[hat and beard]

I was really put off the first several hundred times I tried listening to him, but persistence pays off because I love him dearly. Derek Bailey is one of the standards by which I judge all other musicians. He was a shinging light of good taste and self control, that Derek.

I certainly prefer him in group contexts, for I have an inexplicable mental block for solo guitar music. The Music Improvisation Company records on Incus are fantastic, as are his works with the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (can be found on Emanem Records). Topography of the Lungs is wonderful. Derek is also great on Tony Oxley's very out of print Ichnos (I've posted links to it many times if you're interested).

Has anybody heard the Joseph Holbrooke (Tony Oxley, Gavin Bryars, and Derek Bailey) reunion record thing? I've had a hankering to track that down for a while.