1. The Rapids
2. Beacon
3. Taos
4. Beside a Brook
5. Arianna
6. There Was No Moon That Night
7. Skyline
8. Impending Bloom
Ralph Towner - Piano, Prophet 5 synthesiser,
classical guitar,
12-string guitar
Paul McCandless - Soprano sax, oboe, tin flute,
English horn, bass clarinet, musette
Collin Walcott - Percussion, tongue drum,
bass drum, sitar, tabla, voice
Glen Moore - Double bass, viola, piano
This eponymously-titled album
dates from 1983, the year before Collin Walcott
was killed in a car accident. So it was one
of the last of the recordings made by the
first classic line-up of this long-running
group. In fact the other three members have
been part of the group since it began in 1970
- and it is still going strong. Not only are
they still thriving but they continue to progress
- and to blend together all kinds of music.
In fact Collin Walcott's contributions made
them one of the early groups to experiment
with world music.
But their music fused many
other elements, including jazz, folk and classical.
Their virtuosity on many different instruments
meant that they found appropriate voices for
each of their compositions, which were often
group constructions or improvisations. The
result is a mixture of sounds and styles which
continually intrigues the listener. Certainly
it can seem too "cerebral" and it doesn't
always swing in the conventional sense (although
Collin Walcott's successor, percussionist
Trilok Gurtu, added a desirable extra impetus
to the band).
The New Grove Dictionary
of Jazz describes Oregon as a "jazz chamber
ensemble", and this seems a fitting description
for the restrained, semi-classical atmosphere
of many tracks. Ralph Towner's opening The
Rapids creates the impression of fresh
fast-running water, with a jaunty rhythm like
an Irish jig. Paul McCandless's Beside
a Brook also has a limpid quality, with
his solo flowing along benignly.
Glen Moore's Arianna
is different: an almost portentous piece,
with Ralph Towner's synthesiser chiming like
mysterious bells and Walcott's sitar adding
to the air of exotic mystery. As a contrast,
Walcott's bass drum and Indian-style chanting
introduce Impending Bloom, an optimistic
piece by Glen Moore anticipating the arrival
of his new baby.
The four other tracks are
credited simply to "Oregon" as composers,
suggesting the group's closeness whether composing
or improvising. By the time this album was
recorded, they knew each other very well and
could respond sympathetically - virtually
telepathically - to one another. Taos is
almost hypnotic in its increasing complexity
and richness: an impressionistic masterpiece,
while There Was No Moon That Night
features the enigmatic sound of Paul McCandless's
bass clarinet and the sprightly guitar of
Ralph Towner.
We can be grateful that ECM
has reissued this album at mid-price in its
new "Touchstones" series celebrating the ECM
label's forthcoming 40th anniversary. As with
many ECM albums, the recording quality is
faultless.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
ECM
Records ECM 1258
