SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE — Withdrawal 1966-7 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Sometimes, unearthed documents can leave you cold, even though the intellect appreciates the historical gap being filled. With Withdrawal, history doesn't matter and the "archival document" ends up superseding the legit material by the Spontaneous Music Ensemble. This is gold -- pure artistic beauty. The year is 1966. John Stevens' group records the soundtrack for a movie (now lost) by George Paul Solomos. The continuous performance is edited into two parts for a total of 30 minutes of music. A slow piece dominated by a glockenspiel leitmotif, "Withdrawal Soundtrack" features beautiful trumpet work by a Kenny Wheeler who was just beginning to play free music. Other players are Stevens (drums), Paul Rutherford (trombone), Trevor Watts (saxophone, oboe), Barry Guy (bass, limited to sustained drones), and a very young and discreet Evan Parker (saxophone). A few months later, in early 1967, the same lineup, plus Derek Bailey on amplified guitar, recorded a reworked version of the soundtrack in three sequences, plus a suite called "Seeing Sounds & Hearing Colours," both intended for an LP release that never materialized. Watts plays some beautiful flute on "Withdrawal Sequence 2." Actually, the whole CD contains fantastic free music, almost completely detached from jazz -- very atmospheric, delicate, and highly organic with a strong sense of discovery. These are the earliest available recordings by Barry Guy and Evan Parker (even though the latter doesn't play much), and one of Bailey's earliest sessions playing free music (even though he is buried in the mix). Historical significance notwithstanding, Withdrawal is simply a great album, still very relevant and "new" today. François Couture    Tracklist :
Credits :
Double Bass, Piano – Barry Guy
Drums, Cymbal [Cymbals], Percussion, Composed By – John Stevens
Guitar [Amplified] – Derek Bailey (tracks: 5 to 11)
Oboe, Alto Saxophone, Flute, Voice, Percussion – Trevor Watts
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Percussion – Evan Parker
Trombone, Percussion – Paul Rutherford
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion – Kenny Wheeler

EVAN PARKER | DEREK BAILEY | HAN BENNINK - The Topography Of The Lungs (1970-2006) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Along with the Spontaneous Music Ensemble's Karyobin and Tony Oxley's 4 Compositions for Sextet, The Topography of the Lungs is one of the landmark early albums of English free improvisation (despite the presence of Dutch percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Han Bennink), featuring guitarist Derek Bailey and saxophonist Evan Parker in positively coruscating form. This album launched the legendary Incus label in style, and original copies still contain the photocopied typewritten letter announcing the label's manifesto: "The bulk of the revenue from any Incus recording will go directly to the musicians....Once the basic cost of each record is recovered, thus providing the finance for the next, the vast bulk of all income will be paid in royalties to the artists. Incus has no intention of making profits in the conventional sense." (Back in Holland, Bennink had adopted a similar strategy for the ICP label he co-founded with saxophonist Willem Breuker and pianist Misha Mengelberg.) The same sense of commitment is to be found throughout the album, whose ultra-concentrated force marked a clear boundary line between the emerging European free music and its immediate precursor, American free jazz. Despite the music's furious energy -- verging at times on the downright violent, thanks in no small part to the irrepressible Bennink -- proceedings do not lack a sense of humor. Nor does the record's back cover, an almost Monty Pythonesque collage of pages from an old encyclopedia interspersed with brief, enigmatic phrases like "Frederick Rzewski writes about free improvisation and makes sense" and "If you like to draw or paint, this booklet could help change your life." If the booklet doesn't manage it, the music on the album certainly will. Dan Warburton  
Tracklist :
1    Titan Moon    20:45
2    For Peter B & Peter K    4:35
3    Fixed Elsewhere    5:05
4    Dogmeat    12:17
5    Found Elsewhere 1    4:40
6    Found Elsewhere 2    4:52
Guitar – Derek Bailey
Percussion – Han Bennink
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Producer, Liner Notes – Evan Parker

THE MUSIC IMPROVISATION COMPANY - The Music Improvisation Company 1968 – 1971 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD covers the historic beginnings of the British free music scene and its founding fathers: Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Hugh Davies, and future King Crimson drummer Jamie Muir. These recordings come off amazingly well on CD, considering the first four were recorded in mono. And while there are six pieces here, it's almost impossible to talk about them as separate entities, since what was at work in the group consciousness was to create a free jazz music in the U.K. that was distinct from what was happening in America and elsewhere in Europe at the time. Therefore in the brave spirit of rabid experimentation and oh so serious creative spirit, we have an amalgam of recordings that suggest the future of a free music that turned out very differently than its origins suggest. This collective is exactly that; none of these players -- especially not Parker or Bailey -- had developed into the kinds of soloists that they are today, not only in terms of technical expertise, but in terms of vision. What one can hear in the bravado here is indecision, and a questioning of improvisation's precepts; these queries would become liberating obstacles in the long run. The one constant here is the dynamic that became the trademark of a new, multi-linguistic music that has remained and evolved over time. This is document does sound dated, but only in that it reveals the origins of a continuing narrative. It's is a necessary addition to anyone's library who is interested in improvised music.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    Pointing    7:10
2    Untitled 3    6:32
3    Untitled 4    4:10
4    Bedrest    7:38
5    Its Tongue Trapped To The Rock By A Limpet, The Water Rat Succumbed To The Incoming Tide.    8:55
6    In The Victim's Absence    10:35
Credits :
Electronics [Live Electronics], Organ – Hugh Davies
Guitar – Derek Bailey
Painting, Percussion – Jamie Muir
Soprano Saxophone, Autoharp [Amplified Auto-harp] – Evan Parker

SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE – Quintessence 1 (1973-4) (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1986, the British free improv label Emanem released a complete concert by the Spontaneous Music Ensemble over two LPs. For the CD reissues, each LP was given its own CD with over 20 minutes of extra material added. On Quintessence 1, we first have "Forty Minutes," a long improv performed in February 1974 at the ICA Theatre by an ad hoc quintet version of the ensemble: leader and drummer John Stevens, saxophonists Evan Parker and Trevor Watts, guitarist Derek Bailey, and bassist Kent Carter (heard here on cello). (The same lineup is featured on Quintessence 2 for the second half of this concert.) The 40-minute centerpiece of Quintessence 1 stands high on top of anything available by the SME: The true quintessence of Stevens' vision can be heard as the musicians give the best of themselves, remaining very personal in their playing (just compare Parker and Watts all the way through), while constantly keeping the focus on the group and the music happening here and now. Beautiful. In comparison, the three excerpts from an October 1973 trio session involving Stevens, Watts, and Carter lack the same qualities. "Rambunctious 1" and "Rambunctious 2" are different attempts at performing one of Stevens' loose compositions. Except for the drummer's shouts, it packs little excitement. On "Daa-Oom," he makes African-like vocal sounds echoed by Watts' wailing saxophone; once again interesting, but no match for the main course, a monument in itself. François Couture  
Tracklist :
1    Forty Minutes 40:11
Cello [Right] – Kent Carter
Guitar [Amplified, Left] – Derek Bailey
Percussion, Cornet – John Stevens
Soprano Saxophone [Left] – Evan Parker
Soprano Saxophone [Right] – Trevor Watts
2    Rambunctious 1    18:36
3    Rambunctious 2    4:47
4    Daa-Oom (Trio Version)    5:05
Credits :
Double Bass – Kent Carter (pistas: 2 to 4)
Music By – Derek Bailey (pistas: 1), Evan Parker (pistas: 1), John Stevens, Kent Carter (pistas: 1 to 3), Trevor Watts (pistas: 1 to 3)
Percussion, Voice – John Stevens (pistas: 2 to 4)
Soprano Saxophone – Trevor Watts (pistas: 2 to 4)

SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE - Quintessence 2 1973-4 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Part two of an early 1974 concert performed by an ad hoc lineup of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Quintessence 2 was first released as an LP separate from Quintessence 1. The CD reissue contains both pieces performed during the second part of the concert, plus two pieces from a previous concert when the group was comprised of John Stevens and Trevor Watts performing as a duo. The quintet pieces also feature Evan Parker, Kent Carter, and Derek Bailey. The level of abstract bliss reached on "Forty Minutes" (the first half of the performance, included on the Quintessence 1 CD) is not matched here, but "Thirty-Five Minutes" and "Ten Minutes" are still suitable complements: Knowing that these five musicians had never played as a group before, the two improvisations impress by their level of listening and synergy. Bailey trades his amplified guitar for his 19-string acoustic guitar at one point, and it completely changes the sound palette. On "Corsop," the first duet, Stevens plays his cornet, something that might unnerve a few listeners. "Daa-Oom," a strange tribute to African singers and Albert Ayler (!), has him vocalizing while occasionally hitting a drum. This version is more satisfactory than the trio take on Quintessence 1. François Couture  
Tracklist :
1    Thirty-Five Minutes    34:39
2    Ten Minutes    10:06
3    Corsop    11:08
4    Daa-Oom (Duo Version)    10:18
Credits :
Cello [Right], Double Bass [Right] – Kent Carter (pistas: 1, 2)
Cornet, Voice, Percussion – John Stevens (2) (pistas: 3, 4)
Guitar [Amplified, Left], Guitar [Left] – Derek Bailey (pistas: 1, 2)
Music By – Derek Bailey (pistas: 1, 2), Evan Parker (pistas: 1, 2), John Stevens (2), Kent Carter (pistas: 1, 2), Trevor Watts (pistas: 1 to 3)
Percussion, Cornet – John Stevens (pistas: 1, 2)
Soprano Saxophone – Trevor Watts (pistas: 3, 4)
Soprano Saxophone [Left] – Evan Parker (pistas: 1, 2)
Soprano Saxophone [Right] – Trevor Watts (pistas: 1, 2)

ANTHONY BRAXTON & DEREK BAILEY - First Duo Concert : London 1974 (1996) APE (image+.cue), lossless

These twelve duets between African-American avant-gardist Anthony Braxton and Brit Derek Bailey are remarkable for several reasons, not the least of which is that this is the first recording of these two seminal figures performing in tandem. For this live concert, Braxton brought his array of horns: contrabass, soprano, and Bb clarinets, flute, and sopranino and alto saxophones, while Bailey alternated between amplified and acoustic 19-string guitars. Coming from entirely different traditions of free music, Braxton emits a more melodic, tonal approach, while Bailey exemplifies an atonal, abstract concept. The results are hugely successful, with the two meeting halfway. As an indication of Braxton's remarkable diversity, it is worth noting that he recorded his two mainstream In the Tradition albums for SteepleChase just the month before. The duo recorded here with Bailey is surprisingly accessible, and contrasts two complementary approaches within the free music genre. Steve Loewy
Tracklist :
1    The First Set - Area 1    8:22
Derek Bailey / Anthony Braxton
2    The First Set - Area 2    3:12
Derek Bailey / Anthony Braxton
3    The First Set - Area 3 (Open)    8:44
Derek Bailey / Anthony Braxton
4    The First Set - Area 4 (Solo)    2:43
Derek Bailey / Anthony Braxton
5    The First Set - Area 5    5:21
Derek Bailey / Anthony Braxton
6    The First Set - Area 6    6:08
Derek Bailey / Anthony Braxton
7    The Second Set - Area 7    6:48
Derek Bailey / Anthony Braxton
8    The Second Set - Area 8    6:23
Derek Bailey / Anthony Braxton
9    The Second Set - Area 9 (Solo)    5:56
Derek Bailey / Anthony Braxton
10    The Second Set - Area 10    4:29
Derek Bailey / Anthony Braxton
11    The Second Set - Area 11 (Open)    15:29
Derek Bailey / Anthony Braxton
12    The Second Set - Area 12    3:57
Credits :
Flute, Clarinet, Clarinet [Soprano], Clarinet [Contrabass], Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
Guitar [Amplified], Guitar [19-string (approx)] – Derek Bailey

DEREK BAILEY | ANTHONY BRAXTON - Moment Précieux (1987-1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is a reunion of sorts, considering Anthony Braxton and Derek Bailey teamed for a series of duets in London during the '70s. Putting these two giants of improvised music together then and now seems a natural, but as is the case with their earlier efforts, this 1986 recording is a bit disappointing. Taken from a concert at Quebec's avant-garde Festival Musique Actuelle, Moment Precieux finds the two irascible soloists alternating between near silence and furious outbursts on the extended exploration "The Victoria and Albertville, Parts 1 & 2." Braxton is his usual serpentine and grating self on alto and soprano, while Bailey takes a minimalist and spiky approach on guitar, full of thrashing chords and chilling harmonics. Save for a few enlightened moments during the calmer passages, though, the two soloists hardly connect, opting instead to pursue singular roads of expression; unfortunately, when the two do come together, it sounds more obligatory than sympathetic. Maybe this is a result of a divide between the American jazz side of free improvisation (Braxton) and Europe's more wide-ranging take on the form (Bailey). Who knows. Intriguing solo moments aside, this is not a record to get if you are expecting an exciting collaboration between these two. For better duet records, check out Braxton and pianist Marilyn Crispell's Vancouver Duets (1989) or Bailey and saxophonist Evan Parker's Compatibles. Stephen Cook  
Tracklist :
1    The Victoria And Albertville Suite Part I    23:31
2    The Victoria And Albertville Suite Part II    24:35
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
Electric Guitar – Derek Bailey

DEREK BAILEY — Solo Guitar, Vol. 1 (1971-1992) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Derek Bailey's first solo recording at the time of its original release (subsequent albums have gone further back), Solo Guitar, Vol. 1 was an utter revelation for those few who initially heard it. No one, absolutely no one, was playing guitar like this in 1971. Although his influence could already be felt in the more abstract work of Robert Fripp (listen to "Moonchild" from the first King Crimson album) and would soon be picked up strongly by Fred Frith, Bailey occupied a universe of his own, freely improvising with little reference to the jazz tradition (including free jazz), sending splinters of notes into the ether and summoning ringing feedback from the deep innards of his ax. Most of the pieces here are performed on electric guitar, Bailey's patented use of the volume pedal clearly in evidence, as is the insightful intellect that would be a trademark. Solo Guitar, Vol. 1 is one of his knottier offerings; he would mellow out slightly (very slightly) after 1980 or so and listeners who have only previously heard his later work may be surprised at how unrelentingly spiny and brusque his playing is here. But it's no less spectacular than the gorgeous Solo Guitar, Vol. 2, which only took about another 20 years to appear. A handful of pieces included are odd even by Bailey standards in that they are largely composed: Misha Mengelberg's delightfully loony "Where Is the Police?" (complete with some synth work from Bailey!), Willem Breuker's hilarious and intricate "Christiani Eddy" with its puzzled, vocalized pauses, and a lovely, formidable work by ex-bandmate (in Joseph Holbrooke) Gavin Bryars. All told, this is required listening for any self-respecting Derek Bailey fan and a fascinating, complex, and ultimately delicious disc on its own merits. Brian Olewnick  
Tracklist :
1     Improvisation 4 2:02
Derek Bailey
2     Improvisation 5 7:43
Derek Bailey
3     Improvisation 6 5:29
Derek Bailey
4     Improvisation 7 3:10
Derek Bailey
5     Where Is the Police? 8:25
Misha Mengelberg
6     Christiani Eddy 5:50
Willem Breuker
7     The Squirrel and the Ricketty-Racketty Bridge 6:31
Gavin Bryars
8     Improvisation 3 2:41
Derek Bailey
9     Improvisation 8 4:19
Derek Bailey
10     Improvisation 9 1:52
Derek Bailey
11     Improvisation 10 3:04
Derek Bailey
12     Improvisation 11 2:16
Derek Bailey
13     Improvisation 12 3:46
Derek Bailey
Credits :
Guitar [Solo Guitar] – Derek Bailey

DEREK BAILEY - Solo Guitar, Vol. 2 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In his liner notes to this disc, extracted from his book on improvisation, British guitarist Derek Bailey writes, "...maintaining solo playing which remains meaningful as improvisation is an elusive business, not least because the easier it becomes to perform solo the harder it becomes to improvise solo...." Bailey's insistence on "non-idiomatic improvisation" requires not only that he not fall into patterns derived from other musical forms, but that he also not be trapped in his own habits or ruts -- a tall order indeed. Guitarist/composer Jim O'Rourke has noted that even high-level free improvisation tends to generate its own recognizable sound-world so that one might, say, immediately identify a Evan Parker piece and predict, to some extent, its structure and anticipate its musical elements. While Bailey's style is easily recognized, he has shown a remarkable ability to wring not only altogether new sounds from the guitar, but to invent entirely new approaches to individual improvisations.
Solo Guitar, Vol. 2 is one of Bailey's most successful recordings and a shining example of his extraordinary imagination and integrity. The pieces, titled only for the clock time at which they were recorded, are utterly assured even while venturing into territory that no one else has explored. Bailey seems incapable of not having a wealth of ideas at his fingertips. Think of it as being in the company of a master conversationalist, telling stories the likes of which you've never heard before. This is Derek Bailey, one of the finest storytellers around. by Brian Olewnick  
Tracklist :
1    Ten 10    17:08
Derek Bailey
2    Ten 28    6:33
Derek Bailey
3    Two 50    6:28
Derek Bailey
4    Two 57    3:25
Derek Bailey
5    Three    4:04
Derek Bailey
6    Three 05    2:44
Derek Bailey
7    Three 08    1:21
Derek Bailey
Credits :
Guitar – Derek Bailey

DEREK BAILEY - Aida (1980-1996) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Aida, consisting of two live recordings from 1980, captures Derek Bailey on the cusp between his early-career thorny and more drastic explorations of the outer limits of guitar playing and the subtler, softer (though no less idiosyncratic) approaches he would often employ later on. Throughout his career, Bailey has championed what he calls "non-idiomatic improvisation," an attempt to improvise without reference to any pre-existing musical styles. While perhaps impossible to achieve 100 percent, he has certainly made it difficult to describe his work with the normal allusions and comparisons to that of others. The first track on Aida, "Paris," is a gorgeous and relatively smooth excursion in Bailey's sound-world. One imagines that if England had a tradition of koto accompaniment for Noh plays, it might sound something like this. Not that there is an overt Asian influence, but the sparseness and careful choice of notes gives one a slight sense of both Eastern asceticism and luxury within that asceticism.
Though he has professed to not particularly enjoying solo playing, that circumstance is often the easiest introduction to Bailey's work. Aida is a remarkably beautiful entry to one of the world's masterful musicians. Indeed, he sounds like no one else. by Brian Olewnick  
Tracklist :
1     Paris 19:36
Derek Bailey
Recorded By – Jean-Marc Foussat
2     Niigata Snow 6:55
Recorded By – Adam Skeaping     
3     An Echo in Another's Mind 14:07
Derek Bailey
Recorded By – Adam Skeaping
Credits :
Guitar – Derek Bailey

DEREK BAILEY - Duo & Trio Improvisations (1978-1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 1978 recording finds the estimable British guitarist in the musical company of several members of the cutting edge of the Japanese jazz avant-garde of the time. These musicians, including Kaoru Abe (who died later that year), the late bassist Motoharu Yoshizawa, and the trumpeter Toshinori Kondo match Bailey's unique brand of spiky intelligence with grace and confidence. The duo between Bailey and Kondo, wielding two trumpets simultaneously, is a small gem of concise free improv, while the trio with Abe and saxophonist Mototeru Takagi screams along with abandon. The session includes a couple of duos between Kondo and Takagi. One is a brief piece with each on multiple horns, sounding very much as though intended in tribute to Rahsaan Roland Kirk, who had died a few months prior to this recording. The other is a very attractive, considered performance beginning with watery lines that escalate into cascading torrents of sound. When the trio that opened the disc (Bailey, Yoshizawa, and drummer Toshi Tsuchitori) returns for a finale, the listener has the sense of having witnessed an intriguing roundtable of ideas, a meeting of cultures that turned out to not be very different. Duo + Trio Improvisations isn't an earthshaking entry in Bailey's lengthy discography, but a fine and absorbing listen, worthy of notice. by Brian Olewnick
Tracklist :
1    Improvisation 21 9:23
Bass – M. Yoshizawa
Drums, Percussion – T. Tsuchitori
2    Improvisation 22 2:28
Trumpet, Alto Horn – T. Kondo
3    Improvisation 23 12:04
Alto Saxophone – K. Abe
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – M. Takagi
4    Improvisation 24 8:00
Drums, Percussion – T. Tsuchitori
5    Improvisation 25 1:59
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – M. Takagi
Trumpet, Alto Horn – T. Kondo
6    Improvisation 26 5:41
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – M. Takagi
Trumpet, Alto Horn – T. Kondo
7    Improvisation 27 6:16
Bass – M. Yoshizawa
Drums, Percussion – T. Tsuchitori
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – D. Bailey (faixas: 1 to 4, 7)

DEREK BAILEY WITH MIN TANAKA - Music and Dance (1996) FLAC (tracks), lossless

 Min Tanaka is a dancer, and although can hear the sporadic shuffling or stomping of feet or the slapping of hands against a wall, one gets the impression that Derek Bailey is being more directly influenced by the dance movements themselves and adjusting his improvisations accordingly. A photo inside the disc package shows Bailey walking and playing around Tanaka who, in this instance, is huddled nude, pressing himself into a wall.
The ambience of the recording site, a glass-ceilinged, abandoned forge in Paris, plays the other significant role here. Several minutes into the first track, a heavy rainstorm erupts, creating a low roar that briefly threatens to overwhelm the music. Bailey, with his classic English ability to take things in stride, simply uses the sound as material to work with and accompanies the downpour with aplomb. When the leaking roof causes a small fusillade of water drops, these too are incorporated into the fabric of the piece, and quite beautifully. In fact, on occasion Bailey sits out entirely, allowing the rain splatters, the dancer's movements and the passing car engine to fully inhabit the sound space.
As is the case with many of his releases, Bailey consistently amazes the listener both with his extraordinary ability to coax sounds from his guitar that may have never before been heard or imagined and, more importantly, his unerring sense of exactly when to utilize those sounds. While Bailey remains maligned in so-called traditional circles, it's clear that he's admired by one of the musicians most deeply involved with the entire tradition of the guitar. by Brian Olewnick  
Tracklist :
Rain Dance    
1    Rain Dance Pt 1    5:02
2    Rain Dance Pt 2    7:49
3    Rain Dance Pt 3    3:10
4    Rain Dance Pt 4    5:14
5    Rain Dance Pt 5    6:20
Saturday Dance    
6    Saturday Dance Pt 1    5:00
7    Saturday Dance Pt 2    8:25
8    Saturday Dance Pt 3    3:58
9    Saturday Dance Pt 4    5:15
10    Saturday Dance Pt 5    3:31
Credits :
Guitar – Derek Bailey
Performer [Dance] – Min Tanaka

DEREK BAILEY / GEORGE LEWIS / JOHN ZORN - Yankees (1982-1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A collective improvisation by Derek Bailey on acoustic and electric guitars, George Lewis on trombone, and John Zorn on alto and soprano saxes, clarinets, and game calls. Subtle, droll, hilarious takes on the trivia of baseball sounds: Lewis speaks through the trombone "ball one, ball one...." There are snippets of a slipping and sliding version of "Take Me out to the Ball Game" and so on. Sections are titled "City City City," "The Legend of Enos Slaughter," "Who's on First," followed by "On Golden Pond," a tongue-in-cheek tone poem of the flora and fauna and mosquitoes. "The Warning Track" is about a very tiny railroad system . by "Blue" Gene Tyranny
Tracklist :
1     City City City 8:29
Derek Bailey / George Lewis / John Zorn
2     The Legend of Enos Slaughter 9:27
Derek Bailey / George Lewis / John Zorn
3     Who's on First? 3:15
Derek Bailey / George Lewis / John Zorn
4     On Golden Pond 17:49
Derek Bailey / George Lewis / John Zorn
5     The Warning Track 5:27
Derek Bailey / George Lewis / John Zorn
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Derek Bailey
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Reeds [Game Calls] – John Zorn
Trombone – George Lewis

DEREK BAILEY / CYRO BAPTISTA - Cyro (1982) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 The pairing of Brazilian percussion god Cyro Baptista and vanguard British improv guitarist Derek Bailey may seem an unlikely one in concept, but never was there a more natural and rewarding collaboration in reality. Recorded in 1982 by Martin Bisi in New York, Bailey is unusually affable in his reaching out to Baptista, whose abilities are so great he only needs one welcoming gesture before he's off and running. There is no call and response in this collaboration. Dynamics, drama, and tonal explorations are the linguistic keys employed by both men -- who had had numerous opportunities to play together in live settings in New York previous to this outing -- in their search for each other. Nothing in this set seeks to reach beyond the platform of instrumental interplay and percussive communication that exists between these two men. Bailey sticks with a six-string acoustic guitar for the entire proceeding, while Baptista employs a large host of Brazilian and South American small instruments. One can hear, in the early going especially, the temptation to pander to exotica in tracks like "Quanto Tempo," "Polvo," and "Toca Joga." But it is resisted and maneuvered around in such a way that exotica does the pandering and is left in the hut behind deep tonal chasms, timbral expositions, and rhythmic dissertations -- Bailey is as great a percussionist as he is a guitarist. The solid line circling the players becomes a jump-off point in "Tonto" and a thing to be subverted in "Batida," which closes the album. If ever there was a Derek Bailey record that sings with joy and unfettered experimental glee, this is it.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1    Toca Joga    5:25
2    Quanto Tempo    3:47
3    Polvo    4:47
4    Rio Branco    5:15
5    Joga Toca    3:22
6    Que Horas    4:56
7    Tonto    6:54
8    Batida    4:33
Credits :
Guitar – Derek Bailey
Percussion – Cyro Baptista

DEREK BAILEY / JOËLLE LÉANDRE - No Waiting (1997) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Derek Bailey has recorded many LPs and CDs, yet his style never fails to invigorate. This one is no exception. These five totally improvised duos between Bailey and string bassist Joëlle Leandre, live in concert at Les Instants Chavirés in Montreuil, France, are some of the most interesting examples of the free music genre. Bailey's electric guitar reverberates ever so spasmodically next to Leandre's scratchy, then hyper-technical bass. Leandre can play with such virtuosity and intensity, but Bailey can counter with space and atmospherics before concentrating on little sounds. Call it a symphony of tiny, sometimes busy, sounds, and you get the idea. The entire album is a lesson in interaction: Leandre and Bailey duel, but only peripherally; they blend not as one, but as a two-headed dragon. In all, a cause for celebration. by Steve Loewy

DEREK BAILEY / HAN BENNINK - Han (1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The two-part "Melancholy Babes" presented here is an edited series of duet concerts between Han Bennink and Derek Bailey recorded over a week in March 1986. Over the week four concerts were recorded, and from these Bailey edited together five excerpts as a representation of what transpired. The first part is compiled from a series of audience recordings, and the second from a more conventional source. According to the liner notes, no attempt was made to disguise the editing, though each selection flows uninterrupted as the music would be presented in a live setting. That admission aside, the hallmark of these concerts was their stunning clarity of vision, their razor-sharp wit and repartee, and the fluency of language between the two musicians. Bailey is of his nut most of the time here, digging deeper and deeper into Bennink's glorious assault. The chord voicings and elongated single-string lines he plays here are far from typical for Bailey, even in a live setting; they surround the rhythms that are literally propelled forth incessantly in varying dynamics and tempos. But Bailey doesn't just hang in with Bennink's inexhaustible energy -- he soars with it, coming to grips with a kind of power he knows he possesses but doesn't always have access to. No one does. When the music grows almost intolerably tense, Bennink will let loose with a howl or a yelp to bring the level back to merely superhuman. This is one of the finest recordings of free improvisation to be released in the latter half of the 20th century.  by Thom Jurek 

DEREK BAILEY | STEVE LACY - Outcome (1983-1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is only the second recorded collaboration between guitarist Derek Bailey and soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy, and while the rarity of the event adds to the thrill, there is little question of the outstanding results produced on this particular occasion. As critic Jon Morgan points out in the liner notes, Lacy and Bailey embrace different concepts of improvisation, yet neither sacrifices any of his individuality to meet the other on common ground. There is little of the conversational quality so often found when musical giants play in tandem. Instead, the five pieces reflect two performers in peak form, each of whom displays his abilities to the fullest. Lacy has rarely sounded better, taking full advantage of the freedom of Bailey's electric guitar. While you are not likely to hear an ounce of familiarity in Bailey's contribution (he always seems sui generis), the guitarist continues to amaze with his independence and originality. Anyone even modestly interested in either Lacy or Bailey will wish to hear this one. Steve Loewy
Tracklist :
1 Input #1 16:54
Derek Bailey / Steve Lacy

2 Input #2 13:40

Derek Bailey / Steve Lacy
3 Input #3 8:08
Derek Bailey / Steve Lacy

4 Input #4 16:03

Derek Bailey / Steve Lacy

5 Input #5 5:27

Derek Bailey / Steve Lacy

Credits :

Electric Guitar – Derek Bailey
Soprano Saxophone – Steve Lacy