Ralph Towner: A Journey Through Musical Expression
I am aware that some articles I write are going to appeal to some of my readers more than others. We all have different tastes. I am purposely testing my boundaries when it comes to these posts. Remember it is a reflective blues and jazz revue! It does lean mostly towards the blues genre, but the blues gave birth to jazz and its improvising form. It is a major influence for me and therefore a necessary topic for me to discuss…
The seventies were just about closing … That’s the era in music that had a major impact on me. I listened to and was so influenced by music that I would constantly dream of getting a job in the industry. I rode that challenge in 1979 onboard a flight to my new home of New York City.
I often think about what artists I was listening to in that time frame leading up to my New York move. One of the artists that strongly influenced my love for, especially acoustic jazz was guitarist Ralph Towner. His album“Solo Concert.” will always remind me of my bizarre youthful spirit. The music was far from dangerous and most certainly adventurous. Great memories and crazy times …
Ralph Towner
is best known as the lead composer, guitarist, and keyboardist for the acoustic jazz ensemble “Oregon.” He has also seen a rich solo career on the ECM label and has collaborated with contemporary musicians such as John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell, Keith Jarrett and Gary Peacock. Just to name a few.
Towner was born in Chehalis, Washington on March 1st, 1940. Like his parents, his first instruments were the trumpet and piano. Towner was raised in an environment where explorations into the musical fold were strongly encouraged. In 1958, Towner enrolled in the University of Oregon as an art major, but later he would change his major to composition. It was during this time that he met bassist Glen Moore and would later form a future partnership.
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