In a long conversation about the guitar(s), Philippe Robert and Noël Akchoté sift through the history of the instrument and its practice, from the Renaissance lute to the 12-string, from the Stratocaster to the tabletop guitar surrounded by utensils and effects, from the blues to free improvisation, from Charlie Christian to
Derek Bailey through Jim Hall, John Fahey,
Masayuki Takayanagi or Robert Quine.
Iconoclastic guitarist at the avant-garde of jazz, Noël Akchoté (born 1968 in Paris) is a major figure in the experimental and improvised music scene. Exploring since the 1990s the experimental frontiers of jazz, using the guitar in all its forms (acoustic, electric, without strings and for all kinds of music), founder of the Astrolab with
Thierry Madiot, of the group
The Recyclers with Benoît Delbecq, of the label
Rectangle with
Quentin Rollet, he has played and recorded with Tal Farlow, Barney Wilen, Chet Baker, Philip Catherine, John Abercrombie, Henri Texier, Louis Sclavis, Jacques Thollot, Sam Rivers,
Derek Bailey,
Marc Ribot,
Fred Frith,
Evan Parker,
Lol Coxhill, Tim Berne, George Lewis,
David Grubbs,
Luc Ferrari, David Sylvian, Steven Bernstein, Brad Jones, Joey Baron,
Blixa Bargeld,
Otomo Yoshihide, Linda Sharrock, Tom Cora,
Christian Fennesz, Philip Catherine,
Eugene Chadbourne,
Daunik Lazro...
