Guy Berger Posted December 17, 2006 Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 Personnel: Ralph Towner, Glen Moore, Colin Walcott, Paul McCandless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted December 17, 2006 Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 I forgot Glen Moore was in that band. He's great in a bass quartet with Peter Warren on Enja, Bass Is, that also features contributions from Surman, Corea and Stu Martin among others. I was hoping Oregon would be a bit more psychedelically "open" than it actually was (at least to these ears), but maybe it's time for another listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted December 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 I was hoping Oregon would be a bit more psychedelically "open" than it actually was (at least to these ears), but maybe it's time for another listen. I sort of feel the same -- it would be a lot of fun if they cut loose a little more. As it is, the best parts of the album are when they get into those vamps and jam on top of them. I picked up this album when I was starting to explore jazz back in college. I had discovered Shakti and was looking for similar music. I'm not familiar with any of Oregon's other music. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest the mommy Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 guye, you might be interested to hear the oregon w. elvin jones album. also on vanguard and now on CD. a very interesting album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 What I was hoping for in Oregon I got in an Italian ensemble called Aktuala. I don't know a whole lot about the characters participating in the group, but the vibe is a cross-pollination of Indian and North African music, modal atmospherics, and free improvisation. I have the first two LPs on Bla-Bla, which I believe were also reissued on CD (gonna pull a Clem and not look it up). The first is self-titled and the second is La Terra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ep1str0phy Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 (edited) Yeah, they have (been reissued on CD). I haven't heard any of it, but it sounds interesting. Edited December 18, 2006 by ep1str0phy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ep1str0phy Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Ah--just did a quick check, and although the actual CD's seem pretty difficult to track down, the music is available in "places". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 One of those cases where I've seen the LPs more than the CDs, but I remember seeing them "somewhere" at "some time." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyhersom Posted January 2, 2007 Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 Icarus and Silence of a Candle are melodies for the ages. On the whole the album feels a little too "short and sweet", and the next three albums surpass this one for me. Distant Hills, Winter Light and In Concert explore the textures and melodies at greater length and are better for it. Towner's Diary and Solstice from the same time period are also favorites of mine. But I wouldn't want to be without this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 (edited) I still remember how fascinated I was when I first heard this on the radio - pretty much at the same time as Towner's first ECM LP. I hunted for these LPs and got them from a mailorder shop in Munich. I listened to them lying on my bed with eyes closed, my mind wandering like through some 1001 Arabian Nights dreamland. Towner later admitted that it was too much of a showoff displaying all of the many instrments they could handle - I'm with Randy that Winter Light and In Concert are more on point. Nevertheless they were an important inspiration for the first band ever I played in - I will always remain grateful for that. Edited January 3, 2007 by mikeweil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeith Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 I love this album, Guy. I hear what you are saying about you want them to stretch out and that is what they do on the next album Distant Hills, which I feel is slightly superior for the reason you suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted February 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 Icarus and Silence of a Candle are melodies for the ages. On the whole the album feels a little too "short and sweet", and the next three albums surpass this one for me. Distant Hills, Winter Light and In Concert explore the textures and melodies at greater length and are better for it. Towner's Diary and Solstice from the same time period are also favorites of mine. But I wouldn't want to be without this one. I recently picked up Distant Hills and Winter Light, and am glad I did, these are wonderful albums. Highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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