Hommages by Gavin Bryars

A remastered edition of this early yet influential album by acclaimed modern British composer Gavin Bryars.

Originally released in November 1981 on Les Disques du Crépuscule, Hommages was recorded in Leicester in February 1981 and produced by noted Belgian composer Wim Mertens. The album was conceived as a series of diverse homages to other composers, which include Bill Evans (My First Homage), Ferruccio Busoni and Gustav Holst (The English Mail-Coach and The Vespertine Park) and Percy Grainger (Hi-Tremolo).

Featured musicians included Andrew Bilham, Ronald Reah, Andrew Renshaw, Nigel Shipway, Dave Smith, John White and Marie Wilson, as well as Gavin Bryars himself on piano and vibraphone. This the only album which documents the important period between Bryars' early experimental music and later works from Medea onwards, as well as his enthusiasm for small composer/performer ensembles.

This new 63 minute digital remaster of Hommages includes two bonus tracks composed and recorded by Bryars during the same period: Danse Dieppoise, and the lengthy piano piece Out Of Zaleski's Gazebo.

Reviews:

"The opener, a wistful 15 minutes of piano called Mr First Hommage, represented a rapprochement for Bryars with improvising techniques of jazz, which he'd jettisoned years before. The rest of the album features the fun vibraphone messaging of The English Mail-Coach, the shifting piano and percussion piece The Vespertine Park and the fast/slow Hi-Tremolo, where the replaying of notes is locked in a stately procession of key changes. Recorded in the late 1970s and early 80s, it remains timeless" (Electronic Sound 2019)

"Recorded in 1981, Hommages gives the lie to the idea that experiments merging modern and classical music are an entirely recent innovation. Though admittedly more challenging, they share more than a few characteristics - the dense use of arpeggios, and what seem like modern ears nods to currently popular inspirations such as Erik Satie (My First Homage) and Steve Reich (Hi-Tremolo) - with, for instance, the work of Nils Frahm and Ludovico Einaudi. But Bryars studied minimalism during its height, rather than merely admiring it later, and these four pieces dig deeper into history for inspiration. They're also more theoretically than emotionally inspired, with the keys for The English Mail Coach's two parts defined by the initials of its sources: B Flat for Busoni and H for Holst, whose Mars is quoted. My First Homage, meanwhile, is actually a tribute to the Bill Evans Trio, evident in occasional jazzy flourishes, and Hi-Tremolo to Australian folk revivalist composer Percy Grainger. Extras include two likeminded late 1970s pieces and explanatory notes from the artist" (Uncut, 2019)

"Quietly restful mood music of appeal to those who harbour a secret liking for the more beautiful and touching corners of classical music" (NME, 1981)

"Quiet, intimate music" (Le Soir, 1981)

"Describing Bryars as the most notable post-experimental composer of his generation to admit jazz influences and techniques is a case of 'stating the bleeding obvious'. More interesting, perhaps, is the dichotomous and ambiguous dialogue into which this music enters with jazz forms, as heard in this engaging and eagerly anticipated reissue of the 1981 LP. Jazz elements scatter across the surface detail of the restrained but beautiful Mr First Hommage, and similar stepwise movements appear in Hi-Tremelo, albeit in slow motion, while the repeating chords and ringing percussive timbres of The Vespertine Park look forward to the dark yet delicate atmosphere of later works such as The North Shore and The South Downs. This is a must-buy for anyone interested in English experimental music" (The Gramophone, 2008)

"These six miniatures - scored for small, gently percussive chamber formations - date from a period when Bryars was intoxicated by the esoteric pianism of Erik Satie and the Oulipo literature of Raymond Roussel. For all the clever-clever codes, My First Homage, a tribute to the cool jazz piano of Bill Evans, and The Vespertine Park, a midnight stalk, are beautiful, delicately poised Satie-esque delights. Four stars" (Uncut, 2008)

Independent record label founded in Brussels in 1980.

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