Derek Bailey - Ingar Zach: LLaer

There may not be any stringent regulations for freely organized improvisational encounters, yet in the wrong hands, music of this ilk can sound uninteresting, meandering or unbalanced. However, when famed guitarist, Derek Bailey and Norwegian drummer, Ingar Zach aligned their respective talents for this live outing, it becomes quite evident from the onset, that there is an underlying aura that seemingly resides from within the embodiment of the music at hand. On these seven pieces, the duo rarely duplicates any one sequence, yet a notable level of intuitiveness prevails, as they avoid collisions or any semblance of becoming reckless. Whether it is Bailey’s agilely produced harmonics or Zach’s adherence to nuance and tonal shading, the musicians often meld intricately enacted maneuvers along with their propensity to engage in rousing exchanges. With the piece titled, “Horizontal Rain,” Bailey’s ringing harmonics offer moments of introspective calm amid Zach’s textural accompaniment, as the duo tends to converge, scatter or start anew.

Bailey renders unwieldy chord progressions while Zach unsympathetically batters his drum kit, on the seventeen-minute work, “Real Flying,” yet the artists’ are able to maintain interest during peaks, valleys, and temperate passages. Essentially, there are quite a few highlights throughout, as the duo’s Zen-like approach and assimilation of the musical spirit yields huge dividends. *Recommended*

SOFA