Blue

Terje Rypdal's all too short-lived rock band the Chasers played like a jazz trio -- a jazz trio that always pushed the barrier to achieve the visceral punch of rock. They could be funky as hell (note the dirtyass slow groove on "Kompet Gar"), terrifyingly experimental ("Og Hva Synes Vi Om Det"), cinematically bold ("Om Bare"), or wonderfully meditative and tender ("Blue"). That they could do all these things on recording and still seek the sound barrier as a band was an achievement equaled by few. One of the primary attributes of Blue is its sequencing; the entire recording seems to unfold endlessly and seamlessly. Nothing is rushed, and all parts and players contribute economically. The band establishes a textural point of view to improvise from in every selection, and doesn't seem to be hindered by the guitar-bass-drums limitation. Each track appears to reveal itself as a sound world, full of possibility and limitless space, giving the band a chance to offer itself to these compositions rather than just play them. Again, as evidenced by Blue, it's a shame this band didn't hang together longer in order to explore the full potential of its range of possibilities and sonic palettes. ~ Thom Jurek