EPK
BIOGRAPHY
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Art Bailey (b. 1971) is a pianist, accordionist, improviser, composer, and arranger, living in Brooklyn, NY.
Bailey can trace his life-long obsession with sound and music to the moment when, at age 5, his mother handed him a small, battered box of 45 rpm records. A time capsule of American pop, big band, rock 'n' roll, jazz and R&B of the 1950s, they were fascinating for the variety of sounds they contained, even within the same song. In the middle of an otherwise unremarkable recording, there could be an absolutely gorgeous guitar solo played by an anonymous studio musician. What was it about certain sounds, and combinations of sounds that could have such a strong emotional impact on him? How could two big bands, for example, those led by Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington, with essentially the same instrumentation, sound so completely different? And, of course, they all sounded great played at 78 or 16 rpm, or even backwards. To this day, Bailey remains obsessed with sound and silence, and the potential for that mysterious spark that comes from particular combinations of textures and personalities. Bailey currently writes for and performs in a new quartet that includes cornetist Kirk Knuffke, bassist Rene Hart, and drummer George Schuller. In addition to solo improvised performances on piano and accordion, he also writes original music for variously-sized ensembles, including chamber groups and big band. Bailey also participates in several collaborative groups, including Materia Obscura, an avant-garde quartet including clarinetists Guillermo Gregorio and Miguel Malla, and bassist Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic. As a sideman, he plays accordion in Michael Bisio's Accortet Bisio, which released a CD on Relative Pitch in September 2015; Jeff Lederer's Brooklyn Blowhards, a group also with a forthcoming CD; and Guy Klucevsek's All Accordions All the Time, an all-accordion group. Started by Klucevcek to feature his own work, it has expanded to include new music composed by each member. In 2013, Bailey made his debut as a producer, with the release of vocalist Wren Marie Harrington's Light Travels, which also featured his playing and arranging. And in 2014, he composed the score for Why We Dance, the award winning short film by Emily Faulkner and Olivia Obin--in which Bailey made his first, and almost certainly last appearance on the big screen as a dancer. |
Quotes
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"Art Bailey wows you with his very quirky compositions. They are harmonically advanced, melodically unexpected, chromatic/a-chromatic and delightfully asymmetrical." -Grego Edwards, Gapplegate Music Review
"...listeners might protest at the thought of yet another piano jazz trio recording. That is unless the instigator is pianist and composer Art Bailey." Mark Corroto, All About Jazz "From the very first notes a strong cinematic taste spreads through the listener catapulting him into a seventies exploitation movie. An ideal score to a car chase scene or to a “could please someone save the world?” climax. You can choose the subgenus and enjoy yourself seeking which track you would link to a peculiar passage of the plot." Paolo Casertano, Free Jazz blog "Bailey is a fine pianist whose trio disc from last year was an under-recognized gem. He is also one of the best accordionists in town as well, considering the Downtown Scene has several strong ones." Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG |