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Derek Bailey, Sabu Toyozumi: Breath Awareness

By Mark Corroto
July 15, 2024
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Derek Bailey, Sabu Toyozumi: Breath Awareness

Guitarist

Derek Bailey

guitar
1932 - 2005

" data-original-title="" title="">Derek Bailey never compromised his approach to music, but was he influenced and his sound affected by set, setting, and playing partners? Those new to Bailey's working method may posit his approach was inflexible and unaccommodating, while long-time listeners can identify how a playing partner can affect the guitarist's sound.

With the force of nature that is Derek Bailey, the greatest influences on his sound were certainly drummers and percussionists. Bailey performed with the likes of

Cyro Baptista

percussion
b.1950

" data-original-title="" title="">Cyro Baptista,

Han Bennink

drums
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Han Bennink,

Susie Ibarra

percussion
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Susie Ibarra,

Andrea Centazzo

percussion

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrea Centazzo,

Eddie Prevost

drums
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Eddie Prevost,

Gregg Bendian

drums
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Gregg Bendian,

Louis Moholo-Moholo

drums
1940 - 2025

" data-original-title="" title="">Louis Moholo-Moholo,

Tony Oxley

drums
1938 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Oxley, and

John Stevens

drums
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">John Stevens, not to mention his later fascination with drum'n'bass (180 bpm) and his collaboration with D.J. Ninj.

During Bailey's 1987 tour of Japan, he performed solo, also with saxophonist

Mototeru Takagi

saxophone, soprano

" data-original-title="" title="">Mototeru Takagi, heard on Live At Far Out, Atsugi (NoBusiness, 2020). His collaboration with drummer

Sabu Toyozumi

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Sabu Toyozumi is documented on the nearly impossible-to-find recording Live In Okayama 1987 (Improvised Company, 2000), a trio with

Peter Brötzmann

woodwinds
1941 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Br?tzmann.

We now have this archival duo recording with Toyozumi, captured on November 2nd, 1987 at IMAI-Tei, Fukuoka City. Three of the four tracks are duos, plus one 13- minute solo performance by Bailey. Except for brief passages, Toyozumi never avails himself of the booming loudness of his drum kit. Only in the finale "Relux Or Not Talking" does the boom become a BOOM. The drummer though has a crafty way to interchange and influence Bailey's idiosyncratic sound. His playing acts as an accelerator/decelerator throughout; that is without saying Bailey acts in pursuit of the drummer. Bailey can only sound like Bailey, but we have a freely improvised communion with a partner raising or lowering the temperature, complexion, and aura.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

My Jimny; Diaphragm (guitar solo); Relux or Not Talking; Fukuoka IMAI-House.

Personnel

Derek Bailey

guitar

Sabu Toyozumi

drums

Album information

Title: Breath Awareness | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: NoBusiness Records

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