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

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 / 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