It seems like yesterday that "Our First Record" changed the course of events, arriving in a flash at this latest release "In Stride", with the same energy, the same desire to explore and keep in the game, consistently, and once again. «In Stride» envelopes the entire history of this band; it enhances the compositional talent of these four musicians, magnifies their voices as soloists and, above all, recalls in case you need reminding that strange and magical alchemy which transformed this quartet into Oregon.
As of this recording, three out of four members of Oregon have been playing together in the group for 42 years. Drummer and percussionist Mark Walker has been on board since 1996, making them among the longest-running small groups in jazz history. Given their long-established sound and collective sense of pan-global adventure, Oregon have remained vital, restless, and disciplined. Family Tree features five new Ralph Towner compositions plus two utterly reworked – and superior – versions of others recorded on his solo offerings, two new Paul McCandless numbers, a new one by Glen Moore, and two collective compositions from the band. Family Tree is the first recording since 1989's 45th Parallel that does not feature any group improvisation.