Four re-issues that complement Rypdal's most recent release, Conspiracy (see Jazzwise 257). They comprise the first three recordings made for ECM in the early 1970s then skip ahead to 1979's Descendre. Given the diversity of Rypdal's musical experience in his early years – a Ventures/Shadows pop bout with The Vanguards, blowing free with Lester Bowie, an essential element of both Jan Garbarek and George Russell's bands, it would be foolish to see a line of chronological ‘development’ with these ‘solo’ releases: each stands as its own discrete and valid entity that can be listened to in any ‘order’.

Rypdal's ECM debut does though have Garbarek and Bobo Stenson on board, linking him with that stellar previous generation. And Garbarek makes no apologies for stealing the show on the moody, rockish opener, ‘Keep It Like That’. But there are traces of Rypdal's more original voice on ‘Rainbow’, with its soundscapes, classically edged oboe and Ligeti-esque phrasing. And there's plenty of avant cosmicality on (clue's in the title guys) ‘Electric Fantasy’.

On What Comes After, oboe and English horn again enhance Rypdal's orchestral, composerly leanings notably on ‘Icing’, written with Christensen whose contribution to Rypdal's sound over these years cannot be underestimated. But it's the acoustic bass of the closing songs by Barre Phillips, ‘Sejours’ and ‘Back of J’, that bring an emotional warmth.

The hunting horn call to action that opens Whenever I Seem Far Away heralds Rypdal hitting his orchestral stride, notably helped by the Sudfunk Symphony orchestra with strong writing for violin and viola. And somehow this also liberates Rypdal into those stratospheric cloudbursts that became his unique sound world. There's still plenty of McLaughlin here (and Hank Marvin!), but while smiling Johnny went east, Rypdal is heading north, into purer air, wider skies and Nordic myth.

Descendre is more intimate, the church organ chords so prevalent on Conspiracy underline the opening descending figure of ‘Asvkje’ while Mikkelborg's angelic tones rise above. The lyrical majesty of the title track, resplendent with signature swoops and dives is magical, the voguing and dramatics of that eponymous debut now gone into a vision where the unsaid is more powerful than the overstated.