A Closer View

A Closer View

A Closer View

ASIN: B000024X4X

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Guitarist Ralph Towner and bassist Gary Peacock are legendary in jazz: Towner for cofounding Oregon and Peacock for playing with everyone from Albert Ayler to Keith Jarrett. A Closer View presents them as a duo performing quietly dynamic, wide-ranging acoustic jazz. Towner's classical guitar strums urge an almost struck tone, with rich crispness that both shines and aches. But Towner also makes his guitar sing, getting milky resonance from single notes and sharp, quick clarity whenever he wants it. Peacock plays his bass broadly, coaxing a bellow on the low end and a dancing lightness on the high end. The 12 songs here are so intimate they almost make one feel voyeuristic for listening. Towner and Peacock play their fast tunes with bewildering precision and grace, and they utilize silent space, as on "Amber Captive," as if silence were the duo's third instrument. Whether playing sublimely slow or at a racing clip, Towner and Peacock play with fat power and oceanic depth. --Andrew Bartlett

The Los Angeles Times
In this kind of acoustic environment, Peacock is obliged to use his bass in guitar-like manner, fashioning low-note extensions and counterlines to supplement and contrast Towner's guitar.

A Closer View,Ralph Towner & Gary Peacock,Ecm Records,Folk-Jazz,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Post-Bop
A Closer View
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • The Closest View
  • A Perfect Match
  • Not abstract music
 A Closer View
Ralph Towner & Gary Peacock
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Modern PostbebopModern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
ECM ClassicalECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ECM Jazz & WorldECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Oracle
  2. Solo Concert
  3. Anthem
  4. Solstice
  5. Batik

ASIN: B000024X4X
Release Date: 2000-08-15

Tracks:

  1. Opalesque
  2. Viewpoint
  3. Mingusiana
  4. Creeper
  5. Infrared
  6. From Branch To Branch
  7. Postcard To Salta
  8. Toledo
  9. Amber Captive
  10. Moor
  11. Beppo
  12. A Closer View

Amazon.com

Guitarist Ralph Towner and bassist Gary Peacock are legendary in jazz: Towner for cofounding Oregon and Peacock for playing with everyone from Albert Ayler to Keith Jarrett. A Closer View presents them as a duo performing quietly dynamic, wide-ranging acoustic jazz. Towner's classical guitar strums urge an almost struck tone, with rich crispness that both shines and aches. But Towner also makes his guitar sing, getting milky resonance from single notes and sharp, quick clarity whenever he wants it. Peacock plays his bass broadly, coaxing a bellow on the low end and a dancing lightness on the high end. The 12 songs here are so intimate they almost make one feel voyeuristic for listening. Towner and Peacock play their fast tunes with bewildering precision and grace, and they utilize silent space, as on "Amber Captive," as if silence were the duo's third instrument. Whether playing sublimely slow or at a racing clip, Towner and Peacock play with fat power and oceanic depth. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Closest View.......2004-09-25

A Closer View is a good title for this recording because listening to these two masterful musicians play together, one gets the impression that the listener is within extremely close proximity to, or perhaps has fallen into, the intimate world of sounds and emotions created. There is a strange, organic quality to this music of the kind one can only hear from jazz musicians who have played the standards, the post-bop music and who also play freely. In fact, a number of the tunes on this recording were improvisations where Towner or Peacock would start and the other would follow. They are essentially 'free' pieces where they think together, feel together and create simple melodies and harmonies with an unerring sophistication. Both Towner and Peacock have broken ground over the last 30 years but both have remained rooted in the language and emotional field of Bill Evans, Miles Davis and simultaneously, European Modernism. Both play music as though they were painters and story tellers - i.e. they play in the manner of all great jazz musicians.
Nothing is arbitrary and nothing is contrived or stylized though both are virtuosi in the practices of standard jazz music. These truly great artists are rare and we, the listener have this opportunity to hear their music in this quiet and intimate form. Only Keith Jarret in our day, can evoke such worlds of sound and simple beauty. The music in this recording is indeed pure mastery but more than that, it evokes the higher side of humanity.

5 out of 5 stars A Perfect Match.......2000-01-10

Towner and Peacock are masters of their respective instruments, and discover a truly sumptous array of nuances in entirely acoustic performances on this recording. In each tune, there always seems to be a melodic or harmonic suprise ready to jump out with every other measure. The first track in particular features some striking shifts between brooding wistfulness and sweet lyricism. This recording only seems more wonderful with repeated listening. It's probably the best recording yet by either performer. (Also check out their very successful previous recording called Oracle -- no relation to the database.)

5 out of 5 stars Not abstract music.......1998-07-18

The cover of "A Closer View" is a black and white abstraction. The music inside is neither black and white nor abstract. Each piece is a vignette, some emotional, beautiful pieces; others pulsing and singing. This is not strictly intellectual music--it grabs your emotions. Beautifully recorded, it has a feeling of being there with the two virtuosi as they improvise. Love that double bass! Highly recommended for fans of jazz, acoustic and classical music.
A Closer View
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • The Closest View
  • A Perfect Match
  • Not abstract music
 A Closer View
Ralph Towner & Gary Peacock
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Modern PostbebopModern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Bebop & Post-BopBebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music
ECM ClassicalECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ECM Jazz & WorldECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Oracle
  2. Solo Concert
  3. Anthem
  4. Solstice
  5. Batik

ASIN: B000007QF5
Release Date: 1998-06-16

Tracks:

  1. Opalesque
  2. Viewpoint
  3. Mingusiana
  4. Creeper
  5. Infrared
  6. From Branch To Branch
  7. Postcard To Salta
  8. Toledo
  9. Amber Captive
  10. Moor
  11. Beppo
  12. A Closer View

Amazon.com

Guitarist Ralph Towner and bassist Gary Peacock are legendary in jazz: Towner for cofounding Oregon and Peacock for playing with everyone from Albert Ayler to Keith Jarrett. A Closer View presents them as a duo performing quietly dynamic, wide-ranging acoustic jazz. Towner's classical guitar strums urge an almost struck tone, with rich crispness that both shines and aches. But Towner also makes his guitar sing, getting milky resonance from single notes and sharp, quick clarity whenever he wants it. Peacock plays his bass broadly, coaxing a bellow on the low end and a dancing lightness on the high end. The 12 songs here are so intimate they almost make one feel voyeuristic for listening. Towner and Peacock play their fast tunes with bewildering precision and grace, and they utilize silent space, as on "Amber Captive," as if silence were the duo's third instrument. Whether playing sublimely slow or at a racing clip, Towner and Peacock play with fat power and oceanic depth. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Closest View.......2004-09-25

A Closer View is a good title for this recording because listening to these two masterful musicians play together, one gets the impression that the listener is within extremely close proximity to, or perhaps has fallen into, the intimate world of sounds and emotions created. There is a strange, organic quality to this music of the kind one can only hear from jazz musicians who have played the standards, the post-bop music and who also play freely. In fact, a number of the tunes on this recording were improvisations where Towner or Peacock would start and the other would follow. They are essentially 'free' pieces where they think together, feel together and create simple melodies and harmonies with an unerring sophistication. Both Towner and Peacock have broken ground over the last 30 years but both have remained rooted in the language and emotional field of Bill Evans, Miles Davis and simultaneously, European Modernism. Both play music as though they were painters and story tellers - i.e. they play in the manner of all great jazz musicians.
Nothing is arbitrary and nothing is contrived or stylized though both are virtuosi in the practices of standard jazz music. These truly great artists are rare and we, the listener have this opportunity to hear their music in this quiet and intimate form. Only Keith Jarret in our day, can evoke such worlds of sound and simple beauty. The music in this recording is indeed pure mastery but more than that, it evokes the higher side of humanity.

5 out of 5 stars A Perfect Match.......2000-01-10

Towner and Peacock are masters of their respective instruments, and discover a truly sumptous array of nuances in entirely acoustic performances on this recording. In each tune, there always seems to be a melodic or harmonic suprise ready to jump out with every other measure. The first track in particular features some striking shifts between brooding wistfulness and sweet lyricism. This recording only seems more wonderful with repeated listening. It's probably the best recording yet by either performer. (Also check out their very successful previous recording called Oracle -- no relation to the database.)

5 out of 5 stars Not abstract music.......1998-07-18

The cover of "A Closer View" is a black and white abstraction. The music inside is neither black and white nor abstract. Each piece is a vignette, some emotional, beautiful pieces; others pulsing and singing. This is not strictly intellectual music--it grabs your emotions. Beautifully recorded, it has a feeling of being there with the two virtuosi as they improvise. Love that double bass! Highly recommended for fans of jazz, acoustic and classical music.
Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Meat Loaf ROCKS!
  • Subtle brilliance at its best
 Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer
Meat Loaf
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
CD SinglesCD Singles | Pop | Styles | Music | Adult Contemporary | Oldies | Pop Rock | Singer-Songwriters | Teen Pop | Vocal Pop
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Hard RockHard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000008N5F
Release Date: 1994-05-31

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Meat Loaf ROCKS!.......2004-10-27

Certain artists can do no wrong...

Tracks...

1) Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are (Wild Car)
2) Roll Over Beethoven (LIVE)
3) Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through (LIVE)
4) Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are (Acoustic Version)

5 out of 5 stars Subtle brilliance at its best.......2003-06-19

This song is the embodyment of human existance. It tells of how influences, people, places, and even memories come back to you throughout your life. Sometimes good, sometimes bad; they may also have a bigger influence on you then you realize. They are the objects in the rear view mirror that appear closer than they are. The mirror is in your soul that's just a car. And life is just a highway that your car's on.
Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are [Import CD Single]
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are [Import CD Single]

    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B0009HRCN2
    Pine View Grocery
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Pine View Grocery
      Glen Closer
      Manufacturer: Boxing Clever
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
      Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
      RockRock | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B00005U582
      Release Date: 2001-11-18

      Tracks:

      1. Madison
      2. They Won't Mind
      3. It's So Her
      4. Gone
      5. Rise
      6. Blame City
      7. Thankless One
      8. Cooler Than Gandhi
      9. Ditty #1
      10. The Dive
      11. Looking Down at the Sun
      OBJECTS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR MAY APPEAR CLOSER THAN THEY ARE
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		OBJECTS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR MAY APPEAR CLOSER THAN THEY ARE
        MEAT LOAF
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD
        ASIN: B000NCQAEK

        Product Description

        CD SINGLE
        Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          		Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are
          Meat Loaf
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
          ASIN: B000KIPHN2

          Product Description

          Two CD-EP set. 1994 collectors' edition. Track Listing: DISC 1 - Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are (5:57) | All Revved Up (Live in New York) (8:01) | Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad (Live in New York) (7:35) DISC 2 - Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are (Edit) (5:54) | Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through (Live in New York) (8:27) | Masculine (Live in New York) (8:25)

          Jazz Music:

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          2. American Dreams
          3. Americans Swinging in Paris: The Pathe Sessions [Import]
          4. At the Concertgebouw [Live]
          5. Bags & Trane [Import]
          6. Baked Potato Super Live! [Live] [Import]
          7. Bar Talk
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          10. Blue Train

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