Derek Bailey's Carpal Tunnel

Not all the music I listen to is stuff I find pleasant. "Rewarding" is probably a better term for it. It involves music that deviates from the normal structure or conducts experiments with sound in other interesting ways. In this area, Derek Bailey is an artist I find rewarding who has done quite a lot to experiment with what an acoustic guitar can do. While most people are probably unfamiliar with Bailey's work he really was quite a large influence on artists like Sonic Youth, Pat Metheny and Wilco (once guitarist Nels Cline joined). People call his music "free jazz" or "avant-garde" or any of those other terms that are more sophisticated ways of saying it doesn't sound like real songs. Regardless of how you want to categorize him, Bailey is doing something different and doing it well. One of his last albums, Carpal Tunnel, is an excellent example of why this kind of music is worth knowing about.

Carpal Tunnel is actually a pretty tragic album. The last one released before his death in 2005, Carpal Tunnel tells the story of what Bailey did when he learned that he had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in his right hand. He could have gotten surgery but instead he took the opportunity to learn how to play all over again. All of this is explained in a rather rambling introductory track in which he explains how he can no longer hold a plectrum (or guitar pick to the rest of us) and has decided that it would be more interesting to learn to live with Carpal Tunnel rather than get surgery. The other 5 tracks are titled after how long he has been practicing with his new disability; 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12 weeks. It's pretty standard Bailey stuff if you know what that is but performed with increasing sophistication, accuracy and comfort.

One of the reasons this album is so interesting is that it's effectively a documentary on overcoming obstacles. Even by the 7 week track you can hear a remarkable improvement and fluidity to the music. It's like watching someone learn to walk again. It's also amazing to hear him construct his sound again and what elements that includes. Hearing what Bailey sounds like while he's stumbling then following his progress to regaining his talent is a fascinating way to identify what makes his sound so unique in the first place.

While certainly not an album for everyone (probably not even an artist for everyone) Carpal Tunnel does a great job of showing why experimentation of this type is worth paying attention to. It helps you think about why music evokes certain emotions and attitudes and shows that atonal music can be rewarding. It is also a compelling view into the process of reclaiming something important to you when you can no longer do it.Maybe you won't like it but you should at least know that it exists.

Links:
Laura from Ballads
Free Improv