Rileys Revel In The Art Of Rippling Repetition
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Terry Riley is one of those few and far between composers whose oeuvre straddles Western minimalism (of which he is a founding father), Indian classical and jazz.
Now approaching his 84th birthday, and joined on stage by guitarist son Gyan Riley, he treated the capacity audience at the Riley Smith Theatre in Leeds to two long sets, and reaffirmed his standing as a highly evolved and questing composer and musician.
The concert opened with a complex, modal piece. Gyan’s intimate, otherworldly electric guitar meanderings grew louder as his father rippled repetitive figures over off-kilter block chords. Often playing in unison, the son's organic sighing and wailing guitar demonstrated his facility for experimental soundscapes, though these were often eclipsed by Terry’s instruments (piano, electronic keyboard, ipad, melodica) which seemed far louder in the mix.
One passage came over like a warm, enveloping balm: simple, melodic, and gentle as the affection evident between the Rileys. Another improvisational piece had the elder statesman looping with his ipad as Gyan showered glissandos, combining to evoke the march of tiny soldiers.
Highlights came in the shape of a sumptuous devotional raga sung by the older musician, which brought to mind the beautiful American traditional song, ‘Oh Death’, and a highly dramatic flamenco-style guitar piece, with Terry accompanying on melodica and keys, which surfed out on a tranquil ebb-and-flow.
– Fiona Mactaggart
– Photo by Katharine Coates