Oregon

Oregon continues to move forward creating and evolving as one of America's most important contemporary musical movements. The compositions are original and soar with collective unity, fusing elements of jazz, folk, classical, and world music into a completely original voice. Recorded in a live setting, Chesky Records has captured this event in absolute sonic splendor.

Passionate, airy, poetic, refined, gentle, evocative: this is Lantern, the new valuable gift Oregon and CAM JAZZ are releasing to all those, ever-growing in number, who are keen on their music, and all the lovers of the finest jazz. This CD features ten original tracks by a quartet that is a wonder of unity, coherence and also expressive freedom: Lantern blends different gems into a new one, a precious plot of moods that take on fantasy and avant-garde nuances (Lantern) or are conventional and playful like lovely dances (Dolomiti Dance), swinging and brisk (Walk The Walk, The Glide), sweetly Latin (Not Forgotten) or, at times, almost poignant (Figurine). Even a disarmingly simple track (The Water Is Wide) turns into a small gem of jazz thanks to the sophisticated solos by Paolino Dalla Porta on double bass and that talented artist, Ralph Towner, on piano (and guitar, of course).

Helmuth Rilling is perhaps better known for his extensive recordings of Bach Cantatas, and here, I can only say that this is a very "Bach"-like approach to Handel's oratorio, with severe attention being given to the various themes, each being given weight and purpose. The Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra & Chorus both perform admirably, giving exact attention to Rilling's tempos. Among the soloists, Sibylla Rubens had the most pleasing, lightest tone, with alto Ingeborg Danz and baritone Thomas Quasthoff both swallowed and thick in their vocal qualities, and tenor James Taylor, giving a light, inconsequential reading to his arias. And since the soloists are also under the stern eye of Rilling's rigid direction, they are given little opportunity to bring an iota of warmth or emotion to their readings.

regon, formed in 1970, comprised Ralph Towner (classical and 12-string guitars), Paul McCandless (oboe and English horn), Glen Moore (double bass) and Collin Walcott (sitar and tabla).

This is an odd entry in the Oregon catalogue. At no time do the whole group play together. Rather it is a collection of nine duets, combining instruments such as guitar and tabla, sitar and bass, piano and oboe, piano and bass etc. The tunes are excellent, and the matchless playing of these superb musicians work together at their usual high standard

Down Beat (9/95, p.41) - 4 Stars - Very Good - "…Creative spontaneity informs a dozen songs….Throughout TROIKA…the three musicians achieve a politely passionate rapport through mutual admiration."

Ecotopia was the last album that Oregon released through the ECM label, and the first that the band - now with a new fulltime percussionist in the person of Gurtu (Walcott was never truly replaced, but continued and still does continue to inspire and propel the band ever onward). The music on the album is vivid and fresh, but like the half a dozen albums (including the ones they released up to Northwest Passage), there is a sense of mortality in the music an urgency in the tone and flow that suggests that Towner, Moore and McCandless have survived a catastrophe and are now tread softly into the future aware of the impermanence of things.

A Dutch band with a name like this and an album bearing the name of an american state could be either a joke or something very different. And different it is. This quartet is up for something very original, although the elements that make up their sound are quite familar. Well, not too familiar to progheads, maybe, since they draw their inspiration from sources that are not often related to prog music nowadays. But the result is very good even if a bit demanding to the listener. It is complex, varied and very, very well crafted…