Spontaneous Arising by Ryan Bayless

SPONTANEOUS ARISING | Ryan Bayless - piano

This song cycle is based on the Taoist concept of tzu-jan, which has been translated as “spontaneous arising” or “occurrence appearing of itself.” The source and essence of all being, tzu-jan is the generative impulse or force that emerges the “ten thousand things” from non-being or “emptiness,” each form taking its own shape as it will and according to its own nature.

These solo piano pieces are an attempt to reflect this principle as applied to music, as each song was composed in the act of performance spontaneously and improvised without intent or any particular direction – musical or thematic. These songs essentially occurred unto themselves by themselves, arising and taking shape without purpose, planning, or conscious design.

Similarly, the four-line spontaneous poems corresponding to the nine songs on this ep were composed separately and later paired with each tune, titled with a Taoist concept related to tzu-jan that echoes their sonic expressions and imagery. (These poems can be found in the liner notes as part of the download of the album, as well as by scrolling over and clicking on the “lyrics” tab to the right of each song title.)

Special thanks to the translations and scholarship of David Hinton, as well as the music and ideas of Paul Bley, for helping to inspire this album.


All songs and poems written by Ryan Bayless.

Recorded, mixed, and mastered 2024-2025 by Ryan Bayless at Satellite Ranch, Far West Texas.

Cover photo and design by Ryan Bayless.

Piano
Poetry
Guitar
Field Recordings
& Production