Derek Bailey (29 January 1930 – 25 December 2005) was an English

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

guitarist and an important figure in the

free improvisation Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician(s) involved. The term can refer to both a technique (employed by any musician in any genre) and as a recognizable genre in its ...

movement. Bailey abandoned conventional performance techniques found in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, exploring

atonality Atonality in its broadest sense is music that lacks a tonal center, or key. ''Atonality'', in this sense, usually describes compositions written from about the early 20th-century to the present day, where a hierarchy of harmonies focusing on a s ...

noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...

, and whatever unusual sounds he could produce with the guitar. Much of his work was released on his own label

Incus Records Incus Records is a British record company and label founded by Derek Bailey, Tony Oxley, Evan Parker and Michael Walters that specializes in free jazz and improvised music. The first release on the label was Incus Number 0 (zero), a 7 “ r ...

. In addition to solo work, Bailey collaborated frequently with other musicians and recorded with collectives such as

Spontaneous Music Ensemble Spontaneous may refer to: * Spontaneous abortion * Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis * Spontaneous combustion * Spontaneous declaration * Spontaneous emission * Spontaneous fission * Spontaneous generation * Spontaneous human combustion * Sponta ...

and

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

Career

Bailey was born in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

, England. A third-generation musician, he began playing guitar at the age of ten. He studied with Sheffield City organist C. H. C. Biltcliffe, an experience he disliked, and with his uncle George Wing and John Duarte. As an adult he worked as a guitarist and

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

in clubs, radio, and dance hall bands, playing with

Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, working i ...

, Gracie Fields,

Bob Monkhouse Robert Alan Monkhouse (1 June 1928 – 29 December 2003) was an English comedian, writer and actor. He was the host of television game shows including ''The Golden Shot'', '' Celebrity Squares'', '' Family Fortunes'' and '' ''Wipeout'. Ear ...

Kathy Kirby Kathy Kirby (born Catherine Ethel O'Rourke; 20 October 1938 – 19 May 2011) was an English singer, reportedly the highest-paid female singer of her generation. She is best known for her cover version of Doris Day's " Secret Love" and for re ...

, and on the television program '' Opportunity Knocks''. Bailey's earliest foray into free improvisation was in 1953 with two guitarists in Glasgow. He was part of a trio founded in 1963 with

Tony Oxley Tony Oxley (born 15 June 1938) is an English free improvising drummer and one of the founders of Incus Records. Biography Oxley was born in Sheffield, England. A self-taught pianist by the age of eight, he first began playing the drums at s ...

and

Gavin Bryars Richard Gavin Bryars (; born 16 January 1943) is an English composer and double bassist. He has worked in jazz, free improvisation, minimalism, historicism, avant-garde, and experimental music. Early life and career Born on 16 January 1943 in ...

called

Joseph Holbrooke Joseph Charles Holbrooke (5 July 18785 August 1958) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. Life Early years Joseph Holbrooke was born Joseph Charles Holbrook in Croydon, Surrey. His father, also named Joseph, was a music hall music ...

, named after English composer

, although the group never played his work. The band played conventional jazz at first, but later moved in the direction of free jazz. In 1966, Bailey moved to London. At the Little Theatre Club run by drummer John Stevens, he met like-minded musicians such as saxophonist

Evan Parker Evan Shaw Parker (born 5 April 1944) is a British tenor and soprano saxophone player who plays free improvisation. Recording and performing prolifically with many collaborators, Parker was a pivotal figure in the development of European free ja ...

, trumpeter

Kenny Wheeler Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active ...

, and double bassist

Dave Holland David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years. His extensive discography r ...

, with whom he formed the

. In 1968 they recorded ''Karyobin'' for

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...

. Bailey formed the Music Improvisation Company with Parker, percussionist

Jamie Muir Jamie Muir (born 1943 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish painter and former musician, best known for his work as the percussionist in King Crimson from 1972–1973. Biography Muir attended the Edinburgh College of Art during the 1960s, and began playi ...

, and Hugh Davies on homemade electronics. The band continued until 1971. He was a member of the

Jazz Composer's Orchestra The Jazz Composer's Orchestra was an American jazz group, founded by Carla Bley and Michael Mantler in 1965, to perform orchestral avant-garde jazz. Its origins lay in the Jazz Composers Guild, an organization founded by Bill Dixon which grew out ...

and formed the trio Iskra 1903 with double bassist

Barry Guy Barry John Guy (born 22 April 1947, in London) is an English composer and double bass player. His range of interests encompasses early music, contemporary composition, jazz and improvisation, and he has worked with a wide variety of orchestras ...

and trombonist Paul Rutherford that was named after a newspaper published by Russian revolutionary

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...

. He was a member of Oxley's sextet until 1973. In 1970, Bailey founded the record label

Incus The ''incus'' (plural incudes) or anvil is a bone in the middle ear. The anvil-shaped small bone is one of three ossicles in the middle ear. The ''incus'' receives vibrations from the ''malleus'', to which it is connected laterally, and transmit ...

with Tony Oxley, Evan Parker, and Michael Walters. It was the first musician-owned independent label in the UK. Oxley and Walters left early in the label's history; Parker and Bailey continued as co-directors until the mid-1980s, when friction between them led to Parker's departure. Bailey continued the label with his partner Karen Brookman until his death in 2005. With other musicians, Bailey was a co-founder in 1975 of '' Musics'' magazine, described as "an impromental experivisation arts magazine". In 1976, Bailey started the collaborative project

, which at various times included

Han Bennink Han Bennink (born 17 April 1942) is a Dutch drummer and percussionist. On occasion his recordings have featured him playing soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, trombone, violin, banjo and piano. Though perhaps best known as one of the pivotal fig ...

Steve Beresford Steve Beresford (born 6 March 1950) is a British musician who graduated from the University of York He has played a variety of instruments, including piano, electronics, trumpet, euphonium, bass guitar and a wide variety of toy instruments, suc ...

Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chica ...

Buckethead Brian Patrick Carroll (born May 13, 1969), known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has received critical acclaim for his innovative electric guitar playing. His music spans severa ...

Eugene Chadbourne Eugene Chadbourne (born January 4, 1954) is an American banjoist, guitarist and music critic. Life and career Chadbourne was born in Mount Vernon, New York, but grew up in Boulder, Colorado. He started playing guitar when he was eleven or twel ...

Lol Coxhill George Lowen Coxhill (19 September 1932 – 10 July 2012) known professionally as Lol Coxhill, was an English free improvising saxophonist. He played soprano and sopranino saxophone. Biography Coxhill was born to George Compton Coxhill ...

Johnny Dyani Johnny Mbizo Dyani (30 November 1945 – 24 October 1986) was a South African jazz double bassist, vocalist and pianist, who, in addition to being a key member of The Blue Notes, played with such international musicians as Don Cherry (jazz), Do ...

, Fred Frith,

Tristan Honsinger Tristan Honsinger (born October 23, 1949) is an American cello player active in free jazz and free improvisation. He is perhaps best known for his long-running collaboration with free jazz pianist Cecil Taylor and guitarist Derek Bailey. Born ...

, Henry Kaiser, Steve Lacy,

Keshavan Maslak Kenneth Keshavan Maslak, who also performs under the stage name Kenny Millions (born February 26, 1950), is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, avant-garde performance artist, poet and restaurateur. Biography Kenneth Keshavan Maslak was bo ...

Misha Mengelberg Misha Mengelberg (5 June 1935 – 3 March 2017) was a Dutch jazz pianist and composer.Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 459. Oxford University Press. A prominent figure in post-WWII European Jazz ...

Wadada Leo Smith Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (born December 18, 1941) is an American trumpeter and composer, working primarily in the fields of avant-garde jazz and free improvisation. He was one of three finalists for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music for ''Ten Free ...

, and John Zorn. Bailey organized the annual music festival Company Week, which lasted until 1994. In 1980, he wrote the book ''Improvisation: Its Nature and Practice''. In 1992, the book was adapted by

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

in the UK into a four-part TV series, ''On the Edge: Improvisation in Music'', which was narrated by Bailey. Bailey died in London on Christmas Day in 2005. He had been suffering from

motor neurone disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most commo ...

Music

Throughout both his commercial and improvising careers, Bailey's principal guitar was a 1963 Gibson ES 175 model. Although he occasionally made use of

prepared guitar A prepared guitar is a guitar that has had its timbre altered by placing various objects on or between the instrument's strings, including other extended techniques. This practice is sometimes called tabletop guitar, because many prepared guitar ...

in the 1970s (he would, for example, put paper clips on the strings, wrap his instruments in chains, or add further strings to the guitar), often for

Dada Dada () or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (Zurich), Cabaret Voltaire (in 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915, and after 192 ...

ist/theatrical effect, by the end of that decade he had, in his own words, "dumped" such methods. Bailey argued that his approach to music-making was actually far more orthodox than that of performers such as

Keith Rowe Keith may refer to: People and fictional characters * Keith (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Keith (surname) * Keith (singer), American singer James Keefer (born 1949) * Baron Keith, a line of Scottish barons ...

of the improvising collective AMM, who treats the guitar purely as a "sound source" rather than as a musical instrument. Instead, Bailey preferred to "look for whatever 'effects' I might need through technique". Eschewing labels such as "jazz" and "free jazz", Bailey described his music as "non-idiomatic". In the second edition of his book ''Improvisation...'', Bailey indicated that he felt that free improvisation was no longer "non-idiomatic" in his sense of the word, as it had become a recognizable genre and musical style itself. Bailey frequently sought performance contexts that would provide new stimulations and challenge that would prove musically "interesting", as he often put it. This led to work with collaborators such as

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progre ...

, John Zorn, Lee Konitz,

David Sylvian David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt, 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan. The band's androgynous look and increasingly ...

Cyro Baptista Cyro Baptista (born December 23, 1950) is a Brazilian percussionist in jazz and world music. He creates many of the percussion instruments he plays. Career Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Baptista arrived in the U.S. in 1980 with a scholarship to C ...

, Cecil Taylor,

Keiji Haino Keiji Haino ( ''Haino Keiji''; born May 3, 1952) is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter whose work has included rock, free improvisation, noise music, percussion, psychedelic music, minimalism and drone music. He has been active since the ...

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...

r Will Gaines, Drum 'n' Bass DJ Ninj, Susie Ibarra,

Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American musician best known as a member of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. Mo ...

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...

and the Japanese

noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise music, noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimal music, minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, a ...

group

Ruins Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

. Despite often performing and recording in a solo context, he was far more interested in the dynamics and challenges of working with other musicians, especially those who did not necessarily share his approach. As he put it in a March 2002 article of ''Jazziz'' magazine: Bailey was also known for his dry sense of humour. In 1977, ''Musics'' magazine sent the question "What happens to time-awareness during improvisation?" to about thirty musicians associated with the free improvisation scene. The answers received answers that varied from long, and theoretical essays to plain, direct comments. Typically pithy was Bailey's reply: "The ticks turn into tocks and the tocks turn into ticks." ''Mirakle'', a 1999 recording released in 2000, shows Bailey moving into the

free funk Free-funk is a combination of avant-garde jazz with funk music that developed in the 1970s. Leaders of the genre include Ornette Coleman and his Prime Time group, Ronald Shannon Jackson and his group Decoding Society, Jamaaladeen Tacuma and his g ...

genre, performing with bassist

Jamaaladeen Tacuma Jamaaladeen Tacuma (born Rudy McDaniel; June 11, 1956) is an American free jazz bassist born in Hempstead, New York. He was a bandleader on the Gramavision label and worked with Ornette Coleman during the 1970s and 1980s, mostly in Coleman's P ...

and drummer Grant Calvin Weston. ''Carpal Tunnel'', the last album to be released during his lifetime, documented his struggle with the

carpal tunnel syndrome Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the collection of symptoms and signs associated with median neuropathy at the carpal tunnel. Most CTS is related to idiopathic compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist at the carpal tunn ...

in his right hand which had rendered him unable to grip a

plectrum A plectrum is a small flat tool used for plucking or strumming of a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick and is held as a separate tool in the player's hand. In harpsic ...

. This problem marked the onset of

. Characteristically, he refused invasive surgery to treat his condition, instead being more "interested in finding ways to work around" this limitation. He chose to "relearn" guitar playing techniques by utilising his right thumb and index fingers to pluck the strings.

Discography

As leader

* 1970 '' The Topography of the Lungs'' with

and

(

) * 1971 '' Solo Guitar'' (Incus) * 1971 '' Improvisations for Cello and Guitar'' with

( ECM) * 1974 ''

First Duo Concert ''First Duo Concert'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Anthony Braxton and British guitarist Derek Bailey recorded in 1974 at the Wigmore Hall in London and released by Emanem.

'' with

( Emanem) * 1975 ''The London Concert'' with Evan Parker (Incus) * 1977 ''Drops'' with

Andrea Centazzo Andrea Centazzo (born 1948) is an Italian-born American composer, percussionist, multimedia artist and record label founder. Music career Centazzo was born in Udine, Italy. In the 1970s he played percussion in avant-garde jazz with John Zorn, S ...

(Ictus) * 1979 ''Time'' with

Tony Coe Anthony George Coe (born 29 November 1934) is an English jazz musician who plays clarinet, bass clarinet, flute as well as soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones. Career Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, Coe started out on clarinet and was self- ...

(Incus) * 1980 ''

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December ...

'' (Incus) * 1980 ''Views from Six Windows'' with Christine Jeffrey (

Metalanguage In logic and linguistics, a metalanguage is a language used to describe another language, often called the ''object language''. Expressions in a metalanguage are often distinguished from those in the object language by the use of italics, quot ...

) * 1981 ''

Dart Drug Dart Drug is a now-defunct chain of discount drug stores in the metropolitan Washington, DC region. It was founded in 1955, by Herbert Haft and his wife Gloria in Adams Morgan. The chain expanded to over 100 stores, and became a vehicle (as Dart ...

'' with

(Incus) * 1983 ''

Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

'' with George E. Lewis and John Zorn (

Celluloid Celluloids are a class of materials produced by mixing nitrocellulose and camphor, often with added dyes and other agents. Once much more common for its use as photographic film before the advent of safer methods, celluloid's common contemporary ...

) * 1985 ''Notes: Solo Improvisations'' (Incus) * 1986 ''Compatibles'' with Evan Parker (Incus) * 1987 ''Moment Précieux'' with Anthony Braxton (Victo) * 1988 ''Cyro'' with

(Incus) * 1990 ''Figuring'' with

Barre Phillips Barre Phillips (born October 27, 1934, in San Francisco, California, United States) is an American jazz bassist. A professional musician since 1960, he moved to New York City in 1962, then to Europe in 1967. Since 1972, he has been based in sout ...

(Incus) * 1992 ''Village Life'' with

Louis Moholo Louis Tebogo Moholo (born 10 March 1940), is a South African jazz drummer. He has been a member of several notable bands, including The Blue Notes, the Brotherhood of Breath and Assagai. Biography Born in Cape Town, Moholo formed The Blue ...

, Thebe Lipere (Incus) * 1993 ''Wireforks'' with Henry Kaiser ( Shanachie) * 1993 ''Playing'' (Incus) * 1994 ''Drop Me Off at 96th'' (Scatter) * 1995 ''Saisoro'' with the Ruins (

Tzadik Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The ...

) * 1995 '' Harras'' with William Parker, John Zorn (

Avant AVANT, also known as AVANT street art guerrilla collective, was the artist group active in New York City from 1980 to 1984. By 1984 AVANT had produced thousands of acrylic on paper paintings and plastered them on walls, doors, bus-stops and gallerie ...

) * 1995 ''Banter'' with

Gregg Bendian Gregg Bendian (born July 13, 1963) is an American jazz drummer, percussionist, pianist, and composer. Early life Born in Englewood, New Jersey, Bendian was raised in Fairview and Teaneck. Bendian began playing drums at the age of nine and stu ...

(OODiscs) * 1996 ''Close to the Kitchen'' with

Noël Akchoté Noël Akchoté (born 7 December 1968) is a French guitarist in free improvisation, classical, experimental, and free jazz. Career Starting on guitar at when he was eight years old,Philippe Carles, André Clergeat et Jean-Louis Comolli, ''Dict ...

(Rectangle) * 1996 ''Lace'' (Emanem) * 1996 '' Guitar, Drums 'n' Bass'' (Avant) * 1997 ''Music & Dance'' (Revenant) * 1997 ''And'' with Pat Thomas, Steve Noble (Rectangle) * 1997 ''Takes Fakes and Dead She Dances'' (Incus) * 1997 ''Trio Playing'' (Incus) * 1998 ''Tohjinbo'' (Paratactile) * 1998 ''Viper'' with

Min Xiao-Fen Min Xiao-Fen () is a Chinese-American pipa player, vocalist, and composer known for her work in traditional Chinese music, contemporary classical music, and jazz. Life Min Xiao-Fen studied with her father, Min Jiqian (闵季骞), a music profe ...

(Avant) * 1998 ''No Waiting'' with

Joelle Leandre Joelle is a feminine given name, and may refer to: * Joelle, actor and singer * Joelle Behlok, Lebanese television presenter and winner Miss Lebanon 1997 * Joelle Carter (born 1972), American actress * Joelle Fishman (born 1946), American politicia ...

(Potlatch) * 1998 ''Dynamics of the Impromptu'' with John Stevens,

Trevor Watts Trevor Charles Watts (born 26 February 1939) is an English jazz and free-improvising alto and soprano saxophonist. Biography Watts was born in York, England. He is largely self-taught, having taken up the cornet at age 12 then switched to s ...

(Entropy Stereo) * 1999 ''Arch Duo'' with Evan Parker (Ratascan) * 1999 ''Playbacks'' (Bingo) * 1999 ''Outcome'' with Steve Lacy (Potlatch) * 1999 ''Daedal'' with Susie Ibarra (Incus) * 2000 ''Locational'' with

Alex Ward Alexander Ward (born 30 April 1990) is a retired British tennis player. Early life Ward was born on 30 April 1990 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England. He was educated at Northampton School for Boys. Tennis career Ward has a career high ...

(Incus) * 2000 ''String Theory'' (Paratactile) * 2000 ''Mirakle'' with

, Calvin Weston (Tzadik) * 2000 ''Songs'' with

(Incus) * 2001 ''Llaer'' with

Ingar Zach Ingar Zach (born 29 June 1971 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian percussionist and businessman, known from several recordings. Career In the 1990s Zach played within Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag and 'Harnihomba', while studying music at the Univer ...

(Sofa) * 2001 ''Fish'' with Shoji Hano (PSF) * 2001 ''Ore'' with

Eddie Prévost Edwin John Prévost (born 22 June 1942) is an English percussionist who founded the free improvisation group, AMM. Early years Of Huguenot heritage, Prévost's silk weaving ancestors moved to Spitalfields in the late 17th century. He was bor ...

(Arrival) * 2002 ''Barcelona'' with Agusti Fernandez (Hopscotch) * 2002 ''Ballads'' (Tzadik) * 2002 ''Right Off'' with Carlos Bechegas (Numerica) * 2002 ''Duos, London 2001'' (Incus) * 2002 ''Bailey/Hautzinger'' with Franz Hautzinger (Grob) * 2002 ''Pieces for Guitar'' (Tzadik) * 2002 ''New Sights Old Sounds'' (Incus) * 2003 ''Soshin'' with Fred Frith, Antoine Berthiaume ( Ambiances Magnétiques, ) * 2003 ''Nearly a D'' with

Frode Gjerstad Frode Gjerstad (born 24 March 1948) is a Norwegian jazz musician with alto saxophone as principal instrument, but he also plays other saxophones, clarinet, and flute. He has collaborated with Paal Nilssen-Love, Borah Bergman, Peter Brötzmann, ...

(Emanem) * 2004 ''Scale Points on the Fever Curve'' with Milo Fine (Emanem) * 2005 ''Carpal Tunnel'' (Tzadik) * 2006 ''To Play: The Blemish Sessions'' (Samadhisound) * 2006 ''Derek'' with Cyro Baptista (

Amulet An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny's ''Natural History'' describes as "an object that protects ...

) * 2007 ''Standards'' (Tzadik) * 2008 ''Tony Oxley Derek Bailey Quartet'' (Jazzwerkstatt) * 2009 ''Good Cop Bad Cop'' with Tony Bevan, Paul Hession & Ōtomo Yoshihide (No-Fi) * 2010 ''More 74: Solo Guitar Improvisations'' (Incus) * 2011 ''Close to the Kitchen'' (Rectangle) * 2012 ''Derek Bailey Plus One Music Ensemble'' (Nondo) * 2020 ''Live at FarOut, Atsugi 1987'' (NoBusiness) with

Mototeru Takagi (28 December 1941 – December 2002) was a Japanese tenor saxophone player, known for playing in a distinctive and powerful free jazz style. He played with many of the most important Japanese free groups and musicians during the seventies, su ...

– live recorded in 1987

As a member

Arcana
With

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, ...

and Tony Williams *''

The Last Wave ''The Last Wave'' (also released, in the US, as ''Black Rain'') is a 1977 Australian mystery drama film directed by Peter Weir.''Variety'' film review; 16 November 1977, p. 21. It is about a white solicitor in Sydney whose seemingly normal lif ...

'' ( DIW, 1996) – recorded in 1995 Company * ''

The Music Improvisation Company ''The Music Improvisation Company'' is an album by saxophonist Evan Parker, guitarist Derek Bailey, Hugh Davies on various self-made electronic devices, and percussionist Jamie Muir (along with vocalist Christine Jeffrey added on two tracks) w ...

'' ( ECM, 1970) * '' The Music Improvisation Company 1968–1971'' (Incus, 1976) * ''Company 1'' (Incus, 1976) * ''Company 2'' (Incus, 1976) * ''Company 3'' (Incus, 1976) * ''Company 4'' (Incus, 1977) * ''Fictions'' (Incus, 1977) * ''Company 5'' (Incus, 1977) * ''Company 6 & 7'' (Incus, 1978) * ''Fables'' (Incus, 1980) * ''Epiphany / Epiphanis'' (Incus, 1982) * ''Trios'' (Incus, 1983) * ''Once'' (Incus, 1987) Iskra 1903
With Paul Rutherford and

* ''

Iskra 1903 ''Iskra 1903'' is an album by trombonist Paul Rutherford, guitarist Derek Bailey and bassist Barry Guy which was recorded at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in 1970 and in a studio in 1972 and first released as a double album on the Incus ...

'' (Incus, 1972) * ''Chapter One: 1970–1972'' (Emanem, 2000) * ''Buzz'' (Emanem, 2002)

As co-leader

With Joseph Holbrooke Trio * "'65 (Rehearsal Extract)" single (Incus, 1999) * 98'' (Incus, 2000) * ''The Moat Recordings'' (Tzadik, 2006) – recorded in 1998 With the

* ''Karyobin'' (

Island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

, 1968) * ''Withdrawal (1996-7)'' (Emanem, 1997) * '' Quintessence'' (Emanem, 2007) – recorded in 1973-74 With others * Globe Unity Orchestra, ''Globe Unity 67 & 70'', (FMP, 1970) *

/The London Jazz Composers' Orchestra, ''

Ode An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...

'' (Incus, 1972) * ''Groupcomposing'' with Han Bennink/Peter Bennink/Peter Brötzmann/Misha Mengelberg/Evan Parker/Paul Rutherford (Instant Composers Pool, 1978) * ''The Sign of Four'' with

Paul Wertico Paul Wertico (born January 5, 1953 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American drummer. He gained recognition as a member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1983 until 2001, leaving the group to spend more time with his family and to pursue other musical int ...

(

Knitting Factory The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United States. The Knitting Factory gave its audience poetry readings, perform ...

, 1997) Source:

As sideman

With Steve Lacy * ''Saxophone Special'' (Emanem, 1974) * ''The Crust'' (Emanem, 1975) * ''Dreams'' (Saravah, 1975) With

* ''

The Baptised Traveller ''The Baptised Traveller'' is the debut album by English free-jazz drummer Tony Oxley, which was recorded in 1969, released on CBS as part of their Realm Jazz Series and reissued on CD by Columbia in 1999. The album, the first of a trilogy that O ...

'' (1969) * '' 4 Compositions for Sextet'' (1970) * ''Ichnos'' (1971) With John Zorn * ''

The Big Gundown ''The Big Gundown'' ( it, La resa dei conti, lit=The Settling of Scores) is a 1966 Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Sollima, and starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian. Plot Possessing a reputation for bringing criminals to justice, ...

'' (1985) * '' Cobra: John Zorn's Game Pieces Volume 2'' (2002) With others * ''European Echoes'',

Manfred Schoof Manfred Schoof (born 6 April 1936) is a German jazz trumpeter. Career Schoof was born in Magdeburg, Germany, and studied music in Kassel and Cologne, where one of his teachers of the big band leader Kurt Edelhagen. Schoof performed on Edelhagen ...

(1969) * ''

Nipples The nipple is a raised region of tissue on the surface of the breast from which, in females, milk leaves the breast through the lactiferous ducts to feed an infant. The milk can flow through the nipple passively or it can be ejected by smooth m ...

'',

Peter Brötzmann Peter Brötzmann (born 6 March 1941) is a German saxophonist and clarinetist. Biography Early life Brötzmann was born in Remscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He studied painting in Wuppertal and was involved with the Fluxus movement ...

(1969) * '' Song for Someone'',

(Incus, 1973) * ''

'',

(1974) * ''

Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet ''Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet'' is a 1971 composition by Gavin Bryars based on a loop of an unknown homeless man singing a brief improvised stanza. The loop was the singer's recollection of the chorus of a gospel hymn, by James M Black, p ...

/ The Sinking of the Titanic'',

(

Obscure Obscure may refer to: *Heraclitus of Ephesus was called " The Obscure" * ''Obscure'' (video game), a 2004 survival horror game * Obscure (band), a Bangladeshi pop rock band *Obscure Records Obscure Records was a U.K. record label which existed ...

, 1975) * ''Les Douzes Sons'',

Joëlle Léandre Joëlle Léandre (born 12 September 1951 in Aix-en-Provence, France) is a French double bassist, vocalist, and composer active in new music and free improvisation. In the field of contemporary music, she has performed with Pierre Boulez's E ...

(1983) * '' Pleistozaen Mit Wasser'', Cecil Taylor (1988) * ''Boogie with the Hook'',

(1996) * ''

'', Arcana ( DIW, 1996) * ''Legend of the Blood Yeti'',

(Infinite Chug, 1997) * ''Hello, Goodbye'',

(2001) * ''Vortices and Angels'', John Butcher (2001) * '' Blemish'',

(Samadhisound, 2003) * ''Domo Arigato Derek Sensei'', Henry Kaiser (2005) Source:

References

Sources *

External links

Sample of Derek Bailey's playing 1

Sample of Derek Bailey's playing 2

Sample of Derek Bailey's playing 3

Sample of Derek Bailey's playing 4 (with Han Benninik)

Video footage of Derek Bailey playing

Video footage
of Derek Bailey playing with tap dancer Will Gaines
"I Miss a Friend Like You"
from ''The Gospel Record'', Shaking Ray Records, 2005
Obituary
by

Steve Voce Steve Voce (born 23 December 1933) is a British journalist and music critic. As well as writing obituaries for ''The Independent'', Voce has been a columnist for ''Jazz Journal'' for about 60 years, and presented the ''Jazz Panorama'' radio progr ...

in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

''
Appreciation
by

in ''The Guardian'' * from ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime film, crime drama Television show, television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The ...

'' magazine * * , Netherlands ( Theo Uittenbogaard/VPRO/1984) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Derek 20th-century British guitarists 21st-century British guitarists Free jazz guitarists Avant-garde guitarists Free funk guitarists English jazz guitarists English male guitarists Free improvisation Musicians from Sheffield Neurological disease deaths in England Deaths from motor neuron disease English experimental musicians 1930 births 2005 deaths Tzadik Records artists Samadhi Sound artists Avant-garde jazz guitarists 20th-century British male musicians 21st-century British male musicians British male jazz musicians Spontaneous Music Ensemble members Arcana (American band) members Joseph Holbrooke (band) members Incus Records artists NoBusiness Records artists