Ralph Towner/Joe Morris

Anthem/Singularity

(ECM)/(AUM Fidelity)

The solo acoustic guitar recital, while a common convention in folk and classical music, has precious little precedent in jazz. It makes sense, then, that these two albums incorporate elements from beyond the jazz realm. Ralph Towner hails from a classical background; before co-founding Oregon in the early-’70s, he studied in Vienna. Accordingly, Anthem (performed on classical and 12-string acoustic guitars) can convey a conservatory aura, sometimes bordering on the baroque. Yet Towner never abandons the jazz practice of improvising on a theme — and includes, for good measure, singular renditions of Charles Mingus’ "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" and Scott LaFaro’s "Gloria’s Step." The latter tune, a staple of the Bill Evans Trio, underscores Towner’s affinity for that pianist’s style; Evans’ influence pervades this disc. Towner’s translation of Evans’ pianistic harmonic motion to the fretboard is a remarkable technical feat, and he pulls it off with uncommon grace. So much, in fact, that the album seems less like a virtuoso recital and more like a dramatic monologue, marked by clear elocution and emotional depth. This marks the distinction between Anthem and Singularity, a less-accessible outing by new-music avatar Joe Morris. Unlike Towner, Morris is usually an electric guitarist. Here he utilizes a steel-string acoustic in the service of ten original compositions, each song the physical embodiment of an abstract idea ("light," "shape," "dimension," "sense"). Morris has experience with traditional African instruments as well as "prepared" guitar tunings, and he draws heavily from both wellsprings. The resulting song cycle is dazzling both for its technical accomplishment and for its dissonant lyricism. If Singularity and Anthem seem like diametric poles, consider it clear evidence of two vastly different (yet not incompatible) angles of approach.

—Nate Chinen