Search - Cecil Taylor :: New York City R&B

Back To New York

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 02/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Several years ago, it was very difficult to locate Candid jazz CDs, the label that critic Nat Hentoff founded nearly fifty years ago. This was a real shame because some classic recordings, including Booker Little's "Out Front" and Max Roach's "We Insist!: Freedom Now Suite," were on this label. I am happy to report that it was not because the discs were being deleted, but because many were (slowly) being remastered. Now some of the seminal early recordings of iconoclastic pianist Cecil Taylor are resurfacing, like "The World of C.T." (see my review) and "New York City R&B." It is my opinion that these albums are two of the best in the Taylor discography, not to mention some of the great new jazz recordings of the early 60s. "NYC R&B" recorded over two successive days in January 1961, is basically a quartet date, with Archie Shepp on tenor sax, Buell Neidlinger on bass, and either Dennis Charles or Billy Higgins on drums, performing on the first three tracks. Then things get wild on the final cut, Duke Ellington's "Things Ain't What They Used To Be," as the horn section is expanded to include Clark Terry on trumpet, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Steve Lacy on soprano sax, and Charles Davis on bari sax, to masterful effect. True to its title, this track is a launching point for the multi-layered sound worlds Taylor would explore later in the decade and throughout his storied and controversial career. I am delighted that with this CD available once again, we can return to New York City to hear Taylor's unique brand of "R&B.""

Great show with all-star band.

12/28/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Awesome show with all-star line up: Cecil Taylor, Buell Neidlinger, Archie Shepp, Clark Terry, Steve Lacy, Don Cherry, Charles Davis, Billy Higgins et alProduced by Nat Hentoff.Songs are: O.P. (Neidlinger); Cell Walk for Celeste (Taylor); Cindy's Main Mood (Neidlinger, Taylor & Higgins); Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Ellington)Show dates were 1/9-10/1961."