Our March Jazz Recording of the Month is from guitarist Ralph Towner, a solo album titled "My Foolish Heart" issued by ECM and Universal Music Canada.

After some critically-lauded projects, such as "Travel Guide" with fellow guitarists Wolfgang Muthspiel and Slava Grigoryan, Ralph Towner returns to solo guitar for a delicate, but masterful ECM recording of original compositions and one standard, the title track "My Foolish Heart". In fact, Towner tells us in the liner notes how a recording of "My Foolish Heart" by Bill Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian set him on a course to try to attain the magic of that trio in his initial piano playing and later on classical guitar.

Although Towner is known for his time with the 1970's ground breaking world music ensemble of Paul Winter, and later his own group "Oregon", it is his unamplified approach to 12-string and classical guitar that has captivated his many fans over the years. This latest album borrows a pair of tunes (“Shard” and “Rewind”) from the songbook of "Oregon", as well as a dedication to the late Montreal born pianist Paul Bley (“Blue As In Bley”). After more than four decades and dozens of albums it is a worthy addition to his catalogue.