Ralph Towner
Encyclopedia
Ralph Towner is an American multi-instrumentalist
, composer
, arranger
and bandleader
. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar
, piano
, synthesizer
, percussion and trumpet
.
, Towner has made notable recordings of jazz
, classical music, folk music
, and world music
. He began his career as a conservatory-trained classical pianist, who picked up guitar in his senior year in college, then joined world music pioneer Paul Winter
's "Consort" ensemble in the late 1960s. Along with bandmates Paul McCandless
, Glen Moore
, and Collin Walcott
, Towner left the Winter Consort in 1970 to form the group Oregon, which over the course of the 1970s issued a number of highly influential records mixing folk music, India
n classical forms, and avant-garde jazz
-influenced free improvisation. At the same time, Towner began a longstanding relationship with the influential ECM
record label, which has released virtually all of his non-Oregon recordings since his 1972 debut as a leader Trios / Solos
. Towner has also made numerous appearances as a sideman, perhaps most famously on jazz fusion
heavyweights Weather Report
's 1972 album I Sing the Body Electric
.
Unlike most jazz guitarists, Towner eschews amplification
, using only 6-string nylon-string and 12-string steel-string guitars. As a result, he tends to avoid high-volume musical environments, preferring small groups of mostly acoustic instruments that emphasize dynamics and group interplay. Towner also obtains a percussive effect (e.g., "Donkey Jamboree" from Slideshow
with Gary Burton
) from the guitar by weaving a matchbook among the strings at the neck of the instrument. Both with Oregon and as a solo artist, Towner has made significant use of overdubbing
, allowing him to play piano (or synthesizer) and guitar on the same track; his most notable use of the technique came on his 1974 album Diary
, in which he plays guitar-piano duets with himself on most of the album's 8 tracks. In the 1980s, Towner began using the Prophet V synthesizer fairly extensively, but has since deemphasized his synthesizer and piano playing in favor of guitar.
Born into a musical family, his mother a piano teacher and his father a trumpet player, Towner learned to improvise on the piano at the age of three. He started trumpet lessons at the age of five, but did not take up guitar until attending the University of Oregon
, where he also studied composition with Homer Keller
. He first played jazz in New York City in the late 1960s as a pianist and was strongly influenced by the renowned jazz pianist Bill Evans
. He began improvising on classical and 12-string guitars in the late 1960s/early 1970s; formed alliances with musicians who had worked with Evans, including flautist Jeremy Steig
, bassists Eddie Gomez
, Marc Johnson, Gary Peacock
, and drummer Jack DeJohnette
;
Towner now lives in Rome
, Italy
.
With Oregon
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
and bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, percussion and trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
.
Biography
Born in 1940 in Chehalis, WashingtonChehalis, Washington
Chehalis is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,259 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County.-History:...
, Towner has made notable recordings of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, classical music, folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
. He began his career as a conservatory-trained classical pianist, who picked up guitar in his senior year in college, then joined world music pioneer Paul Winter
Paul Winter
Paul Winter is an American saxophonist , and is a six-time Grammy Award nominee.- Biography :Paul Winter attended Altoona Area High School and graduated in 1957...
's "Consort" ensemble in the late 1960s. Along with bandmates Paul McCandless
Paul McCandless
Paul McCandless, Jr. is an American jazz woodwind player and composer. He is one of few expert jazz oboists, and also plays English horn, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet, and pennywhistle, among other instruments.He has performed with the Paul Winter Consort and is...
, Glen Moore
Glen Moore
Glen Moore is a jazz bassist who occasionally performs on piano, flute and violin.His performing career began at age 14 with the Young Oregonians in Portland, Oregon where he met and played with Native American saxophonist, Jim Pepper. He graduated with a degree in History and Literature from the...
, and Collin Walcott
Collin Walcott
Collin Walcott was a North American musician. He was a student of Ravi Shankar and Vasant Rai. Collin expanded the role of the sitar in western music. Walcott studied music and ethnomusicology at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and at The University of California at Los Angeles...
, Towner left the Winter Consort in 1970 to form the group Oregon, which over the course of the 1970s issued a number of highly influential records mixing folk music, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n classical forms, and avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. Avant-jazz often sounds very similar to free jazz, but differs in that, despite its distinct departure from traditional harmony, it has a predetermined structure over which ...
-influenced free improvisation. At the same time, Towner began a longstanding relationship with the influential ECM
ECM (record label)
ECM is a record label founded in Munich, Germany, in 1969 by Manfred Eicher. While ECM is best known for jazz music, the label has released a wide variety of recordings, and ECM's artists often refuse to acknowledge boundaries between genres...
record label, which has released virtually all of his non-Oregon recordings since his 1972 debut as a leader Trios / Solos
Trios / Solos
Trios / Solos is the debut album by American multi-instrumentalist and composer Ralph Towner featuring bassist Glen Moore recorded in 1972 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
. Towner has also made numerous appearances as a sideman, perhaps most famously on jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
heavyweights Weather Report
Weather Report
Weather Report was an American jazz-rock band of the 1970s and early 1980s. The band was co-led by the Austrian-born keyboard player Joe Zawinul and the American saxophonist Wayne Shorter...
's 1972 album I Sing the Body Electric
I Sing the Body Electric (album)
I Sing the Body Electric is the second album released by Weather Report from 1972. The album includes two new members of the band: percussionist Dom Um Romão and drummer Eric Gravatt. The last three tracks were recorded live in concert in Tokyo, Japan on January 13, 1972...
.
Unlike most jazz guitarists, Towner eschews amplification
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, using only 6-string nylon-string and 12-string steel-string guitars. As a result, he tends to avoid high-volume musical environments, preferring small groups of mostly acoustic instruments that emphasize dynamics and group interplay. Towner also obtains a percussive effect (e.g., "Donkey Jamboree" from Slideshow
Slideshow
A slide show is a display of a series of chosen information or pictures, done for artistic or instructional purposes. Slide shows are conducted by a presenter using an apparatus, such as a carousel slide projector, an overhead projector or in more recent years, a computer running presentation...
with Gary Burton
Gary Burton
Gary Burton is an American jazz vibraphonist.A true original on the vibraphone, Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the usual two-mallets. This approach caused Burton to be heralded as an innovator and his sound and technique are widely imitated...
) from the guitar by weaving a matchbook among the strings at the neck of the instrument. Both with Oregon and as a solo artist, Towner has made significant use of overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
, allowing him to play piano (or synthesizer) and guitar on the same track; his most notable use of the technique came on his 1974 album Diary
Diary (Ralph Towner album)
Diary is the second album by American guitarist and composer Ralph Towner recorded in 1973 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by David R. Adler awarded the album 3 stars stating "It's a solo performance with a twist: Towner plays not only 12-string and classical guitars,...
, in which he plays guitar-piano duets with himself on most of the album's 8 tracks. In the 1980s, Towner began using the Prophet V synthesizer fairly extensively, but has since deemphasized his synthesizer and piano playing in favor of guitar.
Born into a musical family, his mother a piano teacher and his father a trumpet player, Towner learned to improvise on the piano at the age of three. He started trumpet lessons at the age of five, but did not take up guitar until attending the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, where he also studied composition with Homer Keller
Homer Keller
Homer T. Keller was an American composer of contemporary classical music.He graduated from Oxnard Union High School in Oxnard, California in 1933, after which he attended the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Howard Hanson, obtaining B.M. and M.M. degrees...
. He first played jazz in New York City in the late 1960s as a pianist and was strongly influenced by the renowned jazz pianist Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
. He began improvising on classical and 12-string guitars in the late 1960s/early 1970s; formed alliances with musicians who had worked with Evans, including flautist Jeremy Steig
Jeremy Steig
-Biography:Steig is the son of New Yorker cartoonist William Steig,At age 19 Steig was involved in a motorcycle accident which left him paralyzed on one side...
, bassists Eddie Gomez
Eddie Gomez
Edgar "Eddie" Gómez is a Puerto Rican jazz double bassist born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, perhaps most notable for his work done with the Bill Evans trio from 1966 to 1977.-Biography:...
, Marc Johnson, Gary Peacock
Gary Peacock
Gary Peacock is an American jazz double-bassist.-Biography:After military service in Germany, in the early sixties he worked on the west coast with Barney Kessel, Bud Shank, Paul Bley and Art Pepper, then moved to New York. He worked there with Bley, the Bill Evans trio , and Albert Ayler's trio...
, and drummer Jack DeJohnette
Jack DeJohnette
Jack DeJohnette is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. He is one of the most influential jazz drummers of the 20th century, due to extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians like Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett and Sonny...
;
Towner now lives in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Discography
- Trios / SolosTrios / SolosTrios / Solos is the debut album by American multi-instrumentalist and composer Ralph Towner featuring bassist Glen Moore recorded in 1972 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
(ECM, 1972) — with Glen MooreGlen MooreGlen Moore is a jazz bassist who occasionally performs on piano, flute and violin.His performing career began at age 14 with the Young Oregonians in Portland, Oregon where he met and played with Native American saxophonist, Jim Pepper. He graduated with a degree in History and Literature from the... - DiaryDiary (Ralph Towner album)Diary is the second album by American guitarist and composer Ralph Towner recorded in 1973 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by David R. Adler awarded the album 3 stars stating "It's a solo performance with a twist: Towner plays not only 12-string and classical guitars,...
(ECM, 1974) - MatchbookMatchbook (Ralph Towner & Gary Burton album)Matchbook is an album by guitarist Ralph Towner and vibraphonist Gary Burton recorded in 1974 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars stating "More tempo and mood variation would have uplifted the otherwise fine music".-Track listing:#...
(ECM, 1975) - with Gary BurtonGary BurtonGary Burton is an American jazz vibraphonist.A true original on the vibraphone, Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the usual two-mallets. This approach caused Burton to be heralded as an innovator and his sound and technique are widely imitated... - SolsticeSolstice (Ralph Towner album)Solstice is an album by the American guitarist Ralph Towner that was released on the ECM label in 1975. It features Towner with Jan Garbarek, Eberhard Weber and Jon Christensen....
(ECM, 1975) - Sargasso SeaSargasso Sea (album)Sargasso Sea is an album by guitarists John Abercrombie and Ralph Towner recorded in 1976 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Michael G. Nastos awarded the album 3 stars stating "An uneven recording for many listeners and critics, Sargasso Sea deserves a second chance,...
(ECM, 1976) — with John AbercrombieJohn Abercrombie (guitarist)John Abercrombie is an American jazz guitarist, whose work often explores jazz fusion and post bop. Abercrombie has played with Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker... - Solstice/Sound and ShadowsSolstice/Sound and ShadowsSolstice/Sound and Shadows is an album by the American guitarist Ralph Towner that was released on the ECM label in 1977. It is the second album to feature the Solstice quartet of Towner with Jan Garbarek, Eberhard Weber and Jon Christensen....
(ECM, 1977) - BatikBatik (album)Batik is an album by guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 1978 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars stating "The music unfolds slowly but logically, and Towner's quiet sound displays a lot of inner heat.....
(ECM, 1978) - Old Friends, New FriendsOld Friends, New FriendsOld Friends, New Friends is an album by guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 1979 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars calling it "An intriguing set well worth several listens"....
(ECM, 1979) - Solo ConcertSolo Concert (album)Solo Concert is a live album by guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 1979 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars stating "The interpretations are typically sensitive, thoughtful, and often introspective, but also show off Towner's...
(ECM, 1979) - Five Years LaterFive Years LaterFive Years Later is an album by guitarists John Abercrombie and Ralph Towner recorded in 1981 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 2½ stars stating "One can easily tell the two guitarists apart, since Abercrombie mostly plays electric and has...
(ECM, 1982) - with John Abercrombie - Blue SunBlue Sun (album)Blue Sun is a solo album by guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 1982 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded the album 3 stars.-Track listing:# "Blue Sun" - 7:21# "The Prince and the Sage" - 6:23# "C.T...
(ECM, 1983) - Slide ShowSlide Show (album)Slide Show is an album by guitarist Ralph Towner and vibraphonist Gary Burton recorded in 1985 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by awarded the album 3 stars.-Track listing:# "Maelstrom" - 8:43# "Vessel" - 5:25...
(ECM, 1986) - with Gary Burton - City of EyesCity of EyesCity of Eyes is an album by guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 1988 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "City of Eyes shows Ralph Towner as a musical explorer again, a composer and instrumentalist who can persuasively create...
(ECM, 1989) - Open LetterOpen Letter (Ralph Towner album)Open Letter is an album by guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 1991 and 1992 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Rick Anderson awarded the album 3 stars stating "Ralph Towner's a difficult case. The snoozy noodlings of his former band Oregon can be downright stupefying,...
(ECM, 1992) - OracleOracle (Gary Peacock and Ralph Towner album)Oracle is an album by American jazz bassist Gary Peacock and guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 1993 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
(ECM, 1994) - with Gary Peacock - A Closer ViewA Closer ViewA Closer View is an album by American jazz bassist Gary Peacock and guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 1995 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
(ECM, 1995 [1998]) - with Gary Peacock - Lost and FoundLost and Found (Ralph Towner album)Lost and Found is an album by guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 1995 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "This is a guitar player's recording, but it is obvious that Towner writes for ensembles equally well, and he has...
(ECM, 1996) - AnaAna (album)Ana is a solo album by American guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 1996 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album 2½ stars stating "While Towner isn't entirely successful in melding classical, jazz and new age -- he frequently meanders...
(ECM, 1997) - If Summer Had Its Ghosts (1997) - with Bill BrufordBill BrufordWilliam Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...
& Eddie GomezEddie GomezEdgar "Eddie" Gómez is a Puerto Rican jazz double bassist born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, perhaps most notable for his work done with the Bill Evans trio from 1966 to 1977.-Biography:... - AnthemAnthem (Ralph Towner album)Anthem is a solo album by American guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 2000 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4½ stars stating "Anthem is Towner's finest album in a decade and one of the finest in his distinguished career".-Track listing:#...
(ECM, 2001) - Time LineTime Line (Ralph Towner album)Time Line is a solo album by American guitarist Ralph Towner recorded in 2005 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "this is a brief but utterly captivating issue from one of the music's great composers and theorists that should...
(ECM, 2006) - From a Dream (Material, 2008) - with Slava GrigoryanSlava GrigoryanSlava Grigoryan is an Australian classical guitarist and recording artist of Armenian heritage.He was born in Kazakhstan to Eduard and Irina Grigoryan, both professional violinists. His family emigrated to Australia in 1981 and he was raised in Melbourne. Grigoryan began to study guitar with his...
and Wolfgang MuthspielWolfgang MuthspielWolfgang Muthspiel is an Austrian guitarist and composer most associated with jazz and brother of the trombonist and pianist Christian Muthspiel.... - ChiaroscuroChiaroscuro (Ralph Towner album)Chiaroscuro is an album by American guitarist Ralph Towner and Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu recorded in 2008 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
(ECM, 2009) - with Paolo FresuPaolo FresuPaolo Fresu is a trumpet and flugelhorn jazz player, as well as an arranger of music, and music composer.-Career:Fresu was born in Berchidda, Sardinia. He picked up the trumpet at the age of 11, and played in the band Bernardo de Muro in his home town Berchidda...
With Oregon
- OregonOregon (album)Oregon is an album by American world music/jazz group featuring Ralph Towner, Paul McCandless, Glen Moore, and Collin Walcott recorded in 1983 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
(ECM, 1983) - CrossingCrossing (album)Crossing is an album by American world music/jazz group Oregon featuring Ralph Towner, Paul McCandless, Glen Moore, and Collin Walcott recorded in 1984 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
(ECM, 1984) - EcotopiaEcotopia (album)Ecotopia is an album by American world music/jazz group featuring Ralph Towner, Paul McCandless, Glen Moore, and Trilok Gurtu, who replaced Collin Walcott following his accidental death, recorded in 1987 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
(ECM, 1987)