Syntactics
One of the most common (one might reasonably say overused) metaphors employed in discussing improvised music is the analogy with language. To talk of an improvising 'language', or of a particular improviser's 'vocabulary' is so commonplace among those involved with the music as to have come to seem almost transparent. Other terms such as 'syntax' or 'grammar' are less common but still used frequently. The great improvising guitarist Derek Bailey, who very sadly died on Christmas Day 2005, frequently employed this analogy. This essay aims to investigate and interrogate it, through an investigation of Bailey's music and writing. My enquiries have been greatly assisted by a conversation with the poet Peter Riley, held on the 17th of May 2006 [1]. Riley had a long involvement with Bailey's music as an audience member, record reviewer and writer, and provides a highly informed view on the subject from the perspective of one whose business is actually - not analogically or metaphorically - to work with language. The pun present in the title is probably too obvious to need much explanation. What I would like to emphasise, however, is how the technical resources of Bailey's guitar playing are directly linked to, or perhaps better, constitute the methods he employed to engage with other musicians. In other words, the way Bailey improvised, and the way he developed the material with which he improvised shared a common goal. His syntax was developed with his tactics in mind and vice versa.
at any time allows you to customize your content experience by creating and browsing personal content collections. Clicking on the tag icon 
allows you to interact with available content, creating your own archives and establishing new links between the projects.