Terje Rypdal -

Terje Rypdal (born Aug. 23, 1947) is a Norwegian jazz-rock guitarist who’s released more than 25 albums since 1968 in solo and combo form, mostly on ECM.

Background and Early Bands

Rypdal was born in Oslo, Norway, the son of a composer and orchestra leader. As a child, he studied classical piano and trumpet. In his teens, he took up guitar, which he learned to play by ear, inspired by Hank Marvin of The Shadows.

Rypdal first performed and recorded in The Vanguards, a Norwegian beat group that released the 1966/67 albums Hjemme Igjen! and Phnooole on Triola. The first contains one of his earliest co-writes, “Du Har Gjort Meg Glad.” Phnooole features four Rypdal originals: “I Must Try and Live Alone,” “Baby, No,” “I Don’t Love You Anymore,” and “I Cry.”

In 1967, Rypdal joined the psych-rock quartet Dream, which released the album Get Dreamy on Polydor. It features 10 group-written originals, 11 numbers in all. Rypdal sings lead on two cuts: “Ain’t No Use” and “Driftin’.” Dream keyboardist Christian Reim and drummer Tom Karlsen would assist Rypdal on his first solo project.

Rypdal debuted as a solo artist with the 1968 Polydor release Bleak House. Its electrified post-bop style marked a departure from his earlier band involvements. The self-produced album features three originals per side with a list of backing players, including reedist Jan Garbarek, bassist Terje Venaas, and drummer Jon Ivar Christensen. Reim plays on five cuts; Karlsen on one (“Dead Man’s Tale”).

(More to come)

Discography:

Bleak House (1968)
Esoteric Circle (1969 • Jan Garbarek With Terje Rypdal)
Sart (1971 • Jan Garbarek / Bobo Stenson / Terje Rypdal / Arild Andersen / Jon Christensen)
Terje Rypdal (1971)
What Comes After (1974)
Whenever I Seem to Be Far Away (1974)
Odyssey (1975)
After the Rain (1976)
No Time for Time (1977 • Pål Thowsen, Jon Christensen, Terje Rypdal & Arild Andersen)
Waves (1978)
Terje Rypdal / Miroslav Vitous / Jack DeJohnette (1979 • Terje Rypdal / Miroslav Vitous / Jack DeJohnette)
Descendre (1980)
To Be Continued (1981 • Terje Rypdal / Miroslav Vitous / Jack DeJohnette)
Eos (1984 • Terje Rypdal & David Darling)
Chaser (1985)
Blue (1987 • Terje Rypdal & The Chasers)
The Singles Collection (1989)
Undisonus (1990)
Q.E.D. (1993)
If Mountains Could Sing (1995)
Nordic Quartet (1995 • John Surman, Karin Krog, Terje Rypdal & Vigleik Storaas)
The Sea (1995 • Ketil Bjørnstad, David Darling, Jon Christensen & Terje Rypdal)
Skywards (1997)
The Sea II (1998 • Ketil Bjørnstad, David Darling, Jon Christensen & Terje Rypdal)
Double Concerto / 5th Symphony (2000)