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1973Distant HillsVanguard VMD 79341
Collin Walcott (percussion, tabla, sitar, dulcimer, 1970-84),
Glen Moore (bass, clarinet, viola, piano),
Paul McCandless (bass clarinet, oboe, horn, soprano sax, synthesizer, wind ),
Ralph Towner (flugelhorn, classical guitar, piano, percussion, 12 string guitar, guitar, Hammond organ)
Towner, McCandless, Moore, and Collin Walcott (percussion, sitar, tabla) met as members of world music pioneer Paul Winter's "Consort" ensemble in the late 1960s. Their contributions were seminal in establishing the Winter Consort "sound" in compositions like Towner's "Icarus."The four musicians broke away from Winter in 1970 to form their own group, Oregon (Towner and Moore met while students at the University of Oregon).
They recorded their first record in 1970, but the label, Increase Records, went out of business before it could be released. (It was released by Vanguard in 1980 as Our First Record.) The group's first release was Music of Another Present Era in 1972. With that debut and its follow-ups Distant Hills and Winter Light (all on Vanguard), Oregon established itself as one of the leading improvisational groups of its day, blending Indian and Western classical music with jazz, folk, space music and avant-garde elements. The group released numerous albums on Vanguard throughout the 1970s, then made three records for Elektra. After a couple years hiatus devoted to their individual projects, the group resumed recording for ECM in 1983.During a 1984 concert tour, Walcott was killed in an automobile accident in East Germany. Oregon temporarily disbanded, but reformed by 1987 to record Ecotopia (its final album for ECM) with new percussionist Trilok Gurtu. Gurtu made two further records as a member of the group, but by 1993 he had left; the group recorded two albums as a trio after his departure. With new member Mark Walker on drum kit, Oregon assumed a more conventional jazz orientation beginning with the 1996 album Northwest Passage. In 2001 the ensemble traveled to Moscow, Russia to record with the Moscow Tchaikovsky Orchestra. The recording garnered four Grammy nominations.
The group enjoys an avid and eclectic following. Apollo astronauts took a recording of Oregon's music to the moon and named two lunar craters after compositions by the ensemble "Icarus" and "Ghost Beads".From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
One of the earliest and finest exponents of world jazz, Oregon began life in 1970 as an offshoot of the Paul Winter Consort, in which the group's original members had played. From the beginning, the band eschewed most jazz conventions. Percussionist Collin Walcott played tabla, sitar, and dulcimer, among other instruments, but did not use a trap set; bassist Glen Moore doubled on clarinet, viola, and piano, and its front line was formed by a double-reedist (Paul McCandless) and an acoustic guitarist (Ralph Towner). The band's music differed from much of what had heretofore been considered jazz. The concept of blues and swing was given a much-reduced prominence in favor of other, less literal forms of tonal and rhythmic organization. For example, Indian ragas would occasionally replace chord changes, and talas would supplant swing time. The group's dynamic approach was quieter than typical by jazz standards, and their overall aesthetic somewhat introspective. Improvisation was central to the band's work, however, and in this sense their music is most firmly in the jazz tradition. Oregon's music is characterized by a heightened method of ensemble interaction, a rapt attention to timbral contrast, and an openness to any and all cultural influences. After Walcott's death in a car accident in 1984, the group disbanded for a time, before eventually replacing him with percussionist Trilok Gurtu. ~ Chris Kelsey, All Music Guide
The band came together in 1973 in Cornwall, England, with 
they were joined by another banjo player, 
The Shawn Phillips music. Kaleidoscopic and organic. Flowing. Living for a time. Incorporating every musical style from Bulgarian to quarter tone to African. But going its own way. Fulfilling one of the prerequisites of art -- It doesn't leave you feeling quite the same.
AMG Biography
Charlie Gearheart today
BABE RUTH was a band that formed in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, in 1971. Guitarist Alan Shacklock founded this progressive rock band. They had a rhythmic, bluesy, guitar orientated sound capped off by the blistering vocals of Jenny Hahn. Rounded out by Chris Holmes (keyboards and organ), Dave Punshon (piano), Dave Hewitt, (bass) and Dick Powell, (drums) this British band always put on a great live show. Jennie Hahn's raw powerful vocals, and Alan Shacklock's magnificent guitar work made for a true signature sound. With very varied eclectic tastes they covererd song like FRANK ZAPPA's "King Kong", and Curtis Mayfield's "We People Darker Than Blue". They enjoyed moderate commercial success in Britain, Canada, and the States, but were plagued by personnel problems, and lack of radio airplay. When vocalist Jennie Hahn left the band for parts unknown, the band lost direction and never regained its initial success. I became aware of them through Boston progressive radio where their great song "The Mexican" became a minor hit. Their 1972 album "First Base", with its cover art by famed YES artist, Roger Dean, remains one of my most favorite albums to this day. I suggest you give this album a listen, because it is simply one of the best rock albums of all time. Although long gone, BABE RUTH should never be forgotten
Έδρα της μπάντας είναι το Λιτόχωρο Πιερίας κοντά στις κορυφές του Ολύμπου. Μέλη της μπάντας όμως βρίσκονται κυρίως στη Λάρισα και στο Βόλο. Η ομάδα είναι όμως αρκετά ευέλικτη και μπορεί να βρίσκεται ανα πάσα στιγμή μαζί!!!
Here's The Live Gig, Enjoy!