Oregon-1000 kilometers

Dedicated to their recently deceased agent Thomas Stowsand (1000 kms equals one Stowsand in Oregon speak, as their agent frequently sent them on long distance gigs), 1000 Kilometers remains a life-enhancing album despite its sad genesis. This is Oregon in their purest form: no orchestras or dabbling in blues electronics, even their (in)famous meanderings into `world music' forms are restrained. Instead we have intimate, chamber-like composition and free improvisation laced with melodic themes and free wheeling, free thinking group meditations.Towner, as is his wont, plays more piano than guitar, but that bare, romantic keyboard work remains impressive, especially set against Moore's spare pulses (check out 'The Bactrian', a tune which like its camel namesake, travels great house distances with little apparent melodic nourishment). The guitar is all the more impressive for its rarity, sweetly flourishing against the nervous rhythms of `Catching Up' and Walker's pressing hand drums. There are occasional synth washes, as on 'Relentless Imp', which also intimates an eastern feel in McCandless' keening horn, but on the whole it's the band's ability to drive on urgently with unadorned acoustic jazz instruments, as on the opening 'Deep Six', all cowbells and big metal piano chords, that remains so striking about this unique band.Andy Robson