Monday, 26th of December, 2005

Seminal British free improv guitarist Derek Bailey has died this Christmas day aged 74. Very sad news, if it’s true - I’m assuming so, having gotten it from a pretty reliable source, although I’m not seeing much news on it yet. I guess it was only yesterday.

I haven’t come across a lot of his music, and I think on the whole it wouldn’t be totally my thing, but having been close enough to the improv/experimental scene here in Sydney for quite some time, and having been interested in stuff like the Tzadik label as well as Bailey’s experiments with drum’n'bass (on one album) and his collaboration with David Sylvian on the Blemish album, I do feel a connection.

I must confess when John Peel died I was really pretty cut up, which was perhaps surprising since I almost never had the opportunity to hear his show - but he’s someone who touched just about anyone interested in leftfield music of any kind. I’m sure Derek Bailey’s death will be cause for sorrow across the music world.

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