TERJE RYPDAL — Descendre (review)

TERJE RYPDAL — Descendre album cover Album · 1980 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
js
This album treads some familiar ground for Terje, but that is not to take away from the fact that once again he has served up another excellent blend of relaxed meditative avant-garde jazz, mellow psychedelic space rock and very original neo-classical third stream compositions. Trying to describe this very unique and original music can be difficult, but try imagining a blend of Miles' more mellow moments, with some instrumental Pink Floyd along with Debussy, Steve Hillage, early Weather Report and Tangerine Dream. Trying to break this album down by song becomes somewhat pointless because the multi-sectional songs on this album tend to blend together to make one long dark and somber, yet sometimes jazzy post- classical tone poem. The structures used in many of these songs are so open and original that it is often hard to tell where one song starts and another one ends. One of Rypdal's strong points is that he is an excellent composer who writes fresh and non-cliche melodies and chord progressions.

Throughout this album Terje's guitar sings like a woodwind instrument and his sound could be compared to Bill Frisell, Jeff Beck, Steve Hillage and/or David Gilmour. Drummer John Christensen often plays in the restless and somewhat purposefully vague style of the African influenced Billy Higgins, but John's playing on here is often very subtle and in the background. Palle's trumpet playing recalls introspective Miles albums such as 'In a Silent Way', 'Sketches of Spain' and parts of 'Agharta'. Add to all this the dark and moody Richard Wright styled keyboard textures that are provided by both Terje and Palle and you have a great psychedelic-jazz sound that is totally unique.

I'm suprised that Terje doesn't get more attention from the fusion crowd, it might have to do with the fact that he is on the ECM label which is known for carrying a lot of overly mellow and bland music. Terje's music is sort of mellow in a dark and edgy kind of way, but never bland.
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