ODYSSEY: IN STUDIO & IN CONCERT

To me, Terje Rypdal epitomizes the "ECM Jazz" sound. ECM is a European label that has been putting out unique atmospheric experimental jazz albums since the early 1970s. Rypdal, an electric guitarist and composer, was one of the first acts on the label, and he continues to release albums under that imprint to this very day. Odyssey was his fourth album, a double, which was a great early example of his unique style. Rypdal's guitar has that "soaring above the clouds" feel that could remind one of the most heavenly playing of David Gilmour or Steve Hackett - at least as interested in tone and atmosphere as notes, but very capable of complicated note runs as well. Although Rypdal is the band leader, his group is not just there to hold down the beat; he shares his sonic space with prominent trombone, electric bass (sometimes turning on the fuzz, yay!) , organ and drums. All five members are crucial elements to the rich and layered sonic architecture.

This reissue is noteworthy for two big reasons: firstly, it finally reinstates the excellent side-long piece "Rolling Stone" (side 4 of the original album) which had been excised from all prior CD releases in order to allow the album to fit on a single CD. Quite an omission, as it's nearly 24 minutes long and a full fourth of the album! The second, even bigger reason is the third disc, a live performance of an otherwise unavailable orchestral jazz/fusion suite that was commissioned by Swedish radio in 1976. This suite goes by the name "Unfinished Highballs", and it's very different from just about everything else I've heard by Rypdal, particularly from this time period. It's heavily orchestrated, and rocks hard with prominent electric piano, Rypdal's signature guitar stylings, and even some Mellotron and harpsichord. This was a complete surprise and was worth the purchase price of the album all by itself.

A superb reissue of perhaps Rypdal's finest early album, restored to its original length and supplemented with a real eye opener of a concert. Highly recommended to fans, and not a bad place to start for newcomers.

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