Odyssey

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase In 1975 things were pretty different than they are nowECM was fledgling catterpillar about to bloom into a beautiful butterfly, i was attending a concert at the Royal Festival Hall,by a then unknown Norwegian, Terje Rypdal . at the time "Melody Maker" stated that his new album was like "Tubular bells" ,no pressure there then, however it turned out that Rypdals album "Odyssey" was much more than a "Tubular bells"clone,after the concert i went to the consessions counter and bought a pristine,vinyl pressing of the afforementioned "Odyssey" album. CD ONE(41.06) "Darkness falls"is a short track ,with echoes of Miles Davis' electric period,stunning guitars,very atmospheric. "Midnite"a ssuperb sixteen minute track thate xplores the very edges of experimental , electronic Jazz,although thos is almost progressive rock,with its drum passages and guitar solos,in some ways i am put in mind of "Yeti" by Amon Duul2 ,but the guitar playing is full scale Rypdal. "Adagio"another long mysterious track,full of evocotive sound effects. "Better off without you"is sevehn minutes of beautifully atmospheric and mellow. CD TWO (46.15) "Over birkerot"this is a strident,almost rock piece that seems to develope well,it reminds me of "Eight miles high"by The Byrds. "Fare well"anambient almost ghost like quality transfixes the ;istener on this eleven minute track. "Ballade"almost Germanic in quality,thisis very much in the style of Kenny Wheeler "Rolling stone" a long ,twenty four minute tour de force,described in the booklet as "nearly a hit in Germany and Italy"well,it takes all sorts!!!" CD THREE (67.56) "Unfinished highballs"starts the third Cd off,it is only three minutes in length,and has that slightly other worldly quality to it, "The golden eye" a quality fouteen minute,a grand time is guarunteed for all! "Scarlet Mistress"another excursion into the maestro at work,there is a fine example of experimental big band jazz. "Dawn"the band carries off another twelve minute trak with typical aplomb,this is one of my favourite tracks. "Dine and dance to the music of the waves"yet another long piece,where the band get to explore more musical interplay,which leads straight into,the upbeat "Talking back" a slightly militaristic groove going on here,very funky,great solos abound on this track "Bright lights -big city"finishes of the record This was recorded when Rypdal was on the verge of a major breakthrough,it is an extraordinarily confident piece of Jazz history.Packaged in a box with three individual card sleeves for each CD,with an extensive booklet. CD 1 41.06 CD 2 46.15 CD 3 67.56 BEST TRACK.....DAWN ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 1975 RE RELEASED IN 2012 ECM TERJE RYPDAL.....ELECTRIC GUITAR,SOPRANO SAXOPHONE ,SYNTHESIXER TORBJORN SUNDE.....TROMBONE BRYNJULF BRIX.....ORGAN,SYNTHESIZER,ELECTRIC PINO SVIENUNG HOVENSJA.....BASS GUITAR SVEIN CHRISTIANSEN.....DRUMS ULF ADAKER......TRUMPET,FLUGELHORN BERTIL LOVGREN.....TRUMPET,FLUGELHORN AMERICO BELLOTTO......TRUMPET,FLUGELHORN HAKEN NQUIST......FRENCH HORN,TRUMPET IVAR OLSEN......FRENCH HORN CLAUS ROSENDAHL......A LTO SAXOPHONE,CLARINET ULF ANDERSSON.....TENOR SAXOPHONE,FLUTE,FLUTE,ALTO FLUTE,PICCOLO LENNART ABERG......SOPRANO SAXOPHONE FLUTE ERIK NILSSON.....BASS CLARINET,FLUTE DVEN LARSON......BASS TROMBONE,TUBA TORGNY NILSON.....TROMBONE BENGT HALLBERG....CELESTE,HARPSCHORD,MELLOTRON GEORG RIEDEL.....DOUBLE BASS STEFAB BROLAND.....DOUBLE BASS EGIL JOHANSEN.....DRUMS,PERCUSSION