Thursday, April 12, 2018

Cecil Taylor - Steps



Cecil Taylor (Piano, Bells)
Eddie Gale Stevens Jr. (Trumpet)
Jimmy Lyons (Alto Saxophone)
Ken McIntyre (Alto Saxophone, Oboe, Bass clarinet)
Henry Grimes (Bass)
Alan Silva (Bass)
Andrew Cyrille (Drums)

The album Unit Steps is a great example of Cecil Taylor's art, the development of motives through group improvisation.  It's hard to give a good idea of the range of his music by giving short recorded examples of it but he didn't conceive of it for the blog format. 

It's good to be reminded of what a good musician and composer he was for so many decades, continuing well into his last decade.

Here's what I've read some critics believe is his breakout piece,

Bulbs

Cecil Taylor: piano
Jimmy Lyons: alto saxophone
Archie Shepp: tenor saxophone
Henry Grimes: bass

Sunny Murray: drums

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