Terry Riley is 90-years-old today.
Riley’s music may not be everyone’s cup of “tea” (or cannabis, as the case may be), but there’s no denying his influence on the development of Minimalism, progressive rock, and the avant-garde.
Riley himself has acknowledged his debt to Indian singer Pran Nath. The composer made a number of trips to India to study with and accompany Nath. He returned to share his experiences, teaching Indian classical music at Mills College. Riley has also cited the influence of John Cage and contemporary jazz artists, such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Bill Evans.
Already in the 1950s, Riley began experimenting with looped tape and time-lag techniques. He also composed using just intonation and microtones. His electronic album “A Rainbow in Curved Air” (released in 1969) became something of a landmark, attracting musicians from across a variety of genres.
Riley’s best-known work is probably “In C,” often credited as the first widely-acknowledged Minimalist composition. The piece was given its premiere at the San Francisco Tape Music Center in 1964, by an ensemble that included Steve Reich, Jon Gibson, Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster, and Morton Subotnick, among others.
Much ink has been spilled – and acid dropped – over Riley’s music.
Happy birthday, Terry Riley!
Vibrant performance of hypnotic “In C”
Landmark Columbia Records release
“A Rainbow in Curved Air”
Riley at Holland Festival, with interview, 1977
Riley’s trippy website
Recent advice from the composer. Terry looking great at 87.
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