Name: Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away
Brand: Terje Rypdal

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

3507524

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2020-10-09

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Proper

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

0602435075242

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Total Cap

1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Terje Rypdal

Genre GB

Jazz

Label GB

ECM Records, also known as "The Creative Label," is a German independent label that was co-founded by producer Manfred Eicher, Manfred Scheffner, and Karl Egger in Munich (Pasing) in 1969. With the label code LC 2516 / LC 02516, ECM stands for Edition of Contemporary Music and focuses on jazz and Western classical music. They showcase both acoustic and electronic artists who produce eclectic versions of contemporary music.

ECM's extensive catalog features a wide range of genres, from contemporary works by renowned composers like Steve Reich, Arvo Pärt, and Philip Glass to experimental and electronic jazz from artists such as Nils Petter Molvær, Pat Metheny Group, and Jan Garbarek. Over the past 40+ years, ECM has released more than 1500 recordings that have been acclaimed for their exceptional music quality, creative production techniques, and outstanding sound.

Although an independent label, ECM titles are distributed by Universal Music Group (UMG) in the US, Japan, and throughout Europe. However, they have also collaborated with other distributors over the years. Notably during the period when Polydor distributed ECM products in Germany; [l447694] was used for pressing identified by a CP suffix on labels and runouts. Afterward,[l25946] became their primary distributor.

Terje Rypdal, a Norwegian guitarist and composer, was born on 23 August 1947 in Oslo, Norway. With his unique style and innovative approach to music, Rypdal has become one of the most influential figures in contemporary jazz and fusion. Drawing inspiration from various genres including rock, classical, and electronic music, he has created a distinctive sound that is both captivating and experimental.

Rypdal's music is often characterized by its intricate guitar work, atmospheric soundscapes, and dynamic compositions. His ability to blend different musical elements seamlessly has earned him comparisons to *Steve Tibbetts*, *Eberhard Weber*, and *John Surman*. Collaborating with renowned artists such as *Jan Garbarek* and *Ketil Bjørnstad*, Rypdal has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible within the realm of jazz.

With an extensive discography spanning over five decades, Rypdal's contributions to the world of music are immeasurable. Whether performing as a solo artist or leading his own ensembles like the *Jan Garbarek Group*, his mesmerizing performances have captivated audiences worldwide. Discover the groundbreaking sounds of Terje Rypdal today.

Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away is, by common consensus, one of Terjes early masterpieces. Rypdal has said that he sometimes felt conflicted in his early years, pulled in different directions by the urges to compose orchestral music and to develop an improvising language as a guitarist drawing upon the sonorities of rock rather than jazz. The demands of the mediums could seem contradictory. 

Not on Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away, however. Terje Rypdal pursues his own way with purity, clarity and inspirational complexity, the reviewer in the Los Angeles Free Press declared. He touches you on an improvisational level and a compositional level. I never heard an electric guitar sound so natural in an orchestral setting before. An important contributor here was Mladen Gutesha, the Saravejo-born conductor and arranger who worked on several ECM sessions which framed improvisers with string players, including Keith Jarretts In The Light, Luminessence and Arbour Zena, and Nana Vasconçeloss Saudades. On the title piece of Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away (subtitled Image for Electric Guitar, Strings, Oboe and Clarinet), the players of the Sudfunk Symphony convincingly echo the yearning quality of Terjes singing electric guitar, with moving results. 

Among the pleasures of this group of Rypdal reissues is the presence throughout of drummer Jon Christensen. Terje and Jon, lifelong friends, played on dozens of albums and in many groups together. Christensen always alluded to the trio with Terje and Danish trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg as heard on Descendre - as a particular favourite of his, an ideal instance of an interactive small group that could move in multiple directions. As drummer in the trio he could from moment to moment underline the melodic jazz phrasing of Palle Mikkelborg or rock out with Terje, find ways to combine their different time feelings, or strike out on his own. The three musicians could create highly atmospheric ensemble music, drifting clouds of sound sometimes with both Terje and Palle playing keyboards or develop freely contrapuntal ideas. The very open pieces that Rypdal wrote for this trio - such as the superb Circles allowed maximum room for expression.

Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away

Music GB