The state of Oregon

When the band Oregon first got together in 1971, it took the name of the state where guitarist-pianist Ralph Towner and bassist Glenn Moore had gone to college. In doing so, it also assumed an identification that seemed a good fit: a group that offered a gently swinging melange of jazz and world music elements, named after a state that, at the time, offered a laid-back, natural environment drawing emigres from California and elsewhere.

Its performance at the Jazz Bakery on Wednesday, however, revealed that Oregon the band, like Oregon the state, has changed considerably in three decades.

Three of the four original members -- Towner, Moore and woodwind artist Paul McCandless -- still make up the core of the ensemble. (The band’s first drummer, the late Collin Walcott, has been replaced by Mark Walker.) And there were moments Wednesday when echoes of the original Oregon resonated through the room, mostly when the instrumentally eclectic Towner was playing acoustic guitar behind McCandless’ lyrical soprano saxophone lines.

But for the most part the music cruised through more turbulent waters. Much of what Oregon has offered in recent years has been based on a complex interplay between composed and improvised passages, often resulting in strikingly free-form soloing and dense ensemble textures. The gripping results produced by this interplay were enhanced by layers of sound from Towner’s electronic keyboards and devices.

The result was an evening of music as intriguing as it was intellectually stimulating. Like Oregon the state, Oregon the band has become much more than just another pretty place.

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Oregon

Where: The Jazz Bakery, 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City

When: Tonight-Sunday, 8 and 9:30 p.m.

Price: $25

Contact: (310) 271-9039