Steve Reich at the earliest point in his career – a time when the budding minimalist was really starting to make some waves on the new music scene with his instrumental compositions, but also still working with a few tape experiments too! This live performance from 1970 shows both sides of Reich's genius – as it begins with an excellent take on his "Four Organs", a piece that still continues to amaze us for its rhythmic shifts all these many years later – then moves into a haunting tape piece titled "My Name Is", which is right up there with his other early tape compositions. That's followed by a beautifully lyrical take on "Piano Phase", and the set's completed by the percolating organ lines of "Phase Patterns". LP, Vinyl record album

An early masterpiece from the young Terry Riley – a work that's a bit different than some of his more solo or small group outings – but one that really sets the stage for all of Riley's experiments in years to come! The premise here is very unusual – in that the "score" features 53 separate short musical passages – which are then to be played in an order defined by the musicians themselves, in shifting patterns of repetition, moving in and out of phase with a really otherworldly quality – ever shifting, turning, and drifting – all to create a remarkable tapestry of sound, texture, and melody. This recording of the work is still the best, and it was produced with excellent care by David Behrman – and features musicians who include Jon Hassell on trumpet, Edward Burnham on vibes, Jan Williams on marimbaphone, David Shostac on flute, and Margaret Hassell on "The Pulse". CD

Two rare soundtracks by Terry Riley – unsung examples of his musical genius during one of the the most fruitful periods in his career! Les Yeux Fermes features two very long tracks – each over 18 minutes long, and spun out with a spare, minimal groove that's very much in Riley's Rainbow In Curved Air mode. "Journey From The Death Of A Friend" is especially nice – with extended electric piano parts that flow, dip, and turn wonderfully. And "Happy Ending" builds a bit more slowly – with droning reed parts that almost have an Eastern feel, and remind us at times of something we might hear on Impulse Records! The score for Lifespan features shorter songs throughout – still often quite minimal, with instrumentation that includes organ, tabla, and a bit of electronics – played in a wonderfully spare mode, but always with an inherently rhythmic groove that stretches out in these beautiful patterns in sound. Titles include "G Song", "The Oldtimer", "Delay", "In The Summer", "Slow Melody In Bhairavi", and "Music Inside Curved Entrances". CD

All 12 parts of Glass'suite of pulsating modal minimalist music. The ensemble here is a sextet, with three electric organs and three reeds, plus voice. Like his other work of this era, the tones overlap and slowly unfold to reveal underlying patterns over the course of the piece. Far more interesting (to our ears at least) than his later operas for the latte-sipping set. CD

Graham Halliwell performs on saxophone using feedback and electronic processing, accompanied by field recordings from Lee Patterson, who also performs on various amplified devices. CD

With Beth Anne Hatton, Bill Laswell, Cyro Baptista, Greg Cohen, Jamie Saft, Jennifer Charles, Jim Pugliese, Mike Patton and Rebecca Moore. (Jazz, Out Sound) CD