"I enjoyed it!" - Guitarist Derek Bailey on the original issue of Canto Canto is the seminal album of prepared guitar etudes that has established Mike Baggetta as one of his generation's most thoughtful and adventurous improvisors. Originally released in 2002 on the now defunct Optical Sounds label, this newly remastered and redesigned issue for Mabnotes Music captures the nuance and subtlety of tone that has become part of Baggetta's musical trademark. The music on this album is a completely original take on the inherent flexibility of the prepared guitar, its productive sounds and their application as melodic material. Testing the boundaries of form and aesthetics, Baggetta delivers a powerful musical statement that is sure to delight and challenge his listeners. Guitarist Mike Baggetta is one of his generations most original jazz improvisors and composers. It has been said that his performances are "totally compelling" (Jazz Journal - UK), "his melodic sense is truly beautiful" (Jazzreview.com) and that "each piece he performs creates new worlds of possibilities" (The Hartford Courant). Mike Baggetta has received an ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award for his compositional talent, and the first album of his works for the Mike Baggetta Quartet, Small Spaces, has recently been released on the Fresh Sound New Talent label with a second release for the label coming soon. In addition to leading the Mike Baggetta Quartet (featuring Jason Rigby, Eivind Opsvik and George Schuller), Mike co-leads Tin/Bag, a new music duo with California trumpeter Kris Tiner. Baggetta has had the pleasure of performing and/or recording with Tom Harrell, Conrad Herwig, Ralph Bowen, Adam Kolker, Jeff Hirshfield, Ken Filiano, Jamie Baum, Tony Reedus, Steve LaSpina, Bill McHenry, Cameron Brown, Matt Wilson, Ron McClure, Lukas Ligeti, Joe Fonda, George Garzone, Kevin Norton, Bucky Pizzarelli and Ruth Brown among many others. Originally from Agawam, MA, Baggetta's musical studies have been insightfully guided by Ted Dunbar, Vic Juris, Stanley Cowell and Jim Hall. He has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center, Town Hall and many other leading concert venues worldwide. Mike currently lives in New York City and is an endorsing artist for D'Addario Strings.