Derek Bailey/Fred Frith

[R_of_G]

Two of the greatest "experimental" improvisers of all time. Anybody else listen to either?

Frith: http://youtube.com/watch?v=d9aOWSemwcs

Bailey: http://efi.group.shef.ac.uk/video/vbailey1.mov

 

[Robert]

That is some deep stuff. It's not quite my thing, but I do find it interesting.

 

[R_of_G]

That is some deep stuff. It's not quite my thing, but I do find it interesting.

Def requires some acclimation to listening to this kind of improvisational play, but the more I listen to it, the more I find it influencing the way I play in a big way. Between guys like this, and Ornette and Miles and Ribot, I find myself less and less interested in playing songs or anything with a superimposed structure, and more at just playing in this vein. This I find especially true when I play with others. Rather than playing a specific song, or specific changes, I enjoy having a jam that's more of a conversation than just playing over someone's changes. The results are usually more interesting to my ear than just riffing off of a chord or two or three.

 

[guitartist]

I used to listen to Fred Frith a lot back in the eighties...I saw him play a couple of times back then with the band Skeleton Crew. Wow, I hadn't thought about that in a long time. Somewhere I've got the flyer from one of those shows signed by Frith.

I also saw Derek Bailey perform once, at an art gallery about 15 years ago. I wasn't very familiar with him, but some friends were going, so I tagged along. It was a very interesting show, I've never heard anyone else play guitar like that, before or since!

I also saw Henry Kaiser play back in the eighties...I had a front row seat, center stage...literally about 5 feet in front of him! That is a rather legendary show among the cognoscenti here in Atlanta...I recently met the guy who put on that show...he 's now the co-owner of a cd shop I frequent (his shop is named after a Capt. Beefheart song, so ya know he's got a lot of rare weird stuff!)

I've always appreciated experimental music, but I don't listen to it so much these days...sometimes I forget how cool a lot of it is.

 

[R_of_G]

I also saw Derek Bailey perform once, at an art gallery about 15 years ago. I wasn't very familiar with him, but some friends were going, so I tagged along. It was a very interesting show, I've never heard anyone else play guitar like that, before or since!

so jealous i can't even express it! being an artist myself, seeing bailey in an art gallery is beyond compare. i have a friend who saw frisell in a church, i imagine this would have been the same for me. very cool guitartist!