Aida

Even in an enormous catalog of solo, combo, and ensemble recordings, AIDA stands as one of Derek Bailey's definitive statements. This live Paris recording, first issued by Incus in 1981 and long a coveted item among improv enthusiasts, finds the improvisational guitarist at the top of his game. Like any great improviser, Bailey has his own language. His flurries of arch jabs, cascading fingering, raked chords, percussive accents, and recurrent harmonics posses a rigorous internal logic that has earned Bailey an eternal referendum in the jazz/not-jazz debate.
Bailey's style denies easy reference points, but pianist Cecil Taylor's contorted clusters and dramatically shaded textures certainly inform these brilliant six-string expositions. The fiercely scribbled calligraphy of "An Echo in Another's Mind" and "Niigata Snow" is geometrically involute yet completely asymmetrical, adhering to a deeply personal script that mandates the striking of every possible point on the fretboard during each performance. As with all Bailey recordings, AIDA's most surprising quality is the musician's sincere, mordant English wit. "Paris" features a typically priceless Bailey moment when an insistent wristwatch alarm (set beforehand?) forces the guitarist to abbreviate the performance--in the middle of an especially exquisite phrase--at exactly 19 minutes.