Ralph Towner

Among the founders of Oregon, Ralph Towner is among the few contemporary jazz music artists to focus on classical guitar. His playing frequently exercises beyond the limitations of standard jazz into globe music and is fairly distinctive. He began playing piano when he was three and trumpet at five, carrying out inside a dance music group when he was 13. Towner analyzed classical acoustic guitar in Vienna and used classical chamber organizations in the middle-’60s. After shifting to NY in 1969, Towner caused Jimmy Garrison, Jeremy Steig, and Paul Winter’s Winter season Consort (1970-1971). In the second option group, Towner 1st fulfilled up with Collin Walcott, Glen Moore, and Paul McCandless, and in 1971 they broke aside to create Oregon, an extremely versatile group which range from jazz and free of charge improvisations to folk music. Towner (who guested with Weather conditions Statement in 1971 and used Gary Burton a little during 1974-1975) performed and documented with Oregon thoroughly in the years following the group’s development, furthermore to recording being a head and with a great many other performers for the ECM label. While on tour in 2003 with guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel, Towner came across Kazakhstan traditional guitarist Slava Grigoryan, who recommended a cooperation. Towner constructed a tour in 2005, which shown each man being a soloist, in duets, and in trios. They begun to play and tour jointly being a “music group” whenever period would permit. The group’s improvement was first noted on From a Fantasy, released on Muthspiel’s Materials label. Towner brought the task to ECM in 2012. The trio documented in Lugano, Switzerland with manufacturer Manfred Eicher, and released Travel Information in nov 2013. 3 years afterwards, Towner became a member of Argentine saxophonist Javier Girotto as well as the ensemble Aires Tango for Duende. In 2017, Towner came back towards the solo electric guitar format for My Foolish Center on ECM.