OREGON - Out Of The Woods/Roots In The Sky
BGO CD1273
Ralph Towner - Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Flugelhorn, Guitar (12 String); Collin Walcott - Guitar, Percussion, Sitar, Tabla; Glen Moore - Bass; Paul McCandless - Clarinet (Bass), Horn (English), Oboe
If you don’t know Oregon these two CDs could be a revelation. These beautifully recorded albums have breadth, invention, and numerous ways of escaping from tight jazz rituals and stereotypes. The musicians are not afraid to be gentle, thoughtful and reflective.
This year Oregon have just issued their thirtieth album: a long journey. These two albums from BGO are from the very beginning of the Oregon story. The surprising thing is that they do not seem to have dated. Exploring the ground between jazz, classical music and folk with influences from the music of India, South America and the middle east has been potent and has served them well over the years.
The label of ‘the Modern Jazz Quartet for the eighties’ has been unfair. The group ranges further than the MJQ ever did. The only similarity is the basic stillness at the deep heart of the music. It would be more accurate to describe them as the alternative to the route that Miles Davis took from 1980 onwards. The reason for the longevity of this music is that it is largely acoustic and is not overlaid with the music technology that has dated so much jazz from the 80s onwards.
Ralph Towner’s writing has set the tone of the group. The interest here is Colin Walcott who at the time of these recordings was almost as crucial. Paul McCandless blew his horns with skill and invention and the bass of Glenn Moore is played with finesse and a love of those dark sounds that only an acoustic bass can produce.
The drummer, percussionist, Colin Walcott drives the band, not in the way that a conventional drummer does. He conjures sounds and he goes far beyond the conventional kit. It is worth listening to these early discs for the work of Walcott whose death in 1984 had a profound effect on the group. He challenged the group. His "Dance to the Morning Star," with the elusive, gentle percussion can drive as much, if not more, than aggressive percussion. The rippling sounds from the thumb piano blending gradually with the rest of the group produce a drive that is subtle unique and yet effective and very musical.
Indian clay pots are used by Colin Walcott on ‘Vessel’ as a rhythmic variation. The watery sound is effective especially when it accompanies Ralph Towner’s piano. McCandless solos on both oboe and clarinet. Snaking in, is the bass of Glenn Moore. The interweaving of so many strands is compelling and creates chamber jazz of high quality.
The tabla introduction to ‘Story Telling is precise drumming. Walcott wrote at the time about tabla playing: ‘I have to play it a lot heavier than is usual for a tabla player. In the context of Indian music, he would he playing much lighter. Even though it sounds loud, and it’s still cooking, the actual pressure is pretty light. It took a while adjusting to that.’
‘Sierra Leone’ by Walcott has Glenn Moore on flute. The chattering percussion has an African ambiance. Real world music. Walcott who studied with Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha loved music from the drum cultures of Africa and India.
Towner at that stage was the chief writer. His ‘Vision Of A Dancer’ pitches sitar against the oboe of Paul McCandless. Glenn Moore’s bass is featured in a solo that brings out the beauty of the instrument.
BGO are to be congratulated for bringing back into circulation these important albums. The locking away of great music for commercial reasons is reprehensible. In their small way BGO resist that. Both discs are remastered by Andrew Thompson at Sound Performance. The original recordings were excellent and subtlety is needed, so the trick is to renew gently. As usual with BGO, the accompanying documentation is fulsome with 18 pages of relevant, illuminating commentaries.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
BGO CD1273
Ralph Towner - Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Flugelhorn, Guitar (12 String); Collin Walcott - Guitar, Percussion, Sitar, Tabla; Glen Moore - Bass; Paul McCandless - Clarinet (Bass), Horn (English), Oboe
If you don’t know Oregon these two CDs could be a revelation. These beautifully recorded albums have breadth, invention, and numerous ways of escaping from tight jazz rituals and stereotypes. The musicians are not afraid to be gentle, thoughtful and reflective.
This year Oregon have just issued their thirtieth album: a long journey. These two albums from BGO are from the very beginning of the Oregon story. The surprising thing is that they do not seem to have dated. Exploring the ground between jazz, classical music and folk with influences from the music of India, South America and the middle east has been potent and has served them well over the years.
The label of ‘the Modern Jazz Quartet for the eighties’ has been unfair. The group ranges further than the MJQ ever did. The only similarity is the basic stillness at the deep heart of the music. It would be more accurate to describe them as the alternative to the route that Miles Davis took from 1980 onwards. The reason for the longevity of this music is that it is largely acoustic and is not overlaid with the music technology that has dated so much jazz from the 80s onwards.
Ralph Towner’s writing has set the tone of the group. The interest here is Colin Walcott who at the time of these recordings was almost as crucial. Paul McCandless blew his horns with skill and invention and the bass of Glenn Moore is played with finesse and a love of those dark sounds that only an acoustic bass can produce.
The drummer, percussionist, Colin Walcott drives the band, not in the way that a conventional drummer does. He conjures sounds and he goes far beyond the conventional kit. It is worth listening to these early discs for the work of Walcott whose death in 1984 had a profound effect on the group. He challenged the group. His "Dance to the Morning Star," with the elusive, gentle percussion can drive as much, if not more, than aggressive percussion. The rippling sounds from the thumb piano blending gradually with the rest of the group produce a drive that is subtle unique and yet effective and very musical.
Indian clay pots are used by Colin Walcott on ‘Vessel’ as a rhythmic variation. The watery sound is effective especially when it accompanies Ralph Towner’s piano. McCandless solos on both oboe and clarinet. Snaking in, is the bass of Glenn Moore. The interweaving of so many strands is compelling and creates chamber jazz of high quality.
The tabla introduction to ‘Story Telling is precise drumming. Walcott wrote at the time about tabla playing: ‘I have to play it a lot heavier than is usual for a tabla player. In the context of Indian music, he would he playing much lighter. Even though it sounds loud, and it’s still cooking, the actual pressure is pretty light. It took a while adjusting to that.’
‘Sierra Leone’ by Walcott has Glenn Moore on flute. The chattering percussion has an African ambiance. Real world music. Walcott who studied with Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha loved music from the drum cultures of Africa and India.
Towner at that stage was the chief writer. His ‘Vision Of A Dancer’ pitches sitar against the oboe of Paul McCandless. Glenn Moore’s bass is featured in a solo that brings out the beauty of the instrument.
BGO are to be congratulated for bringing back into circulation these important albums. The locking away of great music for commercial reasons is reprehensible. In their small way BGO resist that. Both discs are remastered by Andrew Thompson at Sound Performance. The original recordings were excellent and subtlety is needed, so the trick is to renew gently. As usual with BGO, the accompanying documentation is fulsome with 18 pages of relevant, illuminating commentaries.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
