JOHN ABERCROMBIE & RALPH TOWNER: SARGASSO SEA

This is a gorgeous album for a late spring/early summers day...as it is in the north of England today. Again, I understand that as the classifications stand, this had to go somewhere but most here would expect something different if they came to this wanting jazz/rock fusion.

What you get is a sublime acoustic interplay between the two protagonists with Towner putting some sympathetic classical infused as well as jazz tinged keys when and where required (Parasol)in place. I also like the fact it is a shared spotlight. Yes I have my fair share of jazz/rock guitar hero albums (and blues/rock too...but 'whispers' we don't mention that here if we can help it). Neither dominates, both compliment the other. If you want a guitar name to give you a handle then Philip Catherine would be it/him. As both players mix their jazz scales and chordings with Spanish/classical themes it does get a bit Julian Bream now and then...but albums should have contrasts and different influences. The melodies lead you down a labyrinth of unexpected twists and turns...and I now and then can spot a Brel type passage a la Jake Thackray (look him up). Staircase is the most deliberately disc(h)ordant piece and I almost expected it to cloud over and the wind get up outside...I would be pushing my luck to say it actually did...but the mood change doesn't jar, it feels appropriate. Elbow Room has some ebow electric guitar from Abercrombie with Coryell/Ray Russell similarities and I actually would stand with the guys who say 'this is better without a bass/drum rhythm section'. Fable is just beautiful...in the ears of this beholder anyways.

You can come here if you want a bit of 'wow me with your dexterity' but that would be the wrong reason. If you want something creative, well constructed and atmospheric I shall add you to the guest list.

Two guitar virtuosos blending their sensitive-yet-fluid styles for an album of duets. It's hard to imagine anything better.

1. "Fable" (8:41) like a stripped down "Blue in Green." Absolutely beautiful in every aspect imaginable. (19.5/20)

2. "Avenue" (5:19) veering into the Spanish/Flamenco traditions. (And these guys aren't even Spanish! That's what I'm talking about when I use the word "virtuoso": an artist's ability to easily morph into a variety of styles while convincing the listener that that style is the one and only/best style that he/she plays.) (9.5/10)

3. "Sargasso Sea" (4:01) opening with discordant chords doesn't faze me: the sounds are too good. (It's kind of hard to make a 12-string sound discordant--unless it's out of tune.) Ralph's piano tinkers away beneath both 12-string and volume-pedal-controlled electric guitar. The construct is what I imagine a song made in which the musicians only play half of what is on the song charts: skipping half of everything in each measure. The sounds being produced the electric guitar in the second half, coupled with the discordant chords being played on the 13-string, are a bit weird and, to me, nonsensical. (8.75/10)

4. "Over and Gone" (2:51) four tracks, four guitars, starting with a classical guitar soloing over the gentle support of a second strummed classical guitar, but then the duo are joined by two steel-stringed acoustic guitars playing with and within the melody lines that make up the weave of this brief but beautiful song. (9/10)

5. "Elbow Room" (5:11) strummed steel-string acoustic guitar supports a soloing twangy, echo-effected electric guitar. Not my favorite though I love listening to creative, reactive rhythm guitar play like this. (8.66667/10)

6. "Staircase" (6:25) the same instrumental sound palette as the previous song with much gentler playing styles to both the acoustic guitar support and the twangy-electric guitar soloing. The song definitely gets better in the second half when only acoustic guitars are being played (again deploying more of a Spanish chord and melody structure and style as in "Avenue"). (8.875/10)

7. "Romantic Descension" (3:17) as suggested by the title, this is a duet of stunning beauty, supple interaction; two musicians expressing while on the absolute same wavelength. Even prettier than anything on John McLaughlin's tribute to Bill Evans, Time Remembered. (10/10)

8. "Parasol" (5:24) a song that sounds like something that might come from Pat Metheny: brilliant, erudite chord phrasing from Ralph's gentle and respectful acoustic guitar while John solos up top with his slightly twangy electric guitar. Piano joins in around the half-way point while the support guitar continues, eventually moving to the front for some Chick Corea-like soloing while the two guitars support with uncommon elegance. I'm not as much a fan of the melodies in this one, but the structure and respectful interplay is gorgeous. (9.333/10)

Total Time 41:09

What I appreciate the most about this album is the way the artists seem to prize beauty over flash and flair: the egos never became more important than the emotional inputs and elegant results of every song. I feel as if this is such a rare achievement in the world of music. Perhaps this is one of the gifts that Manfred Eicher and his ECM label were able to bestow upon the world: a label that seemed to value the way their published product soared and resonated above money, time, and egos; where timeless beauty was prized over commerce and fame. The only negative of taking the time to get to know this album (and write its review) is the fact that I'm looking for Jazz-Rock Fusion, not so much straight folk-jazz like this.

A/five stars; an album displaying the stunning connection between two guitar masters. It DEFINITELY doesn't get any better than this!