Guitarist Gyan Riley shines on magical new album
The latest solo album Sprig from the classical contemporary guitarist and composer Gyan Riley captures him reflecting growth, as his ideas are transformed from small seeds into a larger presence, and it is dedicated to his mother Ann, who succumbed to cancer two years ago.
Sprig is also an opportunity for Riley to not only raise awareness about the global health of forests but also to do something about it—for each physical album sold, Riley will plant a tree through the conservation organization American Forests.
The first thing one might notice about Riley is his astounding technical ability, with a keenly precise agility; next, his spirited, colorful compositions grab a hold of the listener’s imagination, as his evocative playing can convey beauty, contemplation, movement, joy and longing.
In anticipation of the release of Sprig on the label National Sawdust Tracks and in the wake of the acclaimed 2017 album Midsummer Moons—comprised of compositions by John Zorn performed by Riley and guitarist Julian Lage—Riley took the time to answer some questions for The Pulse before his return to Barking Legs Theater on April 3rd.
“I grew up in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California, surrounded by the many species of beautiful trees of Tahoe National Forest,” said Riley, when asked about the nature theme of Sprig. “Although I’ve lived in cities for the last 22 years, I find that if I don’t get back there to visit frequently, or at least get myself into a beautiful forest somewhere, I start to go a little batty.”
“It may sound obvious, but I find myself continuously influenced by my surroundings, musical or otherwise,” said Riley, discussing his growth as a composer, guitarist and improviser. “I’ve been fortunate to have had so many wonderful teachers in my life, not only in the literal sense but also through the experience I’ve had over the years working with so many masterful artists.”
“The last seven-plus years since I’ve been in NYC, I’ve focused increasingly on experimental and adventurous music,” said Riley. “But I always find myself getting called back to the simple beauty of the acoustic guitar.”
“I wasn’t in a hurry to get this album out, so I was able to choose music that I kept playing because it felt good, even therapeutic,” said Riley. “Music is the thing that has gotten me through the most difficult moments in my life, many of which were in the last five years, which is why the music on this album is so important to me.”
The aforementioned Midsummer Moons album takes inspiration from lunar imagery in the work of William Shakespeare, and Riley wrote fondly about its creation.
“That album is very special; I feel that it has a quality that’s quite unique in the broad spectrum of Zorn’s compositional output,” said Riley. “He guided us toward finding the right sentiment, which was much more simple, beautiful and lyrical than what we were doing at first.”
“What was truly amazing to me was how the program was so cohesively conceived,” said Riley. “The pieces played like a complete album, from the first time we listened back to recordings of a rehearsal.”
While some influences on Riley’s music are apparent—the classical guitar canon, new music and flamenco—other influences might not be obvious to the listener.
“For ages I’ve been inspired by the music of Ethiopia and of West Africa—especially Mauritania and Mali,” said Riley. “I love all the little fragmented and kaleidoscopic melodic hooks that pop out of the textures, which is something that I think seeps into the music I write.”
“Also very important for me is Northern Indian raga, particularly the subtle complexity of the melodic shapes in the introductory alap section of a raga,” said Riley.
Riley scored the soundtrack for the 2017 film Hochelaga, Terre des Âmes—Canada’s submission for “Best Foreign Language Film” for the 2018 Academy Awards—with his father, the distinguished composer/keyboardist Terry Riley, known for minimalist masterpieces including “In C” and “A Rainbow in Curved Air.”
“The duo collaboration with my dad has evolved a lot over the years,” said Riley. “I think that recently it has opened up a lot creatively, and feels much more spontaneous now.”
In his fruitful career, Riley has pondered growth on both creative and personal levels, and when asked whether or not he had a rebellious streak growing up, he responded, “My parents were pretty tolerant, so rebellious behavior would have likely meant what most people would have found to be good behavior!”