Derek Bailey & Agustí Fernández - Barcelona mp3 album

The mix-up of a pianist and a sax-player, a young person's confessions...I bought this CD in 2002 at a concert by Assif Tsahar and Hamid Drake in my - back then - hometown Norrköping, Sweden. No friends wanted to go, so I went by myself - being very intrigued, since I was very much into improv stuff around this time. During the pause I purchased this CD because Derek Bailey was on it. I didn't reflect over the other participant - somehow assuming it was Assif Tsahar. Relevant to the story is that I not only missed out Fernandez on the recording, but, even more crucial, half of the duo that was playing - that is Assif Tsahar. Anyhow - Hamid Drake, constituting the other half, has - as you all know - a very charismatic presence when playing. Basically he got praised - making the audience applaude throughout this set. I felt that too few where directing their appreciation to Tsahar, who was equally remarkable this very evening. In the pause I wanted to show my appreciation by having a record signed - I picked up the Bailey / Fernandez duo CD and handed it over to Tsahar, praising his playing asking for a signature. His response was - obviously - something like "I'm not on this one". I had bought a few more CD:s - but he wasn't on those either. I was lucky though - he proved to be a humble and friendly person and found me a CD that he was on - I got it signed - immediately retreating into a corner deadly embarassed. They finished the second set and I was the first to exit the facility. When I arrived at home I tried to forget about my mix-up/social incompetence by playing the Bailey/Fernandez duo disc. This CD might seem like a bad choice considering the previous events, but it proved to be the opposite. I seem to recall that Bailey was very fond of duo-sets and this CD is one of those gems that proves this strength. Fernandez is playing a star-map of piano fragments adding colors by preparing the piano with objects. The preparations brings a chance element - you find yourself in a situation of acoustic musique concrete (Lachenmann) and Bailey feels engaged, intertwined in the Borgesque labyrinth. There's a pouring water quality to this - you're constantly moving forward - the staccato styled improv with an edge to it. Out of all the improv-CD:s I purchased during the first steps of the Millenium this is one I always seem to come back to. It's got that element of surprise that I find most of contemporary improv lacks.Thank you for releasing this CD mr Tsahar and I'm sorry for my mix-up!