Oregon bothers jazz people because a) they're difficult to categorize, and b) they radiate endlessly cheerful vibes bordering on vacuous new age while maintaining a sharp improvisational edge. So goes this high-profile appearance on Columbia's spinoff label, which sometimes stays within the bounds of post-bop jazz yet is more likely to go veering off in contemplative folk-like, Asiatic, Spanish, or even neo-classical directions. Ralph Towner handles both the piano and various guitars and synthesizers with equal facility, while Paul McCandless' reed work evokes the pure white light of Paul Winter; Glen Moore continues to man the bass; Trilok Gurtu alternates between tabla and traps; and Nancy King checks in with a bout of eccentric scatting on "Chihuahua Dreams." This is intriguing, free-thinking stuff, always intelligent, evidently durable, yet the music misses the spark of true inspiration that could have made it memorable.
45th Parallel
Oregon
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45th Parallel Review
by Richard S. Ginell
Track Listing
| Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | 06:26 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 2 | Oregon | 06:00 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 3 | Oregon | 05:29 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 4 | Oregon | 02:29 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 5 | Oregon | 05:02 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 6 | Oregon | 05:04 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 7 | Oregon | 04:16 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 8 | Oregon | 07:25 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 9 | Oregon | 04:51 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 10 | Oregon | 01:52 | SpotifyAmazon |
