The recently reissued Oracle, a collaboration between bassist Gary Peacock and recently deceased guitarist Ralph Towner gives us a look at two legends in deep midcareer. Originally released in 1995, it shows two restless musicians, each with their own highly developed, distinct musical language, looking to mix things up. Though more
Peacock-forward, its seamless mix of carefully spontaneous playing and freewheeling composition serves as a fitting farewell to Towner, and reminds us that the great ones never stop evolving, long after their so-called “classic” eras have ended.
Category: Ralph Towner
Ralph Towner :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
As a member of the pioneering chamber/world/GORP jazz group Oregon, as a solo artist and leader or co-leader, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/composer Ralph Towner has been making wide-ranging, pigeonhole-defying music for more than half a century. Speaking to Aquarium Drunkard from his home in Rome, Towner was happy to look back at a few of the many highlights of his remarkable and varied career, from including but not limited to all-night concerts in the ‘70s, an impromptu jam session with Sonny Rollins, his jazz-snob regrets, kicking Bill Evans off the piano, looking for a sex-free crash tent at Woodstock, meeting astronauts and the vicissitudes of selenography. Most importantly, he showed that, nearing his 85th birthday, his musical mind is as restless and active as ever, even if there’s still one instrument he’ll never, ever play.
ECM Records All-Star Night :: The Village Gate, New York City, January 1976
The most beautiful sound next to silence comes to NYC. This “all-star night” of ECM-related performers is a delight, with some unique performances and collabs. Manfred Eicher’s esteemed label had been around since the late 1960s, but Keith Jarrett’s blockbuster surprise, The Koln Concert, brought ECM closer to the mainstream in 1975. Jarrett wasn’t there for this evening’s celebration, but the All-Stars shine bright without him.