Terje Rypdal - Skywards ECM, 1996)

 
Terje Rypdal, guitar
David Darling, cello
Terje Tønnesen, violin
Palle Mikkelborg, trumpet
Christian Eggen, piano
Paolo Vinaccia, drums
John Christiansen, drums

Recorded February 1996

Rainbow Studio, Oslo

Engineer: Jan Erik Kongshaug

I got hooked on Terje Rypdal in the late 1970s when I first heard Odyssey (ECM, 1976), a 2-LP set with side-long pieces of ethereal distorted guitar, percussion, trumpets, and miscellaneous noisemakers. For the next ten years, I collected most of Rypdal's ECM LPs and later added CDs when the grand format shift occurred in the 1980s. 

Skywards finds the former prog rocker in fine form. Although I had been spoiled by his vinyl recordings, Skywards on CD preserves most of the spacious detail that analogue ECM recordings are known for. 

Skywards' emphasis is on amplified string instruments. Over the pair of drummers, the blend of piano, guitar, and cello create complex timbres to support Rypdal's solo spots and the cool flights of Palle Mikkelborg's trumpet.

The program explores a variety of Rypdal's musical ambitions. "Into the Wilderness" offers dramatic suspense - for me a dark, ominous setting as might be discovered deep inside a Norwegian fjord. "Out of This World (Sinfonietta)" is the longest piece at almost 16 minutes. It reveals Rypdal's symphonic side. "Shining" is a feature for the percussionists and their assortment of bells, chimes, and drumheads. Finally, the closing "Remember to Remember" features violinist Terje Tønnesen and pianist Christian Eggen. 

Although song forms and instrumentations vary across the album, there is no mistaking that this is a Terje Rypdal recording. It extends the themes he visited in the 1970s and 1980s to create a fully engaging listening experience!

To read my reviews of two other Rypdal albums, go to:

Post: Edit Odyssey

Post: Edit To Be Continued