Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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RYPDAL, Terje

(b 23 Aug. '47, Oslo, Norway) Guitarist, composer; also plays flute and soprano sax. A crossover artist with a European lack of self-consciousness who puts his rock, jazz and symphonic influences together any way he likes. He came from a musical family, played pop and rock, was infl. by Jimmy Hendrix and then by jazz. He joined Jan Garbarek's quartet late '60s, played with George Russell and studied his textbook on modal music, played at the Baden-Baden Jazz Festival '69 with Lester Bowie's big-band. Since playing on Garbarek's first two albums he has recorded for ECM (except for The Terje Rypdal Group '69 on Saba/MPS, made at Baden-Baden incl. vocalist Karin Krog, and The Terje Rypdal Odyssey '75 on Polydor, made at the New Jazz Festival in Hamburg). His first, Bleak House '68, was a big-band album. Of a total of about 20 albums in and out of print in various countries, lineups have changed constantly, sometimes incl. syths, organ, oboe, mellotron etc; the title track of Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away '74 incl. members of the S]auu[dfunk Symphony Orchestra. After The Rain '76 had him on guitars, electric piano, synth, bells etc with Inger Lise Rypdal's voice; Waves '77 was a quartet with Palle Mikkelborg on several instruments; Rypdal/Vitous/DeJohnette 78 was a trio; Descendre '79 a trio with Mikkelborg and drummer Jon Christensen; To Be Continued '81 another trio with the '78 lineup; Eos '83 a duo with David Darling on cello. Chaser '85 was a trio with bass and drums followed by Blue '87 as Terje Rypdal and the Chasers. The ironically titled Singles Collection '89 was a quartet with keyboards, bass and drums, 'U'n'I' described by one critic as 'heavy metal Weather Report'. Recent albums were Undisonus '90 and If Mountains Could Sing '95. He has also written symphonies, a piano concerto etc. Septet Skywards '96 was a relief from his long-toned dolorousness, with guests incl. Palle Mikkelborg on trumpet.