Ballads

Jazz | Apr 2008

Reviews

Fo
Reviewed 2008-06-01
DEREK BAILEY: Ballads
Tzadik, 2002

SOLO GUITAR – Truly unique set from a giant of free/experimental music, as he applies his creative chops to jazz standards and Tin Pan Alley ballads, twisting their lovely melodies into new, enigmatic shapes and using them as the basis for some startling improvisations.

Bright, ringing chords are juxtaposed with harplike picking, melting dissonances and forceful interjections. Melodic lines are subsumed by slashing experimentation. It's a remarkable, virtuosic display.

These tracks can be played individually or as a continuous set. Not much point in reviewing each one; all carry a similar vibe.

Fo's Picks: ALL TRACKS EXCELLENT.

[Fo] – 6/1/08

Recent airplay

Body And Soul
Some Songs Without WordsMar 24, 2021
Gone With The Wind
7-22-2015Jul 22, 2015
My Buddy
Music CasseroleJan 01, 2010
You Go To My Head
Baptism of SolitudeJul 16, 2008
You Go To My Head
Emphysema For EmphasisJul 02, 2008
Stella By Starlight

Charting

2008-06-01 — 2008-08-03 Jazz
Week EndingAirplays
Jul 20 1
Jul 6 2
Jun 29 1
Jun 15 1
Jun 8 4

Track listing

1. What's New
2. When Your Lover Has Gone
3. Stella By Starlight
4. Melancholy Baby
5. My Buddy
6. Gone With The Wind
7. Rockin' Chair
8. Body And Soul
9. Gone With The Wind
10. Rockin' Chair (2)
11. You Go To My Head
12. Georgia On My Mind
13. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone