I'm posting this only as a rumor for the time being as it has appeared in only a single, original source, but the excellent mp3 blog Just for a Day is reporting that guitarist Derek Bailey passed away Christmas morning.

In the world of free improvisation, Bailey is a giant. He was one of a handful of musicians, along with Peter Brotzman, to build significantly on the late 60s and early 70s American jazz avant-garde and create a vital European avant-garde that in turn had a lot to do with the revitalization of the American scene. Bailey is one of the seminal influences on John Zorn, who has returned the favor by giving him a home on the Tzadik label, whose handful of Bailey recordings are some of the only readily available documents of his extraordinary work including the beautiful and deeply moving Carpal Tunnel. As with Mal Waldron's nervous breakdown, Bailey faced a severe threat to his ability to perform in the form of the album's titular condition. The audio documentation of his effort to relearn the instrument and style he helped define is a favorite truly something to behold.

Now Playing: "S'Now" Derek Bailey Mirakle <-- hoping it is only a rumor, but afraid that it is not...

Unfortunately, it's not a rumour...
http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article335441.ece
I've been hearing that ALS got him.

You can also hear the WFMU special

http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/17495

RIP to an uncompromising master guitarist!