Oregon - 45th Parallel (1989) Flac + MP3

Tracklist

1. Pageant
2. Hand in Hand
3. King Font
4. Riding on the "D" Train
5. Beneath an Evening Sky
6. Chihuahua Dreams
7. Urumchi
8. Douzilles
9. Bombay Vice
10. Pageant (Epilogue)

personnel :

Paul Mccandless - bass clarinet, english horn, oboe, piccolo sax, soprano sax
Trilok Gurtu - percussion, voices, tabla, drums
Ralph Towner- synthesizer, 12-string guitar, classical guitar, piano
Glen Moore - bass
Nancy King - vocals

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. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide