{"title":"Terje Rypdal","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTerje Rypdal, a Norwegian guitarist and composer, was born on 23 August 1947 in Oslo, Norway. With his unique style and innovative approach to music, Rypdal has become one of the most influential figures in contemporary jazz and fusion. Drawing inspiration from various genres including rock, classical, and electronic music, he has created a distinctive sound that is both captivating and experimental.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRypdal's music is often characterized by its intricate guitar work, atmospheric soundscapes, and dynamic compositions. His ability to blend different musical elements seamlessly has earned him comparisons to *Steve Tibbetts*, *Eberhard Weber*, and *John Surman*. Collaborating with renowned artists such as *Jan Garbarek* and *Ketil Bjørnstad*, Rypdal has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible within the realm of jazz.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith an extensive discography spanning over five decades, Rypdal's contributions to the world of music are immeasurable. Whether performing as a solo artist or leading his own ensembles like the *Jan Garbarek Group*, his mesmerizing performances have captivated audiences worldwide. Discover the groundbreaking sounds of Terje Rypdal today.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"terje-rypdal","title":"Terje Rypdal","description":"\u003cp\u003eFollowing on from the release of \u003cem\u003eTerje Rypdal's\u003c\/em\u003e widely acclaimed new album Conspiracy, ECM now reissues four Rypdal recordings from the 1970s albums which helped to establish the Norwegian guitarist as a truly original force in creative music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRypdal's\u003c\/strong\u003e ECM leader debut already maps out several areas of activity that will be of importance in the future, balancing his skills as an ecstatic improviser and sound-sculptor, innovative guitarist, composer, and forward-looking bandleader.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe album begins with \"\u003cem\u003eKeep It Like That Tight\u003c\/em\u003e\", named after one of Miles Davis's terse performance instructions, which finds \u003cstrong\u003eRypdal's\u003c\/strong\u003e group locking into a tough groove from which inspired solos arise, including a powerful tenor sax feature for Jan Garbarek, and a concluding blues-drenched solo from \u003cstrong\u003eRypdal\u003c\/strong\u003e over stabbing electric piano and Christensen's dynamic drums.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf \u003cem\u003eBitches Brew\u003c\/em\u003e provided one template for this approach, \u003cstrong\u003eRypdal\u003c\/strong\u003e and his players, with the encouragement of their producer, took that influence somewhere else.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile \"\u003cem\u003eRainbow\u003c\/em\u003e\" and \"\u003cem\u003eLontano II\u003c\/em\u003e\", in striking contrast, are tone poems which open windows on \u003cstrong\u003eRypdal's\u003c\/strong\u003e textural imagination and his feeling for sound-color, before \"\u003cem\u003eTough Enough\u003c\/em\u003e\" returns the listener to the world of urgent jazz-rock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom many angles, it's a strong performance, and the vivid, panoramic production still feels contemporary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ECM","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50384987259211,"sku":"1103093","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/da157a27-d5e9-47a1-9cbb-a721523a4b21_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726306654"},{"product_id":"catching-fire","title":"Catching Fire","description":"\u003cp\u003eFive years ago, Elephant9 released two double live albums, \u003ci\u003ePsychedelic Backfire I\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eII\u003c\/i\u003e, the latter with guest guitarist Reine Fiske, whose favourite guitarist happened to be Terje Rypdal. With both albums out of print, \u003ci\u003eCatching Fire\u003c\/i\u003e is a most welcome addition to their discography. Recorded at a remarkable concert from 2017 in Oslo, Rypdal would turn 70 later in the year. David Fricke makes some interesting references to classic live albums in his liner notes, and we would like to add King Crimson´s underrated USA and numerous Pink Floyd 1970 live bootlegs into the equation, sharing the common energy level and sense of untamed intensity. That said, there are also stretches of calm at play here, especially in the 22-minute opener where Rypdal introduces himself with some trademark, glacier melodic lines. Rypdal is on fire throughout, adding some fierce rhythm work and abstract acrobatics from his toolbox. Ståle and Terje are sometimes so interlocked that it´s difficult to tell them apart. This is partly because the album is mixed to get a sense of being at the concert, by not overly trying to separate them, but primarily due to a common understanding stemming from Ståle being the guitarist´s “right hand” both in the studio and on stage for close to 30 years. Torstein and Nikolai is the most solid of rhythm sections, a well-oiled engine, finesse and power combined. Elephant9 established their reputation as a live powerhouse well before their album debut in 2008 and have since released six more studio albums as well as the live albums from 2019. Terje Rypdal´s musical history dates back to the early sixties as a teenage member of The Vanguards, and The Dream a few years later. His main body of work is with ECM, first as a member of Jan Garbarek Quartet (Afric Pepperbird, 1970) and with his first solo album Terje Rypdal (1971), all in all counting some 30 releases up to Conspiracy (2020).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rune Grammofon","offers":[{"title":"Black CD","offer_id":50398885577035,"sku":"2222480","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50399284986187,"sku":"2222481","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/RLP3236_1024x1024_ab57cb56_thumbnail_4096.webp?v=1726499269"},{"product_id":"waves-4","title":"Waves","description":"\u003cp\u003eVinyl reissue. This album along with Descendre are two Rypdal albums that feature Trumpet player Palle Mikkelborg. Mikkelborg is perhaps the most diversified and accomplished trumpet player out there. He is truly a musician first and his trumpet playing only serves the goal of creating beautiful and haunting music. Together with Rypdal and the drummer on this album they create some of the most memorable impressionistic music ever recorded. This album is extremely underrated and will live as a lasting legacy of Rypdals unique, powerful and expressive guitar playing and composing\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ecm","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50417256137035,"sku":"1000563","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/52aa4393-4109-4a10-8e16-a5bedad49a7a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726723775"},{"product_id":"conspiracy-3","title":"Conspiracy","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe sonic signature of Terje Rypdal is unmistakable - the yearning, skywards-slanting sustains which introduce his new album could not be anyone else.   On Conspiracy the Norwegian electric guitarist - Terje likes to emphasise the electric - reconnects with the inspiration that fuelled such early masterpieces as Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away, Odyssey and Waves, exploring the potential of his instrument with both a rock improviser's love of raw energy and a composer's feeling for space and sound-colour.   Conspiracy, recorded at Oslo's Rainbow Studio is Terje's first new ECM studio album in two decades and is cause for celebration. His other 21st century recordings have, to date, drawn upon live sources.   The clarity and depth of the new production, and the panoramic sweep of the music, invite the listener to explore the grain, the detail and the texture of its enveloping sounds up close.  Keyboardist Stale Storl?kken, who contributed to Terje's Vossabrygg and Crime Scene albums is an ideal co-conspirator, perpetually thickening the plot with his own intuitive feeling for complementary sound-colours.   Conspiracy also marks a welcome return for Pal Thowsen, whose subtle, detailed drumming was last heard on ECM with Arild Andersen's 1970s groups. Rypdal's best band in years is completed by gifted young bass guitarist Endre Hareide Hallre.  Personnel: Terje Rypdal: electric guitar; Stale Storl?kken: keyboards; Endre Hareide Hallre: bass, fretless bass; Pal Thowsen: drums and percussion.  'Conspiracy' was recorded at Oslo's Rainbow Studio and produced by Manfred Eicher and Terje Rypdal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ECM","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50478745223499,"sku":"2017444","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50478745420107,"sku":"2020072","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_ded567a2_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727490474"},{"product_id":"odyssey-in-studio-in-concert","title":"Odyssey: In Studio \u0026 In Concert","description":"\u003cp\u003eTerje Rypdal was the electric guitar innovator in the 1970s. This box set in ECM's Old \u0026amp; New Masters Series collects his two-LP Odyssey album - heard on CD in its entirety for the first time, including the much-requested and epically-rocking \"Rolling Stone\" - and Unfinished Highballs, a recently unearthed 1976 radio recording that documents the Norwegian guitarist's work for his Odyssey quartet and the Swedish Radio Jazz Group.   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe complete Odyssey may address a longstanding demand from the great guitarist's many followers, but Unfinished Highballs will surprise even Rypdal's most committed fans. It reveals that not only were many of the markers which would come to define his career already in place, but the intrepid guitarist was already searching for ways to include, rather than exclude, in his approach to composition and performance.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eEven that major part of the much-praised, award-winning 1975 Odyssey album that was previously available on CD has been out of the catalogue for some time, so this combination of influential recordings and the significant revelations of Unfinished Highballs makes this new box highly attractive.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\"Even when the dynamics are extreme, Rypdal's sophistication is evident. There are long passages on 'Midnite', 'Adagio' and 'Farewell' which might be offcuts from a forgotten Miles Davis date...The harmonics are entirely his own and very elusive, which is why this record, and others of the time, manage to sound fresh even now.\" - The Penguin Jazz Guide: The History of Jazz in the 1001 Best Albums\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003ePersonnel: Terje Rypdal (electric guitar, synthesizer, soprano saxophone), Torbj?rn Sunde (trombone), Brynjulf Blix (organ, synthesizer, electric piano), Sveinung Hovensj? (bass guitar), Svein Christiansen (drums), Disc 3 only: Swedish Radio Jazz Group, Georg Riedel and Terje Rypdal (directors)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ECM","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50490170900811,"sku":"2018097","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_a29a5d8f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727653902"},{"product_id":"whenever-i-seem-to-be-far-away","title":"Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhenever I Seem To Be Far Away is, by common consensus, one of Terjes early masterpieces. Rypdal has said that he sometimes felt conflicted in his early years, pulled in different directions by the urges to compose orchestral music and to develop an improvising language as a guitarist drawing upon the sonorities of rock rather than jazz. The demands of the mediums could seem contradictory. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot on Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away, however. Terje Rypdal pursues his own way with purity, clarity and inspirational complexity, the reviewer in the Los Angeles Free Press declared. He touches you on an improvisational level and a compositional level. I never heard an electric guitar sound so natural in an orchestral setting before. An important contributor here was Mladen Gutesha, the Saravejo-born conductor and arranger who worked on several ECM sessions which framed improvisers with string players, including Keith Jarretts In The Light, Luminessence and Arbour Zena, and Nana Vasconçeloss Saudades. On the title piece of Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away (subtitled Image for Electric Guitar, Strings, Oboe and Clarinet), the players of the Sudfunk Symphony convincingly echo the yearning quality of Terjes singing electric guitar, with moving results. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmong the pleasures of this group of Rypdal reissues is the presence throughout of drummer Jon Christensen. Terje and Jon, lifelong friends, played on dozens of albums and in many groups together. Christensen always alluded to the trio with Terje and Danish trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg as heard on Descendre - as a particular favourite of his, an ideal instance of an interactive small group that could move in multiple directions. As drummer in the trio he could from moment to moment underline the melodic jazz phrasing of Palle Mikkelborg or rock out with Terje, find ways to combine their different time feelings, or strike out on his own. The three musicians could create highly atmospheric ensemble music, drifting clouds of sound sometimes with both Terje and Palle playing keyboards or develop freely contrapuntal ideas. The very open pieces that Rypdal wrote for this trio - such as the superb Circles allowed maximum room for expression.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ECM","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50490648428875,"sku":"1103095","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/43259240-39b3-4001-b93e-155d29237a92_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727669329"},{"product_id":"bleak-house","title":"Bleak House","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 1968 debut album from Norwegian guitar legend Terje Rypdal stands as a significant entry in the late 1960s jazz landscape, exemplifying the transition from psychedelic rock to a more intricate, freeform blend of jazz elements. Collaborating with legendary musicians like Jan Garbarek, Rypdal's work on this album showcases his innovative talent. Recorded during three sessions in Oslo in 1968, \u003cem\u003eBleak House\u003c\/em\u003e marks Rypdal’s departure from the psychedelic group The Dream as he ventured into new musical territories. He would go on to become one of the most recognizable instrumentalists in European jazz, with releases on the ECM label filled with his searing, evocative guitar sounds that evoke a future tundra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough only 21 at the time, Rypdal was already creating music that was incredibly mature, smooth, and sophisticated. While it undeniably captures the essence of the 60s, it remains enjoyable today. The album, originally released on Polydor, features slight Latin and blues influences, along with big-band arrangements that are both well-crafted and enchantingly loose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reissue of \u003cem\u003eBleak House\u003c\/em\u003e offers much to unpack. Historically, it represents a bridge in the European transition from jazz-rock to a unique avant-garde\/free jazz hybrid. Even at this early point in his career, Rypdal's ability to incorporate post-bop, fusion, and avant-garde elements into a cohesive album was an impressive feat of imagination. Rypdal has always been a bold composer, capable of weaving intoxicatingly discordant melodies, as exemplified in tracks like \"Winter Serenade\", or evoking an unearthly sadness in his more reflective pieces. \u003cem\u003eBleak House\u003c\/em\u003e is a timeless and important recording, and it is a pleasure to hear it in this 180g virgin vinyl format. A must-listen for anyone interested in the evolution of modern jazz.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Free Flow Archive","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":51958936830283,"sku":"R4339-0176","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/8055323522748.jpg?v=1749055726"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/terje-rypdal.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}