Performer: Terry Riley
Title: Persian Surgery Dervishes
Year: 1971, 1972
Label: Shandar (France)
Duration: 91:07 (43:14 + 47:53)
Genre: Avangarde, Classical, Electronic
Styles: Minimalism, Ambient
Persian Surgery Dervishes is a minimalist recording of two live solo electric organ concerts, the first held in Los Angeles on (18 April 1971) and the second in Paris on (24 May 1972), by avant-garde minimalist composer Terry Riley (see also "A Rainbow in Curved Air" and "In C" inter alia). The two very different performances of the same composition "Persian Surgery Dervishes" are meant to show the importance of improvisation in Riley's music. Riley plays a modified Yamaha electric organ tuned in just intonation.
The original double-record version was released by legendary French label Shandar, then republished by Mantra Records, first, and Dunya Records later. There existed also a single-record version, also on Shandar, containing just the Paris concert, which had been sponsored by the label itself. (wiki)
