This day late Sunday Music Muse Day post is a double spin of Terje Rydal, the Norwegian guitarist and composer, I first became aware of through his ECM recordings in the 70's, with an eclectic blend of Jazz, Free-Jazz and Classical music. My first selection, "Terje Rydal /Miroslav Vitous /Jack Dejohnette" is self-tilled untitled recording from 1979, and it has strong Jazz Fusion leaning with European flavor, with Rydal's angular and spacy electric guitar, and guitar synthesizer styling, and Vitous, the well-known Czech bassist, in Free Jazz and Jazz Fusion. He was an original co-founder of Weather Report, with Joe Zawinul, and Wayne Shorter (reportedly he chose to leave Weather Report when the musical direction shift from more Free Jazz to a more commercial sound). Jack Dejohnette is also highly regarded jazz drummer and composer, well-known for playing with Miles Davis, and for a long association with pianist Keith Jarrett. This solid CD is for anyone with adventurous taste in music. Definitely give it a listen with an open mind.
My second selection is Terje Rypdal Melodic Warrior. I'm at a lost to describe this CD, so I'll just quote a reviewer John Kelman from Jazz Online, " The lion's share of guitarist Terje Rypdal's Melodic Warrior is devoted to the nine-movement title suite, a 2003 recording with the Bruckner Orchester Linz and, most importantly, the Hilliard Ensemble, the vocal ensemble that leapt to greater fame with Officium (ECM, 1993), the first of three recordings with Rypdal's fellow countryman, Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek. The four-movement "And the Sky was Coloured with Waterfalls and Angels," from a 2009 performance with the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra at Poland's renowned Jazztopad Festival, rounds out the record, a series of tone poem studies in contrast. On repeated listenings, the best I could come up with is, it sounds like a soundtrack for updated 'Forbidden Planet", the classic 1950's sci-fi and New free-form Classical music. I'm on the fence with this one, it can be challenging.
Take your pick, old or newer, Terje Rydal. Either way, not a dull musical experience. Enjoy.
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