CECIL TAYLOR – Three Classic Albums (2 CDs) AVID

AVID Jazz presents three classic Cecil Taylor albums plus including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD.
“Jazz Advance”, “Looking Ahead”, “World Of Cecil Taylor” plus two tracks from “Love For Sale”
Cecil Taylor hit the jazz world hard in 1956 with his first album “Jazz Advance”! With signs of sounds to come he is joined by Buell Neidlinger on bass, Dennis Charles on drums and Steve Lacy on soprano sax. May we suggest you refer to the liner notes on “Looking Ahead” to get a sense of where Cecil Taylor was at during his difficult introduction into the jazz world. As he maintains he had not been atonal in any of his recordings to date and it is also noted that live gigs had been hard to find due to his perceived “difficulty”. His music was gathering very mixed reactions with some, like British critic Bennie Green, suggesting that his sound may not even be music let alone jazz music! Another critic a little more generously quoting “his way may very well be the way of the future, it will surely be part of it” However musicians were finding their way to him, Elvin Jones later to play a key role in the Coltrane band, replaced a well known drummer who just up and left the stage during a Taylor gig. Bassist Buell Neidlinger is quoted as saying “you have to open yourself up when you play with him…..he makes you play you as forceful and individual as he is himself”. Musicians joining Taylor on piano, here include Buell Neidlinger on bass, Earl Griffith on vibraharp and Dennis Charles on drums. Nat Hentoff writes a revealing introduction to our next selection “The World Of Cecil Taylor” calling for two perspectives of the music of Cecil Taylor. One from a critic and one from a musician who played on the date, namely Buell Neidlinger. Hentoff claims it’s not because the music is difficult but to get different peoples reactions to it. Not sure he isn’t being a little ingenous there! Taylors music is indeed difficult and challenging to most of us ordinary jazz fans, but of course, that is what makes it compelling and worth taking the time to get to know! That’s one of its strengths, we do not want to listen to Dave Brubeck all the time! “Love For Sale” finds Taylor travelling even further “out there” with a selection of re-interpreted standards and three original compositions. On hand to help out are Ted Curson on trumpet, Bill Barron on tenor sax, Buell Neidlinger on bass and Dennis Charles on drums. From the original liner notes here’s a pretty good description of what Taylor was doing at the time….”he replaces the original melodic content with a seemingly disconnected series of hard jagged….structures that are jerked back and forth by rhythmic patterns that shift with bewildering speed and frequency. It is exhausting music, in addition to its demanding harmonic and rhythmic complexity it has considerable power and emotion”……..Phew! Due to timing constraints we are only able to include two tracks here, “Love For Sale” and Matie’s Trophies (Motystrophe).
All three albums plus have been digitally re-mastered

CD1
1-6: ‘Jazz Advance’
1. Bemsha Swing
2. Charge ‘Em Blues
3. Azure
4. Song
5. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To
6. Rick Kick Shaw
7-11: ‘Looking Ahead’
7. Luyah! The Glorious Step
8. African Violets
9. Of What
10. Wallering
11. Toll

CD2
1: ‘Looking Ahead’
1. Excursion On A Wobbly Rail
2-6: ‘The World Of Cecil Taylor’
2. Air
3. This Nearly Was Mine
4. Port Of Call
5. E.B.
6. Lazy Afternoon
7. Love For Sale from Love For Sale
8. Matie’s Trophies (Motystrophe) from Love For Sale