Oracle

Oracle

• Record Label: Ecm
• Country Of Release: EU
• Year Of Release: 1994
• Oracle
• Peacock/towner

Given the obvious classical influence on bassist Gary Peacock's opener, "Gaya," guitarist Ralph Towner's exotic and exclusive use of nylon and 12-string acoustic guitars, and the 20th-century modernity of the melodies and harmonies all over <I>Oracle</I>, it's easy to miss the serious swing going on here. Of the utmost relevance for <I>Oracle</I> is Towner's work with his group Oregon--inadvertently instrumental in the rise of New Age and World Beat music, though the band operates in a much more rarified artistic atmosphere than most of the music in either of those genres. As a guitarist, Towner tends to slip under the radar that made his contemporaries--John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Bill Frisell, and Pat Metheny--icons of their instrument. But one listen to "Tramonto," a waltz in the style of Peacock's former employer, Bill Evans, easily establishes the equality of his jazz credentials. The interplay throughout <I>Oracle</I> helps define another genre that Towner (with ECM) and Peacock helped create: "chamber jazz." <I>--Michael Ross</I>