WOW - Taylor's Best in Years, Blowaway Duo Work
Eric Bruskin | Philadelphia, PA United States | 05/31/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What an amazing performance! The Library of Congress commissioned Taylor for a violin-piano duo, and they certainly got their money's worth! For Taylor-lovers like me who feel he sometimes repeats himself on disc (certain musical figures appear too predictably in most of his work from the early 70s on), this will be a DELIGHT. There is so much fresh material here! Plus, more of Taylor's amazing lyricism and harmonic richness that he's been showing over the past 10 years or so. There's a section early in the 1st movement that outdoes Stockhausen's glissando/cluster writing in Klavierstuck X! And Maneri, who I hadn't heard of before but certainly will seek out now, is an amazingly perfect match for Taylor in this piece. Evidently Taylor rehearsed him intensely for only one day - the day of the performance. If this is true, it speaks VOLUMES for Taylor as a teacher AND for Maneri as a musician. (By the way, I suspect the violin is an electric violin, not just an amplified acoustic violin, because of some of the low-pitched material that sounds more like a viola or even a cello in some parts.)The blurb on the CD -- "this is truly a musical COMPOSITION, whatever the notation" -- is fully vindicated here. The tragedy is that no-one else will likely be able to perform this. The miracle is that the performance here is UNSURPASSABLE. Buy this CD if you love Taylor, or Maneri, or the piano, or the violin, or new jazz, or new classical music, or high-energy music, or lush music, or the interplay of two master musicians, or ... just want to be BLOWN AWAY."
Great to hear this at last
N. Dorward | Toronto, ON Canada | 01/21/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This isn't a perfect disc--the recording is a little ropey, violinist Mat Maneri sounds overmatched at times, & there are feedback problems. But it's also some of the best Cecil Taylor I've heard in a while. Rabid Taylor fans won't admit this, but he does sometimes record the same album a few too many times over.... so it's nice to hear something like this, which really _does_ feel fresh--not quite like anything else the man's done. It's particularly delicious to think of him on a "classical" label, with a concert recorded at the Library of Congress as part of a commissioned series of piano/violin duets, & Taylor seems to be relishing the moment too--there are some explicit references to classical music (a touch of Debussy at one point, for instance), & also a wonderfully funny moment where he rustles the sheet music. (Yes, there's a score, now duly deposited in the Library of Congress. It's one page of stacks of notes for the players to improvise off of.) Anyway, despite some blemishes this is a fascinating album: if you're already on Taylor's wavelength it's a must."
The Gentler Side Of Mr. Taylor
T. Carr | San Francisco, California United States | 01/12/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I find this to be an ideal album to introduce new listeners to Cecil's art. I've been a fan of his since my teens (I'm a bit older now... ahem), and I wouldn't use, say "The Eighth," "Nailed," or C.T.'s duet album with Max Roach to try to persuade anyone of his genius. Too "intense!"
But the man's genius is quite real; Mat Maneri listens carefully to what Cecil is doing on the keyboard, responds beautifully, and so the exchange of musical thoughts is almost equal, although Cecil generally leads the "dance".
There are flashes of Scriabin, Bartok, and Stravinsky here, along with Ellington and Monk and even a hint or two of Bud Powell. Still, the Taylor sound isn't just an amalgam of all these influences, it's always had a vitality of its own that's absolutely unique.
This album reminds me of some of the more relaxed dialogues between Cecil and the late, great Jimmy Lyons, like "Student Studies" and "With (Exit)."
Comparing any of Cecil's collaborators to Jimmy is a high compliment, but Mat Maneri deserves it.
"
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1