Derek Bailey Music

"Harras" is a collaborative effort between alto saxophonist John Zorn, guitarist Derek Bailey and bassist William Parker. The album consists of three tracks and a bonus piece appended to the end.

All three tracks follow roughly the same formula-- titled "Morning Harras", "Noon Harras", and "Evening Harras", all three start slowly, with long tones from the alto, delicate bass work (arco in the case of "Evening Harras", although Parker is pizzicato for most the record), and fractured, deliberate guitar lines. Eventually, Zorn picks up the pace and his playing becomes more frantic and inventive, Bailey responds to this by pushing the music further, and Parker becomes busier and more detailed, bridging the gap between the two. After a pause, there's a blast of solo guitar (evidentally this was Bailey's idea and is not a problem with your CD).

The performances are fairly engaging, exciting, and powerful. Unlike Zorn and Bailey's previous collaboration ("Yankees"), this one feels more natural, with all three musicians expressing their voices pretty much equally. The only complaint I have is that Parker is a bit too quiet, but really, it's a great listen. Recommended.

I like the straight on attack of the trio on Harras. Baliey is is fine form and not repetitive. Parker and Zorn fill in the spaces but to me are under miked. On my copy tune #3 ends suddenly with a four minute gap before a Bailey solo comes in. Anyone out there know why this is? This is the Japanese import version. Nonetheless Parker and Zorn are spectacular on this free form recording and Bailey doesn't let down. All three numbers kick.

I'm not really a fan of John Zorn. His hairpin mood shifts that characterize the Naked City stuff and the screeching torture music of Painkiller both put me off. On the other hand I adore Derek Bailey and William Parker is a spectacular bassist. You should here some of his work in the Die Like a Dog trio with Peter Brotzmann and Hamid Drake. Thus, I thought it was worth the risk of enduring Zorn's horn. I was pleasantly surprised to find that when stripped of his compositional interests in pain and cartoons Zorn is a very astute and lyrical improvisor. Don't make any mistake here. This is free improvization and hence bound to sound like noise to anyone not familiar with its conventions, but Zorn manages to sound not only palatable to me but pleasant and I intend to look into more of his albums to see if there is more work like this. Bailey's playing fits in between perfectly and this group works together. He does have a solo section at the end of the first track, which is the best part of the album. This is probably the best work of a group this size I have heard him in, much better than "Arcana: The Last Wave" for example, not to mention "Sign of 4". I heartily recommend this.

"Harras" is a collaborative effort between alto saxophonist John Zorn, guitarist Derek Bailey and bassist William Parker. The album consists of three tracks and a bonus piece appended to the end.

All three tracks follow roughly the same formula-- titled "Morning Harras", "Noon Harras", and "Evening Harras", all three start slowly, with long tones from the alto, delicate bass work (arco in the case of "Evening Harras", although Parker is pizzicato for most the record), and fractured, deliberate guitar lines. Eventually, Zorn picks up the pace and his playing becomes more frantic and inventive, Bailey responds to this by pushing the music further, and Parker becomes busier and more detailed, bridging the gap between the two. After a pause, there's a blast of solo guitar (evidentally this was Bailey's idea and is not a problem with your CD).

The performances are fairly engaging, exciting, and powerful. Unlike Zorn and Bailey's previous collaboration ("Yankees"), this one feels more natural, with all three musicians expressing their voices pretty much equally. The only complaint I have is that Parker is a bit too quiet, but really, it's a great listen. Recommended.

I like the straight on attack of the trio on Harras. Baliey is is fine form and not repetitive. Parker and Zorn fill in the spaces but to me are under miked. On my copy tune #3 ends suddenly with a four minute gap before a Bailey solo comes in. Anyone out there know why this is? This is the Japanese import version. Nonetheless Parker and Zorn are spectacular on this free form recording and Bailey doesn't let down. All three numbers kick.

I'm not really a fan of John Zorn. His hairpin mood shifts that characterize the Naked City stuff and the screeching torture music of Painkiller both put me off. On the other hand I adore Derek Bailey and William Parker is a spectacular bassist. You should here some of his work in the Die Like a Dog trio with Peter Brotzmann and Hamid Drake. Thus, I thought it was worth the risk of enduring Zorn's horn. I was pleasantly surprised to find that when stripped of his compositional interests in pain and cartoons Zorn is a very astute and lyrical improvisor. Don't make any mistake here. This is free improvization and hence bound to sound like noise to anyone not familiar with its conventions, but Zorn manages to sound not only palatable to me but pleasant and I intend to look into more of his albums to see if there is more work like this. Bailey's playing fits in between perfectly and this group works together. He does have a solo section at the end of the first track, which is the best part of the album. This is probably the best work of a group this size I have heard him in, much better than "Arcana: The Last Wave" for example, not to mention "Sign of 4". I heartily recommend this.

Let's hear more from this talented new composer

This is a beautifully written and performed work that is as entertaining as it is educational and moving. A triumph in translating the beauty and power of nature into a lyrical medium.

There are now hundreds of Derek Bailey CDs including dozens of solo Bailey. This wasn't always the case. Back in the 1970s a whole album of solo free improv guitar was deemed a bit too daunting to be commercially and critically viable. There was the Incus label "SOLO GUITAR" album from 71. Another called "LOT 74" (which I've never heard). And that was about it. However it now turns out there was another album, recorded and released in Italy in 75 and rather obscure, but now on general CD reissue.

I'd say the 71 "SOLO GUITAR" is the best introduction to Bailey's solo playing in that it gives a comprehensive cross-section of his various styles, ideas and techniques. But "IMPROVISATION" is also recommended. It's a "properly" recorded studio session and has a clarity of sound which really allows the listener to catch the detail of the music (not always the case in the verite live "documents" favoured by free improv types like Bailey). The music is also very focused, 14 short tracks presumably recorded back to back in a single session. It plays like a set of variations on a single musical concept. In the foreground is the busy, dense acoustic activity, set off against a background wash of amplified / electric bending of sustain and feedback. Sometimes the two layers merge and it's difficult to work out which is shadowing which. In the later tracks the acoustic predominates again, fragmented with stark staccato chords in the manner that would become prevalent in Bailey's playing of the 80s. As complex percussive miniatures with an air of detached melancholy, the pieces here retain a residual echo of John Cage's prepared piano works.

We now have three great CD reissues - the Incus 71, this Italian 75 and the Japanese epic live NEW SIGHTS OLD SOUNDS (from 78) - together they give us a good representation of solo Bailey across the 1970s. (note: There appear to be two reissues; this review refers to the Amperesand label reissue)

There are now hundreds of Derek Bailey CDs including dozens of solo Bailey. This wasn't always the case. Back in the 1970s a whole album of solo free improv guitar was deemed a bit too daunting to be commercially and critically viable. There was the Incus label "SOLO GUITAR" album from 71. Another called "LOT 74" (which I've never heard). And that was about it. However it now turns out there was another album, recorded and released in Italy in 75 and rather obscure, but now on general CD reissue.

I'd say the 71 "SOLO GUITAR" is the best introduction to Bailey's solo playing in that it gives a comprehensive cross-section of his various styles, ideas and techniques. But "IMPROVISATION" is also recommended. It's a "properly" recorded studio session and has a clarity of sound which really allows the listener to catch the detail of the music (not always the case in the verite live "documents" favoured by free improv types like Bailey). The music is also very focused, 14 short tracks presumably recorded back to back in a single session. It plays like a set of variations on a single musical concept. In the foreground is the busy, dense acoustic activity, set off against a background wash of amplified / electric bending of sustain and feedback. Sometimes the two layers merge and it's difficult to work out which is shadowing which. In the later tracks the acoustic predominates again, fragmented with stark staccato chords in the manner that would become prevalent in Bailey's playing of the 80s. As complex percussive miniatures with an air of detached melancholy, the pieces here retain a residual echo of John Cage's prepared piano works.

We now have three great CD reissues - the Incus 71, this Italian 75 and the Japanese epic live NEW SIGHTS OLD SOUNDS (from 78) - together they give us a good representation of solo Bailey across the 1970s. (note: There appear to be two reissues; this review refers to the Amperesand label reissue)

There are now hundreds of Derek Bailey CDs including dozens of solo Bailey. This wasn't always the case. Back in the 1970s a whole album of solo free improv guitar was deemed a bit too daunting to be commercially and critically viable. There was the Incus label "SOLO GUITAR" album from 71. Another called "LOT 74" (which I've never heard). And that was about it. However it now turns out there was another album, recorded and released in Italy in 75 and rather obscure, but now on general CD reissue.

I'd say the 71 "SOLO GUITAR" is the best introduction to Bailey's solo playing in that it gives a comprehensive cross-section of his various styles, ideas and techniques. But "IMPROVISATION" is also recommended. It's a "properly" recorded studio session and has a clarity of sound which really allows the listener to catch the detail of the music (not always the case in the verite live "documents" favoured by free improv types like Bailey). The music is also very focused, 14 short tracks presumably recorded back to back in a single session. It plays like a set of variations on a single musical concept. In the foreground is the busy, dense acoustic activity, set off against a background wash of amplified / electric bending of sustain and feedback. Sometimes the two layers merge and it's difficult to work out which is shadowing which. In the later tracks the acoustic predominates again, fragmented with stark staccato chords in the manner that would become prevalent in Bailey's playing of the 80s. As complex percussive miniatures with an air of detached melancholy, the pieces here retain a residual echo of John Cage's prepared piano works.

We now have three great CD reissues - the Incus 71, this Italian 75 and the Japanese epic live NEW SIGHTS OLD SOUNDS (from 78) - together they give us a good representation of solo Bailey across the 1970s. (note: There appear to be two reissues; this review refers to the Amperesand label reissue)