Bailey, Derek

Barcelona Chronicles: All Thumbs [DVD]

Label: Incus Country: UK

"The British free improvising guitarist Derek Bailey relocated to Barcelona in 2003. During his time in this vibrant city there were numerous musical meetings.

All Thumbs was a private solo performance initiated by Andy Davies which took place in July 2004 on a rooftop somewhere in the Ribera district.

This recording is released on Incus Records under the umbrella of ÒThe Barcelona ChroniclesÓ. These recordings document Derek's new approach to his instrument whilst dealing with the complex and progressive limitations caused by Motor Neurone Disease."-Incus

"[...} All Thumbs, a reference to the way he was forced to play after Motor Neurone Disease made it difficult for him to hold a plectrum for long. Indeed the film opens with Derek picking at the guitar with a plectrum, only for him to stop playing after a while and after turning to the camera to explain, and to give the piece its title, he set about playing using only the thumb on his right hand because the next two fingers were affected by the disease, making it hard to grip the plectrum. For many musicians the impact of such a physical setback would cause them to give up the guitar, Derek being Derek turns to the camera here and says ÒI canÕt grip the plectrum, so IÕll just play without oneÓ

The short set that follows is beautiful, soft, slow and as it progresses through its remaining twenty minutes increasingly spare and poignant. Of course watching this film is an experience tinged with no end of emotive nostalgia that will colour my appreciation of the music somewhat, but then so what? Derek BaileyÕs music was always about the man and his life as much as anything else, and in my opinion it would be wrong to separate his music from its impact on me both before and after his death. The camera work is well done, simple yet revealing, capturing little moments,- the uncertain shake of DerekÕs hand through to the wicked grin at one moment and the raise of a wild, wayward eyebrow when something in the music surprised even Derek himself. It is a very simple, very affecting, beautiful little film of one masterful musician, who, when faced with the challenges life throws at him found himself with only one possible route to take- he improvised. [...]"-Richard Pinnell