Musical innovation is no easy feat. It not only requires an innate talent, but also a devotion to the art that is not blinded by the commercial glare of the popular culture. Ralph Towner is such an innovator on the modern musical landscape, his ideas ever fresh, though they span a career of more than thirty years.
Best known as the lead composer, guitarist, and keyboardist for the acoustic jazz ensemble “Oregon”, Towner has also had a rich and varied solo career that has seen fruitful and memorable musical collaboration with such great modern musicians as Gary Burton, John Abercrombie, Egberto Gismonti, Larry Coryell, Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, and Gary Peacock.
Towner was born in Chehalis, Washington on March 1st, 1940 into a musical family, his mother a piano teacher and his father a trumpet player. Towner and his siblings were raised in a nurturing and empowering environment that encouraged free musical experimentation and expression. In 1958, Towner enrolled in the University of Oregon as an art major, later changing his major to composition. He soon thereafter met bassist Glen Moore who would become a lifelong musical partner in the band Oregon.
It was about this time that Towner discovered the early LPs of Bill Evans, whom Towner emulated and whose influence he began to incorporate into his own piano style and composition. It was not much longer until Towner also bought a classical guitar on a lark and became entranced enough with the instrument that the early 1960s saw him heading to Vienna to study classical guitar with Karl Scheit. In 1968 Towner moved to New York City and immersed himself in the New York jazz scene, eventually landing a position with the Paul Winter Consort where the friendships and musical partnering with Glen Moore, Paul McCandless, and Collin Walcott were forged, a musical chemistry which was destined to alchemize into the band Oregon. Paul Winter also bestowed Towner with his first 12-string guitar. Towner has since coaxed the 12-string into imbuing his work with such a characteristic uniqueness that most jazz fans, given the two keywords “12-string” and “jazz” would immediately blurt the name Ralph Towner.
Towner’s working relationship with producer Manfred Eicher of ECM Records began in 1972 and would provide a forum for his growth as a leader and collaborator with other jazz giants, all while concomitantly breaking open musical frontiers with Oregon throughout the intervening years. ECM’s roster of low-volume acts was decidedly contrary to the amplified popular zeitgeist of the era, and provided Towner an opportunity to connect and create with some of the more iconoclastic and innovative artists of the musical culture in the 1970s. Towner’s ECM years also saw his most minimalist, yet most bold, endeavor. “Solo Concert”, released in 1980 on ECM, was conceptually elemental, a solo live guitar recital. Yet, no one to date had ever synthesized classical contrapuntal composition with improvisational and oddly-metered jazz like this before, especially in such a risky arena as a live performance. Such solo work would later become Towner’s signature on recordings such as “Ana” and “Anthem”, or augmented only by Gary Peacock’s bass on “Oracle” and “A Closer View”.
Like any true artist, however, experimentation with technology was simultaneously and paradoxically leading Towner away from this bare-bones approach to composition and performance in 1983 when he began to incorporate the Prophet 5 keyboard synthesizer into his compositions, both with Oregon and his ECM recordings. The Prophet 5 afforded an entirely new dimension to his writing, as well as to the brazen and quirky character of the “free-form” improvisatory pieces for which Oregon had become infamous.
Just as Towner’s solo career has seen evolution, his partnership with Oregon would likewise undergo transformations as one might anticipate that any enduring relationship might do. Sadly, in 1984, percussionist Collin Walcott and manager Jo Härting were killed in Germany in a collision involving Oregon’s tour bus. Towner and McCandless escaped serious injury in the back of the vehicle. The emotional scars would however be deep, and it at first seemed doubtful that Walcott’s critical contribution to Oregon’s musical tapestry, lost so tragically, could ever be resurrected by any replacement. Time would luckily find that the intent of Oregon’s musical message was vehement enough to again find spontaneous expression after grief. Two subsequent world-class percussionists of a like mind, and gifted with rhythmic virtuosity, Trilok Gurtu in 1992 and Mark Walker in 1997, would share in and expand on Oregon’s vision. That vision would explode in an epic way in 2000 upon release of “Oregon in Moscow”, an orchestral double-CD recorded with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, earning the ensemble four Grammy nominations.
| ARTIST | TITLE | LABEL/NUMBER | FORMAT | YEAR |
| Anderson, Arild | If You Look Far Enough | ECM 1493 | CD | 1993 |
| Arnold, Horacee | Tales of the Exonerated Flea | Columbia KC 32869 | LP | 1974 |
| Arnold, Horacee | Tribe | Columbia KC 32150 | LP | 1973 |
| Atmospheres | Voyage to Uranus | Capitol SM-11676 | LP | 1974 |
| Atmospheres (Stevens, Clive) | Atmospheres | Capitol ST-11263 | LP | 1974 |
| Azimuth | Depart | ECM 1163 | LP | 1980 |
| Bruford, Bill | If Summer Had Its Ghosts | DGM 9705 | CD | 1997 |
| Burton, Gary | Six Pack | GRP GRD-9685 | CD | 1997 |
| Copland, Mark | Song Without End | Jazz City TKCB 70405 (Japan) | CD | 1994 |
| Coryell, Larry | The Restful Mind | Vanguard VSD 79353 | LP | 1975 |
| Cucchi, Flavio (performing Ralph Towner's Suites for Guitar) | Crossing Over | ARC Music EUCD1326 | CD | 1995 |
| Daniele, Pino | Che Dio Ti Benedica | CGD 4509 92258-2 (Italy) | CD | 1993 |
| DeVito, Maria Pia, John Taylor & Ralph Towner | Verso | Provocateur PVC 1023 | CD | 2000 |
| DeVito, Maria Pia | Nel Respiro | Provocateur PVC 1031 | CD | 2002 |
| Faryar, Cyrus | Cyrus | Elektra EKS-74105 | LP/CD | 1971 |
| Feasley, William (performing Ralph Towner's Suites for Guitar) | Shenandoah: Fantasies for Guitar | Sonora Productions S022598CD | CD | 2002 |
| Ford, Robben | Blues Connotation | ITMP 970083 | CD | 1996 |
| Friesen, David | Waterfall Rainbow | Inner City 1027 | LP | 1977 |
| Garbarek, Jan | Dis | ECM 1-1093 | LP/CD | 1976 |
| Gismonti, Egberto | Sol Do Meio Dia | ECM 1-1116 | LP/CD | 1978 |
| Granelli, Jerry | Koputai | ITM 970058 | CD | 1990 |
| Granelli, Jery | One Day at a Time | Koch International 970055 | CD | 1990 |
| Gurtu, Trilok | Usfret | CMP LC 6055 | LP/CD | 1988 |
| Hardin, Tim | Bird on a Wire | Columbia C 30551 | LP/CD | 1971 |
| Jarrett, Keith | In the Light | ECM 1033/1034 | LP/CD | 1974 |
| Joâo, Maria | Fábula | Polygram/Verve 533216-2 | CD | 1996 |
| Johnson, Michael | There is a Breeze | Atco 7028 | LP | 1973 |
| Loduca, Joseph | Glisten | Cornucopia AGS-82002 | LP | 1982 |
| Marcelli, Andrea | Oneness | Lipstick 8918-2 | CD | 1994 |
| Mendoza, Vince | Start Here | World Pacific B2-94592 | CD | 1990 |
| Mendoza, Vince | Instructions Inside | Manhattan CDP 7 96545-2 | CD | 1991 |
| Middleton, Andy | Nomad's Notebook | Intuition 5044732642 | CD | 1999 |
| Oregon | Always, Never and Forever | Intuition 2073 2 | CD | 1992 |
| Oregon | Beyond Words | Chesky JD130 | CD | 1995 |
| Oregon | Crossing | ECM 1291 | LP/CD | 1985 |
| Oregon | Distant Hills | Vanguard VSD79341 | LP/CD | 1973 |
| Oregon | Ecotopia | ECM 1354 | LP/CD | 1987 |
| Oregon | Essential | Vanguard VSD 109/110 | LP/CD | 1981 |
| Oregon | 45th Parallel | Portrait OR 44465 | LP | 1989 |
| Oregon | Friends | Vanguard VSD 79370 | LP/CD | 1977 |
| Oregon | In Concert | Vanguard VSD 79358 | LP/CD | 1975 |
| Oregon | In Performance | Elektra 9E 304 | LP/CD | 1980 |
| Oregon | Jade Muse | Universe UV 058 | CD | 2002 |
| Oregon | Live at Yoshi's | Intuition INT 3299 2 | CD | 2002 |
| Oregon | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Oregon Music (not numbered) | CD | 1998 |
| Oregon | Moon and Mind | Vanguard VSD 79419 | LP/CD | 1979 |
| Oregon | Music of Another Present Era | Vanguard VSD 79326 | LP/CD | 1972 |
| Oregon | Northwest Passage | Intuition 3191 2 | CD | 1997 |
| Oregon | Oregon | ECM 23796-1 | LP/CD | 1983 |
| Oregon | Oregon in Moscow | Intuition 3303 2 | CD | 2000 |
| Oregon | Our First Record | Vanguard VSD 79432 | LP | 1980 |
| Oregon | Out of the Woods | Elektra 6E-154 | LP/CD | 1978 |
| Oregon | Roots in the Sky | Elektra 6E-224 | LP/CD | 1979 |
| Oregon | Together | Vanguard VSD 79377 | LP/CD | 1976 |
| Oregon | Troika | Intuition 2078 2 | CD | 1995 |
| Oregon | Violin | Vanguard VSD 79397 | LP | 1978 |
| Oregon | Winter Light | Vanguard VSD 79350 | LP/CD | 1974 |
| Peacock, Gary & Towner, Ralph | Closer View | ECM 1602 | CD | 1998 |
| Peacock, Gary & Towner, Ralph | Oracle | ECM 1490 | CD | 1994 |
| Pearson, Duke | I Don't Care Who Knows It | Blue Note 35220 | LP/CD | 1968 |
| Plumeri, Terry | Ongoing | Airborne/ARC 2 | LP | 1978 |
| Portal, Michel | Musiques De Cinemas | Label Bleu LBLC 6574 (France) | CD | 1995 |
| Schanzer, Howard | A Good Question | Ideal Landscape ILM9201 | CD | 1992 |
| Simon and Bard | Tear It Up | Flying Fish FF262 | LP | 1982 |
| Towner, Ralph | Ana | ECM 1611 | CD | 1997 |
| Towner, Ralph | Anthem | ECM 1743 | CD | 2001 |
| Towner, Ralph | Batik | ECM 1-1121 | LP/CD | 1978 |
| Towner, Ralph | Blue Sun | ECM 1250 | LP/CD | 1983 |
| Towner, Ralph | City of Eyes | ECM 1388 | LP/CD | 1989 |
| Towner, Ralph | Diary | ECM 1032 | LP/CD | 1973 |
| Towner, Ralph | Lost & Found | ECM 1563 | CD | 1996 |
| Towner, Ralph | Old Friends New Friends | ECM 1-1153 | LP/CD | 1979 |
| Towner, Ralph | Open Letter | ECM 1462 | LP/CD | 1992 |
| Towner, Ralph | Open Letter (4 song promo) | ECM TOWN-2 | CD | 1992 |
| Towner, Ralph | Solo Concert | ECM 1-1173 | LP/CD | 1979 |
| Towner, Ralph | Solstice | ECM 1-1060 | LP/CD | 1975 |
| Towner, Ralph | Sounds & Shadows | ECM 1-1095 | LP/CD | 1977 |
| Towner, Ralph | Un Altra Vita | CAM OS 011 (Italy) | CD | 1992 |
| Towner, Ralph | Works | ECM 823268-1 | LP/CD | 1984 |
| Towner, Ralph & Ambercrombie, John | Five Years Later | ECM 1-1207 | LP | 1982 |
| Towner, Ralph & Ambercrombie, John | Sargasso Sea | ECM 1-1080 | LP/CD | 1976 |
| Towner, Ralph & Burton, Gary | Matchbook | ECM 1-1056 | LP/CD | 1974 |
| Towner, Ralph & Burton, Gary | Slide Show | ECM 25038-1 | LP/CD | 1986 |
| Towner, Ralph & Moore, Glenn | Trios/Solos | ECM 1-1025 | LP/CD | 1973 |
| Various Artists | A Big Hand for Hanshin | Polydor POCP-7070/1 (Japan) | CD | 1995 |
| Various Artists | Come Together/Guitar Tribute to the Beatles | NYC 6004-2 | CD | 1993 |
| Various Artists | ECM Spectrum, Vol. 1 | ECM 831 623 | LP | 1987 |
| Various Artists | Guitar Harvest, Volume One | Solid Air SACD 2042 | CD | 2003 |
| Various Artists | Pioneers of the New Age | Columbia CK44314 | LP/CD | 1991 |
| Various Artists | CMP-ler | CMP CD-5001 | CD | 1990 |
| Various Artists | Chance Operation:The John Cage Tribute | Koch International 7238-2 | CD | 1993 |
| Various Artists | Selected Signs, Vol. 1: An ECM Anthology | ECM 1650 | CD | 1997 |
| Weather Report | I Sing the Body Electric | Columbia PC 31352 | LP/CD | 1972 |
| Wheeler, Kenny | Deer Wan | ECM 1-1102 | LP/CD | 1978 |
| Winter Consort | Earthdance | A&M SP4653 | LP | 1977 |
| Winter Consort | Icarus | Epic PE 31643 | LP/CD | 1972 |
| Winter Consort | Icarus | Living Music LM0004 | LP | 1984 |
| Winter Consort | Road | A&M SP4279 | LP | 1970 |
New!
If you have a copy of the following CD that you'd like to sell, please
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Various Artists, "A Big Hand for Hanshin", Polydor POCP-7070/1 (Japan), 1995
Links to other sites on the Web
RalphTowner.com
Oregon's Official Website
Innerviews: Anil Prasad interviews Ralph Towner
Interview with Ralph Towner
"All-Music Guide" (type "Ralph Towner" into search engine box)
The Oregon Pages
Ralph Towner Discussion List on Yahoo!
Check out these other incredible artists:
Fareed Haque
Miroslav Tadic
Dusan Bogdanovic
Martin Taylor
David Cullen
Sandy Prager
Richard Leo Johnson
Goran Ivanovic
Flavio Cucchi
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