Stephen Riley’s acclaimed previous release SCCD 31850 Hold ‘em Joe was following Sonny Rollins’ pioneering tenor trio format. Here on his new disc Riley draws his inspiration from Rollins piano-less quartet with cornetist Don Cherry from the 60s. With ace trumpeter Joe Magnarelli as his side kick Riley initiates a new fertile ground for jazz’s old and new expression. “No matter what group Riley puts together for a record date, he merits top marks every time”. (Ken Dryden – NYC Jazz Records on SCCD 31850 “Hold ‘em Joe”) “Riley is a singular talent, not least for his twists on the standard repertory, and this is well up to scratch”. (Ronald Atkins – Jazz Journal on SCCD 31850)

Classical Music

Composers do not usually make conscious choices about the music they write: they write in accordance with the talents given to them. For this reason I do not write complex or experimental music: I have no gift for such things. Instead, my music is lyrical, rhythmic, economical, clear cut in texture and, as far as I can make it, direct of utterance. This incisive assessment by Georffrey Bush of his own output is indicative of his lucidity on the printed page as well as on the stave, both accomplishments the result of a compulsive urge to communicate effectively. (Geoffrey Bush) Though composition was foremost among his many gifts, Bush was something of an all-rounder. He performed as both pianist and organist, made regular broadcasts for the BBC and was also a successful writer. His eminently readable guide to music, Musical Creation and the Listener, first appeared in 1954. His wide-ranging catalogue includes music for the stage, choral works, church music, orchestral pieces, chamber music and songs. Of his two symphonies, the first, which has at its core an elegiac blues in memory of Constant Lambert, was premiered at the Cheltenham Festival in 1954 and performed at the Proms four years later, whilst the second, subtitled "The Guildford", was commissioned for the 700th anniversary of the City of Guildford in 1957. He wrote a number of works for chamber orchestra in which his understanding of the intimacy and inherent reciprocity of the medium resulted in scores that are eloquent and conversational, epitomising his credo quoted at the head of these notes.

For the Del Sol Quartet, this album is a culmination - and also the start of an ongoing musical journey. Terry Riley doesn't limit his music within a final double-bar but allows it to keep on growing - he's already composed more music for us to play together. As a quartet, we've found new energy and growth through the xperience of performing Terry's quartets off-book, by memory. As musicians, we've found an inspiring example - Terry has the strength to follow his own path balanced with the humility and curiosity of an eternal student. For our 25th anniversary festival, we are focusing on Terry's music and honored that Terry and Gyan will be joining us. Like so many worthwhile endeavors, this album began with af riendship. Del Sol violist Charlton Lee first met guitarist Gyan while playing in an ensemble led by the composer/bassist Gavin Bryars. ''I'd been wanting to find more opportunities to play with Gyan ever since we met,'' Charlton explains. ''And with Terry's 80th birthday on the horizon it seemed a perfect time to commission a new piece for all of us to play together.'' For the other dimension of this album, we had long been aware of Stefano Scodanibbio's awesome abilities as a trailblazing double-bass virtuoso, we had our first chance to perform his music thanks to Gyan. Gyan curated a memorial concert celebrating Stefano's music at The Stone in New York City and invited us to participate.

REVIEW:

The late-life creativity of Terry Riley is cause for celebration in troubled times, and this release makes a fine place to start exploring it. Dark Queen Mantra is flavored by Spanish idioms, but is in no way a neoclassical work. Mas Lugares (su madrigali di Monteverdi) by Italian Stefano Scodanibbio, makes an unusually good pairing with Riley: it stands in the same relationship to Monteverdi as Riley does to his Spanish models. The entire program shows how the San Francisco scene that the Kronos Quartet helped nurture has remained vital and continues to develop. Recommended, and not only for admirers of Riley’s work.

– All Music Guide (James Mannheim)

One of the frequently repeated ways to describe Riley is “What a special tone he has! Dark and dry with a lot of subtones. And very creative playing” (JJ – Sax on the web). It absolutely tells us how he sounds but another aspect of Riley’s uniqueness is in the way he treats his material (from the classic jazz standards and the Great American Songbook) in his – almost trademark – piano-less settings. Following the highly rated previous release SCCD 31882 Oleo by the two-horn quartet (sax and trumpet - Joe Magnarelli) Riley this time has invited the award-winning cornetist Kirk Knuffke to front the quartet. “… Riley and Magnarelli who, while tied to the bebop tradition, in this setting do not feel compelled to stick to it. Their fresh ideas and sly song quotes invigorate such tunes as “Doxy,” “St. Thomas,” “Ornithology,” and John Coltrane’s “Lazy Bird.” … Oleo is easily recommended .. ” (Scott Yanow – Los Angeles Jazz Scene on SCCD 31882) “Riley is a singular talent, not least for his twists on the standard repertory, and this is well up to scratch.” (Ronald Atkins – Jazz Journal on SCCD 31850 Hold ‘Em Joe)

This deluxe 4-CD box set from Sony Music brings together the seminal Columbia recordings of Terry Riley, a visionary composer whose influence on minimalist and electronic music continues to ripple through generations. Thoughtfully presented with archival materials, this collection offers an essential document of Riley's most transformative period when the pulse of innovation met the possibilities of high-fidelity sound. This box set is more than a collection of recordings it is a rare window into a time when the avant-garde found a home in major-label studios and groundbreaking artists like Riley were given space to explore uncharted sonic territory. From his mesmeric electric keyboard and saxophone improvisations to his pioneering use of analog tape delay, every track here pulses with the spirit of experimentation. Starting with the original 1968 recording of In C, captured at Columbia's legendary 30th Street Studio, by revered engineer Fred Plaut, the set includes four seminal works by Riley that helped shape not only the minimalist movement but much of the late 20th century avant-garde landscape.

Debut album from master New Orleans drummer who spent 5 years with Ahmad Jamal, 6 years with Wynton Marsalis Quintet, as well Marsalis' Lincoln Center Jazz Orch.; he's joined here by LCJO colleagues Ryan Kisor, Wycliffe Gordon, Victor Goines, Farid Barron & Rodney Whitaker.

On his second Criss Cross date, Herlin Riley, drummer with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra since 1992, assembles an all-star lineup from different eras of the band. The front line comprises Criss Cross veteran Wycliffe Gordon on trombone, Victor Goines on saxes and clarinet, and Wynton Marsalis, Riley's employer since 1988, on trumpet, with bassist Reginald Veal and pianist Eric Lewis, the band's youngster, rounding out the group. The sound is New Orleans, modern, touching on the legacy of such original Crescent City thinkers as James Black, Alvin Batiste and Ellis Marsalis; the execution is replete with nuance and sublime grooves.