Paul Winter Consort

The Paul Winter Consort is a seminal ensemble in the development of 'Earth Music,' a genre-defying blend of jazz, classical, and world music that incorporates environmental sounds. Formed in 1967 by saxophonist Paul Winter, the group served as a crucial incubator for the musicians who would later form the legendary jazz group Oregon, including Ralph Towner and Paul McCandless.

Their sound identity is defined by the use of acoustic instruments - oboe, cello, 12-string guitar - and a focus on the natural resonance of non-traditional recording spaces. Historically, they are significant for bridging the gap between the 1960s jazz avant-garde and the burgeoning New Age movement, though they maintained a level of technical rigor and improvisational depth often missing from the latter. Their cultural position is cemented by their long-standing residency at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where their Solstice celebrations have become iconic New York cultural fixtures. Critical consensus views them as pioneers of ecological consciousness in music, successfully integrating field recordings of endangered species into sophisticated, polyphonic compositions.