David Dalle
Thursday February 9th, 2023 with David Dalle
Black History Month. Cecil Taylor in concert part I: Live at Montreux, the piano as percussion. West African balafon, percussion as melody.

Today I am starting a three-part program showcasing the brilliant, mercurial, uncompromising pianist Cecil Taylor in concert recordings. Cecil Taylor encompassed a wide range of influences, from European avant-garde and modernist composers like Stravinsky, Bartok, Stockhausen as well as his Jazz peers and predecessors such as Ellington, Horace Silver, Monk. He took everything he wanted to create his own, unique style. He occupied an isolated position in music and during the 60's this made for a hard road for him, but he never wavered in playing his music on his terms. By the 70's Cecil Taylor began receiving accolades and recognition, but he would always remain apart from the mainstream jazz world. In the late 60's Taylor began performing solo often, and this became quite a regular occurrence. He would also often play with just one other musician and was particularly fond of playing with a drummer which was not surprising, because his approach to the piano was so percussive. Taylor considered his purpose was “to carry on the tradition of Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington and therefore to reaffirm and extend the line of black music that goes back thousands of years.” Also, in an interview in 1975, Taylor speaking about his art: "music is about joy. The purpose of the music is to achieve a levitation, or a trance, which is an existence beyond the normal existence. Obviously in Black churches when they are talking about revivals and talking about being converted and all this talk about the spirit, is of course, the American adaption of African rituals, which is of course what the music is, the strongest manifestation of the cultural continuum." For part one, we will hear a solo concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival, recorded in July 1974, and released in 1975. The performance is one extended piece in five movements, with two encores. This is thrilling, fantastic music. Incredible textures and colour, a torrent of patterns and ideas, mostly at high velocity. Enjoy!