Oregon daily emerald., February 01, 1985, THE Friday EDITION, Image 9

oregon daily emera
Id
arts & entertainment
february 1, 1985
It was a year ago Christmas when I first
met Paul Owens. I was with a friend in
the Portland’s New Market Theatre, a
one-time train depot with a high, open
corridor made of the brick that reflected
the strength of the early 20th century.
The crowd was light and Owen’s music
seemed to move about them, sometimes
embracing and holding them as they
walked. He played alone and i stopped
to listen and watch. As he played others
paused and listened, unknowingly offer
ing the emotions that are the reason he
plays.
My music is reflections and impres
sions of the feelings that are felt univer
sally and communicated through the
sounds of music. I see and feel life and
let it come back through sound. My
music weaves classical, jazz, blues and
folk, and in ways it defies definition.
Every time that I play a song it has a dif
ferent texture to its weave, a slightly dif
ferent fabric.
1 listened for a while and saw that he
had tapes near for sale to passers by. 1
talked with the tall, slender man and felt
as though I was with an old friend. A few
people lingered, complimenting Owens
and buying tapes from his dwindling
supply. He continued to play and we
continued to talk, discovering that we
both lived in Eugene. He was in Portland
with friends and thought that the at
mosphere of the New Market Theatre
would be a nice place to play and sell a
few recordings. I agreed.
Story by Michael Duncan
Photographs by Hank Trotter
I really like a live audience. I feed on
their energy. If they are relatively quiet
and putting out nice energy themselves,
usually it’s real powerful. If they feel ii
and 1 feel it. it can be very dramatic. 1
love those moments best. I find that
when I play outdoors, when people can
come and go. that it sets up a situation
where only people who want to be there,
are there. That is the best audience. A
beautiful place usually makes for
beautiful music.
It wasn’t long before the tape I bought
was worn from long playing time and
recording copies for friends. The
holidays were over and 1 returned to
classes. It wasn’t too long before I saw
Owens playing a game of pick-up basket
ball in Esslinger.
Basketball. I love the game. It's a real
art, the movements are like dancing with
a ball. I think what I like best is the ran
dom nature of the game. It’s an im
provisation like the way that 1 play the
piano. / have all origional compositions
but I don't write music. I have the songs
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