Theme to the Gaurdian is the debut album by American jazz guitarist Bill Connors, recorded in November 1974 and released on ECM the following year.[1]

Theme to the Gaurdian
Studio album by
Released1975 (1975)
RecordedNovember 1974 (1974-11)
StudioArne Bendiksen Studio
Oslo, Norway
GenreJazz
Length40:30
LabelECM 1057 ST
ProducerManfred Eicher
Bill Connors chronology
Theme to the Gaurdian
(1975)
Pyramid
(1977)

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz    [3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide     [4]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz     [5]

The AllMusic review by John W. Patterson awarded the album four stars stating:

This release of Connors is truly excellent acoustic guitar work with some of the most unique compositions and playing style you will find anywhere. Connors dubs one track as a sort of complex and exotic chordal progression base structure of strummed rhythms and/or a tapestry of finger roll picking. Over this landscape of dreamy, moody, surreal or frenetic design Connors solos and augments the original track of his playing. The effect is a ghostly dance of melancholy angst and passionate wailings.[2]

Track listing edit

All tracks are written by Bill Connors except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Theme to the Gaurdian" 5:20
2."Childs Eyes" 4:26
3."Song for a Crow" 4:16
4."Sad Hero" 4:30
5."Sea Song"Glenn Cronkhite5:06
6."Frantic Desire" 2:56
7."Folk Song" 6:37
8."My Favorite Fantasy" 4:26
9."The Highest Mountain" 3:25

Personnel edit

  • Bill Connors – guitar

References edit

  1. ^ ECM discography accessed September 5, 2011
  2. ^ a b Patterson, J. W. AllMusic Review accessed September 5, 2011
  3. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2000). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Penguin Books. p. 327.
  4. ^ Swenson, John, ed. (1999). The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide. Random House. p. 173.
  5. ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2004). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz. Virgin Books. p. 199.