In a 1981 “Blindfold Test” for DownBeat, Pat Metheny listened to the track “Images Unseen” from Ralph Towner’s ECM album Diary and told Leonard Feather: “I have been knocked out with Ralph ever since I Sing The Body Electric. [On this classic Weather Report album, Towner played acoustic twelve–string on one track, “The Moors.”] The first time I heard that, I was stunned. I'd never heard anybody play any­thing even remotely similar, let alone improvise with such freedom on a twelve–string guitar, which is one of the most cumbersome instruments, very difficult to play. I'm always amazed at Ralph's flexibility and the power he can get. He's got incredible touch.” Born 1940 in Chehalis, Washington, Towner is best known as composer, guitarist, and keyboardist for the acoustic jazz ensemble Oregon: The group’s double CD Oregon In Moscow (Intuition, 2000), recorded with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, earned no less than four GRAMMY Award nominations. Meanwhile, Ralph Towner has led a rich and varied solo career, as reflected in his lengthy ECM discography (beginning in 1972) and his col­laborations with mod­ern masters like as Gary Burton, John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell, Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, and Gary Peacock. All of us at Jazz Standard are proud to welcome this world-class musician for two nights of solo guitar performance, as part of the annual Alternative Guitar Summit. "The Alternative Guitar Summit, founded in 2010 by guitarist/ composer Joel Harrison, is a yearly summit of daring, inventive players who emphasize new and unusual approaches to the guitar. The music we present celebrates the guitar's enormous range, beyond style or genre. Every year The Alt Guitar Summit honors living improvisers and composers who have changed the world of guitar for. Ralph Towner is our 2019 honoree.Towner is one of the only improvising players to have focused specifically on the nylon and 12 string guitar, and as such has developed a signature language. He combines background in classical, jazz, and folk idioms with uncommon grace. His compositions are gorgeous, lyrical, packed with subtle drama and surprise. His career spans more than fifty years. and he is best known as the lead composer, guitarist, and keyboardist for the acoustic jazz ensemble "Oregon." Towner has also had musical collaborations with Gary Burton, John Abercrombie, and Keith Jarrett. His groups, such as Oregon, essentially defined "chamber jazz" before the term existed. Please see www.alternativeguitarsummit.com for more info." Ralph Towner – guitar