This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Maybe it’s because most of the big-name pop and rock acts are hibernating. Maybe it’s because I spent the last month swinging to the Rat Pack Christmas album. Or maybe it’s just because they both start with the letters J and A. Whatever. All I know is I always seem to listen to a lot of jazz in January. Looks like this year is no exception — thanks mainly to a cornucopia of cool titles that landed in stores before the holidays. At least four respected labels — Blue Note, ECM, Impulse and Verve — have impressive and affordable new retrospectives or reissues on the racks right now. Even if you don’t know be-bop from doo-wop, I suggest you give one or two a try. Here’s a little primer to help you get into the swing on Terje Rypdal:
WHO: Contemporary Norwegian guitarist and composer Rypdal has one of the most distinctive names in jazz. And he has a style to match — self-taught and largely inspired by Jimi Hendrix, he forges a sound that puts the rock in jazz-rock.
WHEN: Rypdal released his self-titled solo debut in 1971 and continues to record.
WHAT YOU GET: A 13-track retrospective that goes all the way back to that ’71 disc (the bluesy Tough Enough) and all the way forward to 1998’s Double Concerto (featuring two electric guitars and a symphony), with plenty of spacey, high-flying excursions between them.
WHERE HE FITS IN: Right behind Jimi and Robert Fripp, but ahead of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.
