On Bleak House, the young Terje Rypdal shows where his musical journey would take him as early as 1968. Between jazz, rock and classical music, the Norwegian guitarist finds his very own expression – sometimes wild, sometimes sensitive, always original. Since the 1970s, he has been one of the defining artists of the ECM label – along with Jan Garbarek and Jon Christensen, who can already be heard on the debut album.
Style Collision with Method
On Bleak House – recorded when he was only 21 years old – Rypdal combines seemingly contradictory soundscapes: Psychedelic blues (»Dead Man’s Tale«), free music (»Winter Serenade«), post-bop (»Wes«), Latin jazz (»A Feeling Of Harmony«). What seems disparate follows an inner logic. The result is an early masterpiece that can now be rediscovered: On May 2 2025 , Free Flow Archive will release the album on 180-gram vinyl. A limited gold-colored vinyl edition will be available exclusively at HHV Records.
