For over thirty years, the British double bassist, composer and band
leader Barry Guy has been one of the leading personalities in today's music situated between Jazz, Improvisation and New Music. The Evan Parker - Barry Guy - Paul Lytton Trio counts among the pioneer formations of modern improvised music. In addition to his free improvisations on the bass, the traveller between Baroque music and free improvisation composes for small formations and large orchestras in which notated structures and improvisational freedom search for a balance. For the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, Barry Guy has composed sixteen works, specifically written for the orchestra's soloists. These compositions belong to the most impressive of today's orchestral music.
The works published on this Portrait-CD document an immense spectrum of his music: from the bass solo recordings, to duos, trios, from the Barry Guy New Orchestra all the way to the London Jazz Composers Orchestra. Central to these activities are - next to numerous experiments - the continuation and deepening of artistic friendships with a handful of musicians such as Evan Parker, Paul Lytton, Marilyn Crispell, Mats Gustafsson, Raymond Strid and others.
The 88-page booklet included collects Barry Guy's CD production of the last 20 years on Intakt Records and Maya Recordings, citations from press reviews, and it reprints texts on music: put together as an introduction to the works of Barry Guy, as an orientation and overview.

Graphic design: Jonas Schoder
Liner Notes: Barry Guy, Bert Noglik, Graham L. Rogers, Greg Buium, Patrik Landolt
Photo: Carlo Chinca, Caroline Forbes, Ferran Conangla, Francesca Pfeffer, Jim Four, Johannes Anders, Manfred Rinderspacher, Philip Anstett, Roberto Masotti

Produced by Intakt Records and Maya Recording, Patrik Landolt, Maya Homburger