maestro Ralph Towner early days of the beginnings of the ECM label.A very unique composition that is in short astounding . It is the first piece that opens up on his first endeavor on the young label entitled Solo/Concert. Probably the most important recorded work of classical / jazz combination, a finely recorded music of a 12 string guitar and a classic guitar in one setting.ever.All these compositions are improvisational. A must for those of interest of an early body of work by Maestro Ralph Towner.
Incredible! Ralph is a true master and Spirit Lake is deep, powerful, fluid and shimmery. Delights my heart and mind every time. Thank you for posting and Thank you Ralph for creating so fabulous music.:-)
@Stougaardwatch Yes, the version of this on Solo Concert is otherworldly, and it is a FANTASTICALLY recorded version also. Ralph is truly one in a billion. This guy paints sound pictures with a guitar that have a dynamic intensity that rivals an entire orchestra. Spirit Lake is my absolutel favorite from him, and I think I first listened when I was 16. I'm now 46 and just rediscovering him.
My mate and I got the live album at 14. He was and is our hero. I spent an entire half term learning Ralph's Guitar Waltz, but I could never play this. What I'd give to have been in Germany for that recording. A recording for the ages.
Yes: all true. This man also wrote one of the theme songs of our generation when he wrote Icarus. The original on the Paul Winter Consort record stunned me. I was 14 when I heard it and I was never the same afterward. Some people seem to be able to hear inside the Culture or something. They tell stories without words. Ralph is one of these. This is a nice recording of another one of his great tunes.
Thank you very much for sharing this. "Spirit lake" has been one of my favorite compositions of Ralph, but after around 1994-1995 he has not been playing it much, so this is a very appreciated document.
I've myself been tripping through woods, valleys, sulphurous lakes, a wooden hut with a fire oven inside, a man playing guitar, a beautiful woman sitting in a tree.. a cool wind a-bloyin', i can hear the crickets too!
Someone asked me something about the noise that is heard in the background ... it is the noise of the camera, maybe it had some problems in the mechanism ... however it remains (for me) one of the best versions of Spirit Lake. Thank you
How cool is it to see Ralph play this live? Would never have thought it possible. To me YT validates itself with this one clip. As others have mentioned, if you don't own the album, 'Solo Concert', get it. You want to hear these spectacular performances by Ralph and the pristine live recording by Manfred Eicher, et al. Shimmering chorusing on RT's harmonics complements of the minimum - five - microphones (check the back cover pic) used to record the album. Astonishing.
Yup. 30 years ago I spent two weeks working out Ralph's Piano Waltz because my fingers weren't strong enough to do this. God how how I love that German live album.
