Towner's last few albums for ECM have been relatively small-scale affairs and Anthem is no exception. It is a solo guitar recital, differing from 1997's solo effort, Ana only in that he allows himself two compositions not from his own pen: Scott LaFaro's sprightly, carefree "Gloria's Step" and Charles Mingus's bluesy lament, "Goodbye, Pork-Pie Hat". Towner passed the point of mere technical excellence decades ago: we have every reason to expect a larger conception and a telling commitment to expression from him. As usual, he doesn't disappoint, his touch and phrasing continually revealing layers of meaning from the lines he spins out. None of the performances are particularly long, the most extended (nearly seven minutes) being the first track, "Solitary Woman", the shortest being just over 30 seconds in duration. This avoidance of the long-winded happily steers the album well clear of meandering longueurs, keeping his improvisations concise and germane, his sense of form unerringly on track. Towner has achieved so much in his career: it is good to hear him still testing himself in a solo setting. --Keith Shadwick