Duck Baker

In his five-decade career, finger-style acoustic guitarist Duck Baker has played in lots of styles, from folk (real folk, such as Scottish and Irish fiddle tunes) to blues to jazz, in the latter genre particularly focusing on bebop greats, with whole albums devoted to the music of Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols. But he has flashed an avant-garde side as well, and of course ESP-Disk' was interested in exposing more of the latter work. This album of duos and trios with an all-star roster of players, mostly British, collects recordings ranging from 1994 through 2017.

Personnel: Duck Baker - guitar; Derek Bailey - guitar on "Indie Pen Dance" (2002); Steve Beresford - piano on "Duo for 225 strings" (2009)' John Butcher - tenor saxophone on "The Missing Chandler" (2009); Mark Dresser bass on "Shenandoah" and "Pope Slark" (1994); Michael Moore - alto saxophone on "Imp Romp 2" (2008); Roswell Rudd - trombone on "East River Delta Blues" and "Signing Off" (2002); Alex Ward - clarinet and Joe Williamson - bass on "Ode to Jo" (2010); John Edwards - bass and Steve Noble - drums "Tourbillion Air" (2017).