Bill Bruford with Ralph Towner and Eddie Gomez: If Summer Had Its Ghosts (Discipline Global Music DGM9705).

Bill Bruford with Ralph Towner and Eddie Gomez: If Summer Had Its Ghosts (Discipline Global Music DGM9705)

This is a slightly incongruous trio: King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford fronting a trio including Oregon's Ralph Towner on guitars (classical and 12-string) and keyboards and ex-Bill Evans sideman Eddie Gomez on bass. Amazingly enough, it works -- all three musicians seem to be having a ball playing Bruford's stuff (he wrote most of the songs, with Gomez and Towner each contributing one composition). The opening seconds of this CD lure us right in -- Bruford's rhythm, Towner's shadings, and Gomez's energy jump right out at you, with all three musicians asserting themselves and all three making a contribution to the whole. For me, it is Towner who makes this recording special, really digging into his guitar, showing that you do not need to be plugged in to project color and intensity. But Gomez and Bruford also contribute, the net result being a trio album with a unique sonority. The recording is excellent -- clean and open and dynamic. You may have a hard time finding this in a store, so if you are interested, check out the DGM website at www.discipline.co.uk.