I was privileged to see and hear Ralph Towner perform with the Paul Winter Consort during my freshman year as a Music major in guitar and then later when he formed his remarkable quartet, “Oregon.” His technical ability and improvisational approach have had a lasting influence for so many guitarists of my generation and will for generations to come.
“Always By Your Side” offers a contemplative space for classical guitarists, blending a loose rubato intro with a pulse-driven improvisational section before the main theme returns again. This piece is from his solo album, “Time Line” for classical and 12‑string guitar, recorded in September 2005 at the Propstei St. Gerold, an Austrian monastery with a resonant acoustic space, and released by ECM in 2006. I offer this performance in gratitude for his music and lasting contribution to the world of classical and jazz guitar.