Solo free improvised guitar. Bailey has been improvising since the mid-60s and has found many new voices for the guitar. At age 75, he was diagnosed with carpal tunnel and cannot hold a pick anymore. Instead of having surgery, he decided to teach himself a new way of playing the guitar. This is a document of his learning process. This is free improv. Don’t expect to hear almost any western musical ideas. At times, it’s discordant and at others it reminds me of some Chinese stringed instrument I’ve heard before. What doesn’t exist is his usual flurry of notes. This is all slower and more introspective than a lot of his work.
**1. I have always loved when Bailey talks as part of his piece. He has some great duets with Chadbourne where they have a conversation while improvising. This is sort of a letter to the listener, about this project and his learning. He even apologizes for mistakes. It’s long and somewhat minimal.
2. Wonderful slow pace and liberal use to harmonics.
**3. More discordant with more strummed chords.
4. Harmonics, notes that a held longer, hunt-n-peck sounding.
5. A quieter version of track 4.
**6. I’m not sure how he’s getting the longer notes that almost sound like feedback and hell maybe it is feedback. He does an interesting walk around the neck towards the end of the track.
OK stuff -mph