Solstice is an album by the American guitarist

Guitarist

A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...

 Ralph Towner

Ralph Towner

Ralph Towner is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion and trumpet.-Biography:...

 that was released on the ECM label in 1975. It features Towner with Jan Garbarek

Jan Garbarek

Jan Garbarek is a Norwegian tenor and soprano saxophonist, active in the jazz, classical, and world music genres. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war Czesław Garbarek and a Norwegian farmer's daughter...

, Eberhard Weber

Eberhard Weber

Eberhard Weber is a German double bassist and composer. As a bass player, Weber is known for his highly distinctive tone and phrasing...

 and Jon Christensen

Jon Christensen

Jon Christensen is a Norwegian jazz percussionist.In the late 1960s he played alongside Jan Garbarek on several recordings by the composer George Russell....

.

The 1977 album, Solstice/Sound and Shadows

Solstice/Sound and Shadows

Solstice/Sound and Shadows is an album by the American guitarist Ralph Towner that was released on the ECM label in 1977. It is the second album to feature the Solstice quartet of Towner with Jan Garbarek, Eberhard Weber and Jon Christensen....

, was released by Towner on ECM with the same quartet.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Michael G. Nastos awards the album 4.5 stars and states "Of the many excellent recordings he has offered, Solstice is Towner's crowning achievement as a leader fronting this definitive grouping of ECM stablemates who absolutely define the label's sound for the time frame, and for all time."

Track listing

1. "Oceanus" – 11:04
2. "Visitation" – 2:36
3. "Drifting Petals" – 7:01
4. "Nimbus" – 6:31
5. "Winter Solstice" – 4:02
6. "Piscean Dance" – 4:15
7. "Red and Black" – 1:19
8. "Sand" (Eberhard Weber
   Eberhard Weber
   Eberhard Weber is a German double bassist and composer. As a bass player, Weber is known for his highly distinctive tone and phrasing...
   
   ) – 4:10

All compositions by Ralph Towner except where indicated

• Recorded December 1974 at Arne Bendiksen Studio, Oslo

Personnel

• Ralph Towner
  Ralph Towner
  Ralph Towner is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion and trumpet.-Biography:...
  
   - 12-string and classical guitar, piano
• Jan Garbarek
  Jan Garbarek
  Jan Garbarek is a Norwegian tenor and soprano saxophonist, active in the jazz, classical, and world music genres. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war Czesław Garbarek and a Norwegian farmer's daughter...
  
   - tenor and soprano saxophone, flute
• Eberhard Weber
  Eberhard Weber
  Eberhard Weber is a German double bassist and composer. As a bass player, Weber is known for his highly distinctive tone and phrasing...
  
   - bass, cello
• Jon Christensen
  Jon Christensen
  Jon Christensen is a Norwegian jazz percussionist.In the late 1960s he played alongside Jan Garbarek on several recordings by the composer George Russell....
  
  - drums, percussion