... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

One of those landmark meetings of mighty talents that sounds even better on record than it does on paper – as the set somehow finds this really special space that's completely between all the best early 70s modes of both Terry Riley and John Cale! Cale was really coming into his own at the time as a solo act – creating amazing records after leaving the Velvet Underground, but also still tied to the deeper art scene from which he emerged. Riley was on the way to becoming one of the most popular of the more modern composers – thanks to a nod from The Who, and a big audience for his wonderfully trippy records on Columbia. The label allowed the pair to create this really special music here – sounds that borrow from Riley's minimalism, while also having some of the darkness of Cale's own compositions – and coming across with this jagged, almost modal sort of approach that's really great. Cale only sings on one song, and the rest of the set is instrumental – as Riley plays piano, organ, and soprano sax – and Cale joins in on bass, guitar, viola, and harpsichord. The two of them groove together in these totally cool tracks that build and build, with minimal lines repeating over and over in endlessly fascinating groove – in a way that touches on a weirdly funky mode! The cut "Ides Of March" has the potential to be dancefloor groover in the jazz dance scene, and there's lots of other great tracks like "Church of Anthrax", "The Protege", and "The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles". CD

... CD

A fantastic recording of two minimalist classics – each done here in an unique sort of way! The reading of Steve Reich's "Six Pianos" features six different artists on the instrument – but each recorded by themselves, away from the others, using their own piano – which is quite different from any sort of unified group recording of the work! The differing spaces and types of instrument maybe makes for more of a sense of individual "voice" to the performance than some others – yet the whole work still adhere's brilliantly to Reich's compositional ideas – especially his idea of phase shift over time! And on that note, the version of Terry Riley's "Keyboard Study #1" is wonderful too – featuring acoustic piano from Gregor Schwellenbach (who produced the record) – plus delays imposed on the performance by Lukas Vogel, whose almost working a Steve Reich tape trick into the more organic compositional ideals of Riley! CD

... CD

... CD

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

... 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

Amazing work from Terry Riley – just the sort of recordings that will always make us love him forever! The album features two long recordings of the title track – "Persian Surgery Dervishes" – both built out of slow, spare organ lines from Riley – played in these really modal, long-flowing ways – then augmented with additional feedback that's totally great! The sound of the keyboards here definitely lives up to the billing Terry got from the Who as "Baba O'Riley" – yet in the original form like this, you can really hear Riley's genius. The music is very similar to his classic Rainbow In Curved Air, and the quality of the sound is excellent! CD

A haunting live recording from 1968 – a set that features Terry Riley at his slow-building, modally-influenced best! The performance was part of a concert titled "Purple Modal Strobe Ecstasy With the Daughters of Destruction" – which is actually a pretty good description of the sound, given the gently-flowing, somewhat trippy quality of the music! The longish tunes build with very spare elements from soprano sax, organ, and time-lag accumulator – all shifting slowly over time, and coming across with a bit more of an edge than some of Riley's more above-ground recordings of the period. CD

A haunting live recording from 1968 – a set that features Terry Riley at his slow-building, modally-influenced best! The performance was part of a concert titled "Purple Modal Strobe Ecstasy With the Daughters of Destruction" – which is actually a pretty good description of the sound, given the gently-flowing, somewhat trippy quality of the music! The longish tunes build with very spare elements from soprano sax, organ, and time-lag accumulator – all shifting slowly over time, and coming across with a bit more of an edge than some of Riley's more above-ground recordings of the period. CD

... CD

Early 70s greatness from Don Cherry – a double album's worth of profoundly spiritual soundscapes paired with lots of weird effects – and a very laidback groove overall! Tracks are written by Cherry, Terry Riley, Pharoah Sanders, and Nana Vasconcelos – and include performances by Don on trumpet, voice, and harmonium. Lots of cool percussion elements by the group, with some tabla and other Indian instrumentation. Titles include "Elixir", "Relativity Suite (Parts 1 & 2)", "Terry's Tune", "Hope", "The Creator Has a Master Plan", and "Resa". CD