#derek bailey

George “Bongo Joe” Coleman — Self Titled

I heard two tracks of Bongo Joe from a collection of field recordings made in Mississippi in the 1950s and 1960s awhile back and listened to them on repeat (“This Whole World’s In A Sad Condition” and “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.” I hadn’t realized until now that he released a full solo album on Arhoolie Records (now part of Smithsonian Folkways) in 1969. He plays a big drum and sings and whistles. The ultimate rhythmic pocket, incredible humor, the world feels happier when you’re listening to Bongo Joe even though he doesn’t turn a blind eye to human nature. There is a link between his work and the more minimalist compositions of Timbaland and Missy Eliott. Masterpiece.

Cecile McLorin Salvant — Oh Snap

I have always been blown away by Salvant’s singing and creative conception, but her work on this album has taken the whole thing to the next level. Freedom, mastery, mystery, wit, depth. Gonna have to listen to this one a thousand more times. And some of the best Sullivan Fortner (Salvant’s partner and fellow genius) pianoism I’ve heard yet is on this record too.

Norman Willmore — Alive And Well at Muckleroe Hall

This is an album of traditional fiddle tunes played by an ensemble with the same instrumentation as the classic Ornette Coleman quartet — alto saxophone, trumpet, acoustic bass, drums, and very much played in the style of that group. Of course, the original Ornette Coleman quartet played fiddle tunes as well — “Old Joe Clark” and other bluesy melodies connected both to Coleman’s Texas upbringing and bassist Charlie Haden’s upbringing in the Ozarks. But this album by Willmore brings that freedom and swing to tunes that come from his own world of Shetland and Scotland as well as some American tunes and draws a more explicit connection between Ornette’s style of jazz and fiddle tune modalism. The hookup between saxophonist Willmore and trumpeter Stylianides is blazing.

Derek Bailey — Domestic Jungle DAT

This is like a caffeinated dream. Bailey playing along with jungle that he heard on the radio. Get your synapses going!!

Steve Cooney — Ceol Ársa Cláirsí

An incredibly beautiful album of ancient Irish harp tunes, played on solo acoustic guitar by the legend. Cooney is originally from Australia but has lived in Ireland for many years and been a crucial and unique voice in the traditional music scene here, developing a tune-backing and production style very personal to himself. Growing up I loved his playing on Martin Hayes’ second album Under The Moon, and Sean Smyth’s The Blue Fiddle, as well as his iconic duo records with Seamus Begley. Those albums have overdubbing, electric bass, synthesizers — all used in eccentric and mischievous ways. But this record is just pure solo guitar and shows his deep connection to these profound melodies.

The Horse Flies — Human Fly

This is an iconic album from the 1980s, only recently available online via Bandcamp. A new wave old time record, if Talking Heads played Appalachian string band music. Never gets old. Judy Hyman is the fiddle player, with a distinctive style of her own, Richie Stearns on extremely funky and improvisatory clawhammer banjo, Jeff Claus on banjo uke, sheer pocket, and John Hayward holding down the bass.

Marcus Martin — Recordings from the collection of Peter Hoover

Just listen to the groove in this fiddle playing. Insane. “Sourwood Mountain” is my favorite. Put it on a loop.

Saileog Ní Cheannabháin — Rothleán

Saileog plays traditional Irish tunes on piano and fiddle and viola, and is an incredible traditional singer in the sean nós style, singing in the Irish language. This is a deep and hypnotic album with no extraneous elements, just the truth. Her singing is powerful and she also wrote a fantastic tune which she recorded on this album, “Sliabh Mis.”

Local Backing Bands

For the last ten years, my main touring bandmate has been the great Chris Vatalaro who also is the drummer on four of my albums. He’s been busy this year playing with Anohni and the Johnsons and other projects, so for the second half of my UK tour in May, and for my June tour in North America, I’ve played with different musicians in each city. It’s been a blast, and a new way to explore the music anew each night. Some highlights were Minneapolis, MN, where my band was Sean Carey on drums and keyboards, and John Dieterich from Deerhoof on electric guitar; and Toronto, Canada, where I played with my friends Thom Gill and Philippe Melanson — Philippe is the percussionist on my new album “Salt River,” and Thom is currently on tour with Knower. (We filmed a little live session while we were there.) In London my band included a fantastic UK drummer named Jas Kayser; she was home on break from touring with Lenny Kravitz.

John Coltrane at ½ Speed