Mark Towns Essence is the sound of mesmerizing virtuosity from one of the world's leading exponents of Latin guitar. A departure from Mark's Latin Jazz group recordings ("Flamenco Jazz Latino" and "Passion"), "Essence" is a collection of mellow romantic guitar pieces (solo, duo, & trio) designed for relaxation and reflection. Mark's Spanish-influenced compositions cast an aura of spellbinding magic. Multicultural references, free improvisation, Flamenco textures, and hints of psychedelia weave their way subtly through the mix, creating an elegantly mystic sonic landscape. As Houston Press observed, "Put a guitar in his hands and Mark Towns is otherworldly."

"Passion" by Latin Jazz guitarist Mark Towns features flute legend Hubert Laws along with percussionist Jorge Orta from Grupo Niche and Cuban piano wizard Rainel Pino. Continuing in the vein of his 2000 release, "Flamenco Jazz Latino," Towns presents 8 new original compositions (plus a Latin remake of the Average White Band classic, "Pick Up The Pieces") featuring his melodic jazz, Spanish, and classically influenced guitar magic on top of a spicy foundation of Afro-Cuban rhythms, including güagüanco, güajira, danzón, cha cha, and mambo. Although Towns' exotic, passionate, and often mystical-sounding guitar work is the thread which permeates through the album, he steps aside at times to afford plenty of spotlight to the letter-perfect flute of Hubert Laws, the burning abandon of pianist Rainel Pino (who came out of the same school in Havana that produced other Cuban monsters like Arturo Sandoval and Gonzalo Rubalcaba), and hot timbale and conga solos by Nestor Vidal (from Colombia), and Venezuelan Jorge Orta.