Search - Cecil Taylor :: Piano Cecil

Cecil Taylor and Piano...

B. Bowman | Jersey, United States | 03/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ever since I saw a clip of Cecil Taylor playing solo in Ken Burn's jazz series a few years ago, I have wanted to hear some of his solo playing. I remember the comment from someone in the film that when you hear Cecil Taylor playing you are constantly waiting for a slower pace in his playing to emerge which ultimately never occurs. That comment could serve as an accurate description of this CD, which was recorded live in Japan on May 29, 1973. Taylor plays at a relentless pace throughout the four songs on this CD, which are pretty much indistinguishable from one song to the next due to the dischordant nature of Taylor's playing and the constant flurries of notes which characterize each song. This CD is probably not for everyone. If you are expecting melodies or song structure (or even a relaxing solo piano CD), then stay away from this one. However, if you are a fan of Cecil Taylor's experiments in avant garde jazz, this is a very interesting and challenging listen. My only complaint is the sound quality of the recording. I literally have to crank my stereo up to hear this at what would be a normal volume. I expected a better sound from such a high priced import, but overall this doesn't take away from the quality of the music. If you are a fan of Cecil Taylor's music and don't have this one, give it a try. It's interesting to hear how he can make an acoustic piano sound unconventional."