Remembering Ralph Towner
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 …