Remembering Ralph Towner: The Eclectic Guitar Genius of Ensemble Oregon

Ralph Towner, a guitarist, pianist and composer whose work, both solo and with the long-running ensemble Oregon, synthesized jazz, classical and various international traditions into a highly personal language that won him a devoted following, died on Sunday in Rome. He was 85. His daughter, Celeste Towner, confirmed the death but did not specify the cause. Mr. Towner had been living in Italy since the early 1990s. In the early 1970s, at the height of the jazz-fusion era, Mr. Towner emerged with a virtuosic yet intimate style on albums under the ECM Records label, a leading exponent of progressive jazz. He would record for the company for the rest of his life, releasing more than two dozen albums, many of them featuring him on solo acoustic guitar, both classical and 12-string. “There’s something about having the freedom to basically direct the music yourself,” he said of unaccompanied playing in an interview with JazzTimes in 2017. “Guitar is such a good solo instrument; there’s a sense of playing an ensemble kind of music, but on your own.” His work on the instrument carved a genre-transcending path. Reviewing a 2006 release, “Time Line,” in The New York Times, Nate Chinen wrote, “Mr. Towner has perfected a solo-guitar style of exceptional fullness and warmth; throughout his long tenure on the ECM label, and with the world-fusion ensemble Oregon, he has applied his pristine technique to every kind of malleable purpose.” Oregon debuted in 1971, coming together while the members were working in a band led by the saxophonist Paul Winter. The group, in which Mr. Towner played piano as well as guitar and was its primary composer, would be another constant throughout Mr. Towner’s career. Its other longtime members were the bassist Glen Moore and the woodwind player Paul McCandless. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.