Ralph Towner, an American guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer, passed away in Rome on January 18, 2026. He was 85.
A founding member of the groundbreaking ensemble, Oregon, Towner’s music is a fusion of jazz, rock, and folk influences. In an interview, he listed George Gershwin, John Coltrane, John Dowland, and Bill Evans among his influences. Towner was never drawn to the electric guitar, instead preferring to play acoustic six-string nylon-string and 12-string steel-string guitars. He performed multiple instruments and made use of the recording technique of overdubbing.
One of the most prominent examples of this can be heard on the album Diary, recorded by Towner over two days in April of 1973. Here is Icarus, the album’s fourth track:
RIP Dear Ralph… I heard Towner first with Oregon before percussionist Paul McCandless died, then on a few other occasions solo. He was a local, born and lived in WA State most of his life. As a lifetime ECM artists enthusiast, I collected numerous records of his, my favorite being his “Solo Concert,” a gorgeous musical meditation which came at a pivotal moment in my life. Ralph was a searching creative artist with a distinct sound. He will be missed.
RIP Dear Ralph… I heard Towner first with Oregon before percussionist Paul McCandless died, then on a few other occasions solo. He was a local, born and lived in WA State most of his life. As a lifetime ECM artists enthusiast, I collected numerous records of his, my favorite being his “Solo Concert,” a gorgeous musical meditation which came at a pivotal moment in my life. Ralph was a searching creative artist with a distinct sound. He will be missed.
Oops! Mistake in my post – it was percussionist *Colin Walcott* who was tragically killed in 1984. Paul McCandless was the saxophonist for Oregon.