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Bailey was born in Sheffield, England. He played the guitar from an early age, studying with John Duarte among others. He found work as a guitarist in clubs, radio, dance halls, and so on. He began to play in a trio in Sheffield with Tony Oxley and Gavin Bryars called the Joseph Holbrooke Trio . At first they played quite traditional jazz, but became more and more free in direction.
In 1966, Bailey moved to London where he met many like-minded musicians, including Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler, John StevensJohn Stevens ( June 10, 1940 September 13, 1994) was a British drummer. He was one of the most significant figures in early free improvisation, and a founding member of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (SME). Stevens was born in Brentford, the son of a tap, Barry Guy and Dave HollandDave Holland (born October 1, 1946) is a jazz bassist and composer. He first became widely known in the late 1960s when he worked with Miles Davis during Davis' Bitches Brew era. An unconfirmed story tells of a young Dave Holland working at Ronny Scott's, occasionally collaborating under the umbrella name of the Spontaneous Music EnsembleThe Spontaneous Music Ensemble were a loose collection of free improvising musicians usually convened together by the late South London based jazz drummer and trumpet player John Stevens. Above; The SME playing in Islington, London, 1991. Roger Smith play (or the SME as they tended to be known).
In 1970Events January events January 1 Construction begins on Arcosanti, by Paolo Soleri, in Mayer, Arizona, located 65, miles north of Phoenix, Arizona. January 1 Unix epoch at 00:00:00 UTC. January 12 Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian civil war. January Bailey founded the record label IncusIncus is an artist owned record label specialising in the dissemination of free-improvised music set up by Derek Bailey and Evan Parker. with Tony Oxley and Evan Parker, often said to be the first independent labelThe concept of an independent record label is a record label perceived as operating outside the sphere of the 'major' record labels, which is to say the few record companies which dominate the recorded music industry in the West. The boundaries are often owned by musicians.
Above; Derek Bailey pictured at the Vortex Club , Stoke NewingtonStoke Newington is a place in London, England in the London Borough of Hackney. Stoke Newington includes Clissold Park, the primary schools St. Mary's School and William Patten, and the secondary school Stoke Newington School. Nearest places: Stamford Hil, 1991
In 1976 Bailey formed Company, an ever changing collection of like-minded improvisors, which has at various times included Anthony Braxton, Tristan Honsinger, Misha Mengelberg, Lol Coxhill, Fred Frith, Steve Beresford, Steve Lacy, Johnny Dyani , Leo Smith, Han Bennink and many others. In 1980, he wrote the book Improvisation: Its Nature and Practice. This was adapted by UK's Channel Four into a four part TV series in the early nineties, edited and narrated by Bailey .