Search - Terje Rypdal :: Skywards

As good as it gets with rypdal

10/30/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"      Skywards- Terje Rypdal (ECM 1608)   I have been a big fan of Terje Rypdal's ever since I first heard the track Speil off the Descendre album. Since then I seem to have collected about twenty or so recordings along the way and barr some of the orchestral outings like QED and Undisonus have really come to admire him as a great musician of our time. With his latest release Skywards, Rypdal takes yet one more giant step into the nordic hall of rock/ jazz/ improvisational heroes. This release sees him teaming up with trumpeter Palle Mikkleborg again, as well as David Darling on (some way out dark) cello. Rypdal squeezes so much emotion out of the guitar it's frightening. reminiscent of some of the material played in his Chaser periods, this is some of the finest material to come out of Europe in a long time, and a reminder that ECM is a force to be reckoned with. Rypdal has gone from improvisation to rock to blues to classical, and with this release merges it all together.Having had some tracks included on the soundtrack to Heat, this should make a lot more people aware of Rypdal's awesome talents.What Rypdal does best though, when he's not improvising or being the nordic Hendrix is play some beautiful tunes. He is at his best when the pieces themselves are simple melodies or folk songs. Listen to the opening track Skywards as proof of this. Pure magic. In terms of creating atmospheric music you can't afford to go past Terje Rypdal. Commissioned in 1995 to write some new material to commemorate ECM's contribution to Scandinavian improvisation, Rypdal had a free hand in choosing the musicians he wanted and naturally chose those musicians that he has been working with closely over the last twenty years or so. Jon Christensen again turns up as his preferred drummer, as well as conductor Christian Eggen, who Rypdal worked with on projects like QED, this time though playing keyboards. Terje Tonnesen who is first violinist for the Oslo Philharmonic also appears. On the last track Remember To Remember, Terje Tonnesen proofs what a versatile violinist he is, accompanied on the piano by Christian Eggen, then joined by David Darling on cello. Rypdal does not appear on this track but his presence is all over it. Another classic release for ECM. 25May97  "