Cyro

Personnel: Derek Bailey (guitar); Cyro Baptista (percussion).
Recording information: New York, NY (10/1982).
Photographers: Karen Brookman; Eleonora Alberto.
The pairing of Brazilian percussion god Cyro Baptista and vanguard British improv guitarist Derek Bailey may seem an unlikely one in concept, but never was there a more natural and rewarding collaboration in reality. Recorded in 1982 by Martin Bisi in New York, Bailey is unusually affable in his reaching out to Baptista, whose abilities are so great he only needs one welcoming gesture before he's off and running. There is no call and response in this collaboration. Dynamics, drama, and tonal explorations are the linguistic keys employed by both men -- who had had numerous opportunities to play together in live settings in New York previous to this outing -- in their search for each other. Nothing in this set seeks to reach beyond the platform of instrumental interplay and percussive communication that exists between these two men. Bailey sticks with a six-string acoustic guitar for the entire proceeding, while Baptista employs a large host of Brazilian and South American small instruments. One can hear, in the early going especially, the temptation to pander to exotica in tracks like "Quanto Tempo," "Polvo," and "Toca Joga." But it is resisted and maneuvered around in such a way that exotica does the pandering and is left in the hut behind deep tonal chasms, timbral expositions, and rhythmic dissertations -- Bailey is as great a percussionist as he is a guitarist. The solid line circling the players becomes a jump-off point in "Tonto" and a thing to be subverted in "Batida," which closes the album. If ever there was a Derek Bailey record that sings with joy and unfettered experimental glee, this is it. ~ Thom Jurek