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BIOGRAPHY
The son of two
music teachers, Paul McCandless grew up playing
with parts of musical instruments he found in
his grandfather’s repair shop. By age nine
he was playing classical clarinet and was introduced
to jazz in middle school when he took up the saxophone
and his primary instrument, the oboe. McCandless
continued his musical studies at Duquesne University
and the Manhattan School of Music before embarking
on a career as a multi-instrumentalist and composer
that has spanned three decades beginning with
the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and continuing
with the Paul Winter Consort which he joined in1968.
In 1973 he left Winter to form the quartet Oregon
with guitarist/pianist Paul Towner, bassist Glen
Moore, and percussionist Collin Walcott (succeeded
by Mark Walker after Walcott’s death). Oregon’s
discography includes recordings on Vanguard, Elektra/Asylum,
ECM, Epic, Chesky and Intuition Records and the
ensemble has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln
Center, Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Vienna’s
Mozartsaal and other internationally renowned
venues as well as at clubs and festivals around
the world. In addition to Oregon, McCandless has
had an eclectic and active solo career working
with Jaco Pastorius, Carla Bley, Wynton Marsalis,
Pat Metheny, Steve Lacy and Bela Fleck, among
others. His recordings as a leader include All
the Mornings Bring (Elektra), Navigator (Landslide),
Heresay (Windham Hill) and he contributed to several
Windham Hill anthologies including Bach Variations
and The Impressionists. In addition to his ongoing
association with Oregon, McCandless works with
artists in both the jazz and classical worlds
and in 2005 is scheduled to appear as a guest
soloist with the LA Philharmonic. Shapeshifter
marks his recording debut on the tenor saxophone.
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