Various - Sky Music: A Tribute to Terje Rypdal

  by Keith How

published: 2 / 10 / 2017

Label: Rune Grammofon
Format: CD

intro

Versatile tribute album from all star Norwegian supergroup and friends who gather together to celebrate the 70th birthday of legendary guitarist Terje Rypdal

Norwegian guitarist and composer Terje Rypdal is 70 years old this year. To those in the know he is considered one of the finest guitarists to grace the planet. To the less informed he is possibly someone “I have heard of”. Here is not the place for his concise history but a cursory glance at his legacy shows that at twenty-three years of age he was picked up by Manfred Eicher for his fledgling E.C.M. label. Rypdal developed into a much admired and formidable guitarist and composer, his collaborative and solo works forging a reputation for both melody and invention among both progressive jazz aficionados and progressive rock lovers. 'Sky Music' is a fitting tribute to Rypdal. An eleven star group of Rune Grammofon musicians came together under the guiding hand of Henry Kaiser to pay tribute to the man. Bill Frisell, David Torn and Jim O’Rourke are among other contributors. Frisell, in fact, begins proceedings with a fine solo electric guitar outing, 'Ornen'. It is a sensitive and fragile piece that is heart warming and perfectly rendered. A fully fledged band then set out their stall on 'Over Birkerot/Silver Bird Heads for the Sun'. Gard Nilssen (drummer with Bushman’s Revenge)does his best Billy Cobham impression on a massive jazz fusion composition that ebbs and flows from slower ambient moments to some frenetic fretwork from the three (or four) featured guitarists in what can only be described as an “epic journey”. At fourteen minutes long this is a fantastic outing that will delight jazzers and rock fans alike. 'Chase' is a fine example of Rypdal’s “prog.rock” canon that features some superb keyboards from Supersilent’s Stale Storlokken and is a six minute jam that blows you away. 'What Comes After' is a completely different universe. Minimal, atmospheric and experimental guitar and cello on it from Erik Friedlander weaves something magical and evocative. It is a testimony to the gathered musicians that they have obviously poured heart and soul into this project. It sounds fantastic.'Warning: Electric guitars “ is monstrous. A massive double bass line from Ingerbrigt Flaten drives this jam and allows the electric guitars to flow freely before an abrupt stop leads into the rather strange 'Tough Enough/Rolling Stone/Tough Enough'. A totally experimental opening merges to an inventive funky piece from Rypdtal’s 1971 self-titled solo outing. At fifteen minutes in just when you think that the track is fading out the band launch into another fully fledged wig out!! EPIC. The guitarists who feature together on the album are Hedvig Mollestad Tomasson, Reine Fiske, Even Heite Hermansen, Henry Kaiser, Raoul Bjorkenheim and Hans Magnus Ryan. Hardly household names but they play with wonderful restraint and emotion. The mastering and mixing of each track allows them freedom of expression without the effect of being “in your face” 'Sky Music' is an intriguing compilation. 'Avskjed' totally contrasts the previous track. Electronic loops and treated guitar paint an atmospheric landscape of total beauty. A solo offering from the wizard David Torn is worth the admission price alone! 'Dream Song/Into the Wilderness/Out of this World', interpreted by keyboard player Stale Storlokken, is about as perfect as you can get. Totally guitar free, the ambience is gentle and relaxed, showing another side to Rypdal’s genius. 'Sky Music'closes with 'Sunrise'. A fitting choice 'Sunrise' is the opening cut on the E.C.M. classic 'Rypdal/Vitous/DeJohnette' recorded in 1978. It is atmospheric and inventive and totally captivating. On the original recording DeJohnette’s economic percussion perfectly combines with the sympathetic bass playing of Vitous providing the canvas for Rypdal. On this version Jim O’Rourke recorded his guitar parts in Tokyo and joins Thomassen and Fiske to make 'Sunrise' the perfect way to complete this tribute to a living legend.

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