Sunday, June 27, 2004

Derek Bailey

This week sees the publication of a new biography of one of Britain's - and the world's - most eminent practitioners and advocates of free improvisation in music. Derek Bailey and the Story of Free Improvisation, by Ben Watson, traces 40 years of the development of a truly radical force in music: Bailey, whose website offers an amazing kaleidoscope of contributions to new music in many countries, played and recorded with some of the great jazz innovators of the twentieth century, including Cecil Taylor, Kenny Wheeler, John Tchicai and Tony Oxley, and his explorations of improvisatory traditions in Europe, North and South America, Africa and Japan are unique.

The new biography will be launched at Ray's Jazz, Foyles Bookshop, Charing Cross Road this Thursday (July 1) at 6pm.

Hat tip: Anthony Barnett

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