In 1970, the four musicians began experimenting independently, a process that led to their formal debut as Oregon in a New York City performance in 1971. From the outset, the group specialized in a unique fusion of music that defied categorization, playing what would later be called "world music" long before the term was in common use. The band's name, suggested by McCandless, was a nod to Towner and Moore’s origins in the state of Oregon, according to the .
The year 1972 was a flashpoint for musical cross-pollination. As rock grew heavier and jazz explored the electric frontiers of fusion, four acoustic multi-instrumentalists quietly revolutionized American music. Operating under the name Oregon, Ralph Towner, Paul McCandless, Glen Moore, and Collin Walcott created a sound that defied contemporary categorization. Their debut album, Music of Another Present Era , released on Vanguard Records, laid the cornerstone for what would later be known as chamber jazz and world fusion. Oregon Music of Another Present Era 1972 FLAC