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Oregon | |
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 Oregon Innsbruck 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Eugene, Oregon, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, new-age, world fusion, chamber jazz |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Labels | Vanguard, ECM, Elektra, Portrait, Intuition, VeraBra, Chesky, CAM Jazz |
| Members | |
| Past members | |
| Website | www |
Oregon is an American jazz and world music group, formed in 1970 by Ralph Towner, Paul McCandless, Glen Moore, and Collin Walcott. [1] [2]
Towner and Moore had been friends and occasional collaborators since meeting in 1960 as students at the University of Oregon. By 1969, both were working musicians living in New York; while collaborating with folksinger Tim Hardin they were introduced to world music pioneer Paul Winter's "Consort" ensemble, particularly member Collin Walcott, with whom Towner began improvising as an informal duo. By 1970 Towner and Moore had joined the Winter Consort and met fellow member McCandless; the four began exploring improvisation on their own, while their contributions continued to be seminal in redefining the Winter Consort "sound" in compositions like Towner's "Icarus". [2]
The four musicians made their first group recording in 1970, but the label, Increase Records, went out of business before it could be released (it eventually was issued by Vanguard in 1980 as Our First Record). Oregon made its "formal" debut in New York City in 1971 (originally named "Thyme — Music of Another Present Era", the name change to Oregon was suggested by McCandless).
The group's first release Music of Another Present Era was issued on Vanguard in 1972 [1] (the four also recorded for ECM, though the recording, 1973's Trios Solos, was billed as "Ralph Towner with Glen Moore"). With those initial recordings and the follow-ups Distant Hills (1973) and Winter Light (1974) (all on Vanguard), Oregon established itself as one of the leading improvisational groups of its day, blending Indian and Western classical music [3] with jazz, folk, space music [4] and avant-garde elements. [2] The group released numerous albums on Vanguard throughout the 1970s, also making three records for Elektra/Asylum between 1978 and 1980 (including the highly acclaimed Out of the Woods and a live recording taken from performances at Carnegie Hall and in Canada in late 1979).
After a couple years' hiatus devoted to individual projects (including the birth of Walcott's daughter in 1980), the group reassembled, recording for ECM, releasing the eponymous Oregon in 1983 and Crossing in 1984. Before the latter's release, however, during a 1984 tour Walcott was killed in an automobile accident in the former East Germany. [1] Oregon temporarily disbanded, but regrouped in May 1985 at a memorial concert for Walcott in New York City, with Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu sitting in (Walcott's own choice for his replacement should it become necessary). [1] In 1986, Gurtu was invited to join Oregon; the band resumed touring and released three albums, Ecotopia, 45th Parallel and Always, Never and Forever, [2] during his five years as a member. [1]
After Trilok Gurtu's departure, the group continued as a trio, issuing two albums during that period. The 1997 album Northwest Passage marked a return to the inclusion of percussion, featuring either drummer Mark Walker or Turkish Armenian percussionist Arto Tunçboyacıyan on most tracks; subsequently, Walker was taken on as a full member. In 1999, the ensemble traveled to Moscow, Russia, to record with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio, premiering orchestral compositions that had been in development for years, some dating back to their first days with the Winter Consort; that project's 2000 release, Oregon in Moscow, garnered four Grammy Award nominations. 2002 saw the release of Live at Yoshi's, recorded in San Francisco, the first live Oregon recording in two decades.
In March 2015, it was announced that Glen Moore was departing from the group, with bassist Paolino Dalla Porta replacing him.
As of 2019, Oregon has no further plans to exist as a touring ensemble. [5]
on Vanguard
on Elektra
on ECM
on CBS /Portrait
on Intuition
on Chesky
on Intuition
on CamJazz
Trilok Gurtu is an Indian percussionist and composer whose work has blended the music of India with jazz fusion and world music.
Jan Garbarek is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist, who is also active in classical music and world music.
Ralph Towner is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion, trumpet and French horn.
Paul Brownlee McCandless Jr. is an American multi-instrumentalist and founding member of the American jazz group Oregon. He is one of the few jazz oboists. He also plays bass clarinet, English horn, flute, penny whistle, tenor saxophone, sopranino saxophone, and soprano saxophone.
Paul Winter is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He is a pioneer of world music and earth music, which interweaves the voices of the wild with instrumental voices from classical, jazz and world music. The music is often improvised and recorded in nature to reflect the qualities brought into play by the environment.
Collin Walcott was an American musician who worked on jazz and world music.
Glen Moore is an American jazz bassist, who occasionally performs on piano, flute and violin.
Mark Nauseef is an American drummer and percussionist who has enjoyed a varied career, ranging from rock music during the 1970s with his time as a member of the Ian Gillan Band and, temporarily with Thin Lizzy when Brian Downey left for a short time, to a wide range of musical styles in more recent times, playing with notable musicians from around the world.
Rainer Brüninghaus is a German jazz pianist, composer and university teacher.
Trios / Solos is an album by American jazz guitarist Ralph Towner with Glen Moore recorded over two days in November 1972 and released on ECM June the following year. The session features guest appearances from tabla player Colin Walcott and oboist Paul McCandless.
Oregon is an album by American jazz fusion band Oregon recorded in February 1983 and released on ECM later that year. The quartet features guitarist Ralph Towner, reed player Paul McCandless, bassist Glen Moore, and sitarist Collin Walcott.
Crossing is an album by jazz fusion band Oregon recorded in October 1984 and released on ECM the following year. The quartet features guitarist Ralph Towner, reed player Paul McCandless, bassist Glen Moore, and percussionist Collin Walcott—their final album with Walcott, who died a month after its recording.
Ecotopia is an album by jazz fusion band Oregon recorded in March 1987 and released on ECM later that year. The quartet consists reed player Paul McCandless, guitarist Ralph Towner, bassist Glen Moore, and percussionist Trilok Gurtu—replacing Collin Walcott following his accidental death.
Family Tree is an album by American world music/jazz group Oregon featuring Ralph Towner, Paul McCandless, Glen Moore, and Mark Walker recorded in April 2012 and released on the CAM Jazz label. It was the final Oregon recording to feature bassist Glen Moore.
The Restful Mind is an album by jazz guitarist Larry Coryell. It was recorded at Vanguard Records' New York City studio, and was released by Vanguard in 1975. It features Coryell on acoustic and electric guitars, along with three of the four members of the band Oregon, who were also recording for Vanguard at the time: Ralph Towner appears on guitar, Glen Moore on bass, and Collin Walcott on percussion. The album includes improvisations on two compositions by the French Baroque composer Robert de Visée, an adaptation of Maurice Ravel's "Pavane pour une infante défunte", and four Coryell originals.
Out of the Woods is a studio album by the American jazz group Oregon released in April 1978. The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart the same year.
Three Day Moon is an album by American jazz bassist Barre Phillips recorded in March 1978 and released on ECM later that year. The quartet features guitarist Terje Rypdal, Dieter Feichtner on synthesizer and percussionist Trilok Gurtu.
In Concert is a live album by the American jazz group Oregon released in 1975. The album peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart in 1976.
Icarus is the fourth album by American musical group Paul Winter Consort. It was recorded in 1971 for the Epic Records label and released in 1972. It was re-released by Epic in 1978 and by Living Music in 1984. The album was produced by George Martin.
Frederick Victor Simon is an American pianist and composer.
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