Alone/But Never Alone in Bloomington, MN

One of the few
smooth jazz
artists of the '80s to make music that's simultaneously melodically substantial and sonically contemplative,
Larry Carlton
hit a career high on 1986's
Alone/But Never Alone
. Playing only acoustic guitar (with electric bass, drums, and synthesizers on most tracks),
Carlton
neatly sidesteps the twin pitfalls of
new age
mush and
showboating, playing neatly phrased, well-thought solo lines against a variety of melodic and rhythmic backgrounds. The acoustic focus gives the album a timeless quality, even though a few tracks feature synthesizer lines that betray their mid-'80s origins, and the obviously spiritual quality of the music (song titles include not only the higher-power-oriented title track, but
"Smiles and Smiles to Go"
and
"Perfect Peace,"
and the centerpiece track is an
instrumental
setting of a common tune for
"The Lord's Prayer"
) is becalming without being drippy or pillow-soft. This is not an album that will change the mind of those dead-set against
, but it's a small masterpiece of the genre. ~ Stewart Mason