Album Notes

Out of the Past

“Out of the Past”, the CD from Duck Baker & Jamie Findlay is subtitled “classic jazz guitar duos”. This is not a reference to the earliest styles of the music, whose devotees like to use the term to differentiate from the more modern forms. Nor do Baker and Findlay utilize what might be thought of as a classic two-guitar approach as defined by likes of Dick McDonough and Carl Kress. The Baker-Findlay duo is based on fingerstyle, not plectrum playing, and their arrangements are considerably more involved than most jazz guitar duets. Because they are specifically interested in developing this new approach, Duck And Jamie have decided to concentrate on jazz tunes, as opposed to standards or originals, and many of the tunes on their first record are the kind of landmarks for which the term “classic” seems only natural.

Jamie Findlay is simply one of the best contemporary acoustic jazz players in the world, master of a virtuosic style that is often compared to Ralph Towner and Pat Metheny. He has studied with such giants of modern jazz guitar as Lennie Breau, Joe Pass, and Ted Greene, and is a familiar figure on the Southern California scene. His solo guitar recordings have been well received both at home and abroad. Currently, he is a member of the Acoustic Jazz Quartet, an excellent L. A. based aggregate who in 1999 made an exceptional record for the Naxos label featuring some fine Findlay originals. In addition to his solo career and regular and occasional band work, Jamie is highly sought after by vocalists who value his sensitivity as an accompanist. He has also published numerous instructional books and videos, and regularly contributes columns to guitar magazines.

One of the most highly regarded acoustic fingerstylists of his generation, Duck Baker is best known for his work in the traditional folk and acoustic music worlds and was once compared by Chet Atkins to Jerry Reed, but he has been a dedicated student of jazz and its history since falling in love with Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane records in the mid-60’s. He is unique among solo jazz guitarists in being able to perform virtually every style of the music, from ragtime and classic jazz to swing, bop, post-bop and free styles. In recent years he has often appeared in duos and trios with such well-known modernists as Roswell Rudd, Marty Ehrlich, Mark Dresser, Mark Ribot, and Ben Goldberg. He also maintains associations in the swing and trad jazz fields. Baker’s best-known jazz recording, “Spinning Song” is devoted to the challenging compositions of pianist Herbie Nichols.