Cecil Taylor (1st of 5)

[nobodady1]

There is a basic aspect of CT's approach that I have not heard any mention of. Cecil may play many notes, and many at a time, but he seems to play one gesture at a time, and each gesture is an entire committment of his whole body. He doesn't divide his body up, like most pianist --- between right and left.

[Megajosh2]

My ears are really happy.

[zarkoasenov]

It is "Reinforced Concrete"?

[Squibbles1]

Bebop-a-dib-dru-druba, bip-dip@dib-dip/pic''a/ppic'a badabaBom Rhuaa!

[Squibbles1]

Bebop-a-dib-dru-druba

[Oshooun11]

Taylor's style of music is classified as avant-garde. It is the backbone of today's jazz structures from punk rock to the smooth modern stuff. He uses modal jazz. Yes, it is purposely fragmented, with sustained notes following higher shrill notes. The music is in the 'abstract' category. Love it or hate it, this man is one of the greatest innovaters of the avant-garde jazz genre.

[mghands]

@liszt100 It's a laserdisc: on the Phillips label, "Summer Piano Festival". BET has been know to air this from time to time, which might be an easier way to get a copy of the full performance.

[MusicalArchitect]

I think that there are certain schools within music that dare to explore emotions that are unpleasant and even grotesque. The music that portrays misery or fury should not sound "pretty" as much as a morbid painting should use pastel colors. You must think of this type of music as sound's version of macabre and if it makes you feel uneasy, then it is doing its job. Form and function used to portray a specific emotion. And that's what makes this music.

[aivankovic]

I saw his solo piano performance in Zagreb at Jazz Fair, I guess at 1987. It was the mindblowing experience for me. The one half of audience left a concert in a middle, the other half was extatic. His music is really not for everyone. Cecil's inspiration is just incredible. He is a genius.

[ggalvanphd]

Did Taylor study with Cowell at the New School in New York?

[stochasticactus]

those detractors who foolishly and ignorantly comment here on youtube about monumentally significant music such as this are similar to my math students who see something difficult or previously unknown to them and say "this is ridiculous! it makes no sense!" This is the human ego responding to the unknown. We make perfect sense; whatever we encounter that is unfamiliar or demands a new perspective from us "makes no sense." To gain entry to Cecil's musical world one need only listen.

[Ohflautistpleaze]

This shit makes Scientology look legit!!!!

[mukmuklabuguen]

@Ohflautistpleaze do you even know what you're saying?



[KingMinosxxvi]

you people are talkingto much this shit is the bomb. thats all know

[bobjazz11]

@KingMinosxxvi

So WTF are you bothering to post for?

[unumsedleonum]

Thanks for putting these up, I love me some Cecil Taylor and his percussion.

[jsmoovification]

I bleieve we can only go so far with "so called" beauty. Then we either stop, or continue on...

[playermusicpiano90]

je plaint ses voisins..

[loren1283]

listening to music is an internal art. Even if you could spend your whole life doing nothing else you would still not expierience all its depths.

[eldorado8888]

love to hear that tunes, so many tunes, a whole universe. It's kind of healing expression. This is what poets do.

[bobjazz11]

I have no interest in defining what music 'is', in any way that would lead me to be accused of presenting some form of Meta-narrative, so I can only reply as an individual.

There is an element of WTF? when I listen to some music I must admit, but I find that in the case of performers like Taylor, these are more than compensated for by the periods where I feel elation.

I am happy with Anthony Braxton's definition of music as 'organized sound' personally - it seems to cover everything for me!

Bob

[hellofromchieko]

@bobjazz11

Dear Sir,

I still think Taylor's music seems to invite some questioning or questing in us. It's not a semantic or logical thing, mind you. It's kind of an emotional thing, and in this emotional sphere, I feel deeply moved and at the same time, wonder why this is, and what I'm looking for in his music, and for that matter, in any music, in the end. Bob, my word limits finish me here, but anyway, thank you for letting us see this and I fully appreciate your comment. Best.Chieko

[Easleytee]

@bobjazz11

I prefer Varese's definition of music:

"The corporealization of intelligence that lives within sound."

[Norybdroll]

Whoa... He plays that thing like it's a percussion instrument...! Never seen/heard anything like this...

[synthwerk]

He's the black Xenakis.

[nepalnt21]

he is channeling a voice from above

[loren1283]

exactly!!! you know.

[haruwebshots]

too much for my musical knowledge

[rekingooo]

Too much noise! bad recording!

[joseluismiami]

This is the greatest musician in history

[powersack]

idd

[ihave2]

listening to cecil always reminds me of the fall of troy for some reason, p.s. at 4:15 it gets fucking awesome

[freejazzfree]

you dont even have a vague notion... i wouldnt call that an opinion. maybe if you made an attempt to understand the form he's working with i would consider what you're saying an 'opinion'.

[bobjazz11]

This performance certainly does qualify as a text., and thus as a language (be it somewhat hermeneutic) ... And I believe theroyalpriest is confusing 'meaning' with 'definition', but is still nonetheless entitled to his opinion... i would like to know your positions here re 'communicate'. The meaning I ascribe to this performance may have little to do with the authors intention but it's not at all clear that that is the sole purpose of 'organized sound'

I do have an MA in music by the way

Bob

[freejazzfree]

how does this qualify as text?

i find music is much more anomalous in nature than the organizational logic of language.

and it seeks to communicate different things.. especially in the case of cecil.

[ZurDruid]

organized sound is more powerful because of its effects of sound.

The meaning and the sound are ONE... analyzing like language is to do experiments or cience , musical science, etc..

but the perception may be unexplinaay blbe...

jaja saludos

[bobjazz11]

Hi

At the very least I would insist that when Cecil Taylor plays he provokes a response in me.

That response, while dependent upon the stimulus is not the stimulus - it is something other.

The meaning for me then is a consequence of - but not the same thing as - the sound.

Indeed for sound to qualify as 'organized' it requires an 'organizer' - and the internal state of that organizer will change over time - thus the meaning will change - although the recording sound will 'remain the same'

Bob

[hellofromchieko]

@bobjazz11

In my view, Taylor's music challenges us, something in us to re-define what the music is, and what it is for. It engages us in exploration of what we individually are looking for and what we want. The music of QUEST, I must say. What do you think, bobjazz11?

[freejazzfree]

cecil isnt freely improvising.

most of his work is notated actually.

he is playing himself.

i wouldnt expect everyone to like this or even get it.

so why do the most ignorant folk have the loudest voices?

maybe they want everyone to know how empty they are.

[ZurDruid]

hey you are talking a lot...

very poetic but.... , well i dont get it , im sorry jajajajjaja

[curleysloth]

88 drums!

[enggopah]

great video; the most fun and happy kind of music!

[theroyalpriest]

I'd hate to see what he'd do ot a drumset if he was a drummer....lol

[Leangelove]

I really feel sorry for the piano:)

But he is awesome in his own strange way!

[slender1]

@Leangelove

[ProkofievFanatic]

Sounds kind of like Bartok.

[Lamakunzang]

Prokofiev, yes. And Shoenberg and Webern and Mimoroglu.

[hiromiinoue2003]

great

the music !

[mchang49]

This is what Cecil told a guy whom I met at one of Cecil's concerts in New York, when he ask him what he is trying to do on the piano. He said:"What good is it to play it, if you've already thought about it?"

[jude4312]

that is so strange and selfish response. he is very very interesting!

[mrpossibilities]

Is he performing a standard in this video? If so, what's the name of the standard? I'm curious about that.

[nadavnaz2]

Completely free improvisation

[mrpossibilities]

In a way he sounds more like the classics. I'm thinking Prokofiev. I wonder if there's any stuff available of him playing a jazz standard. In his own explosive atonal way, of course, but I would like to hear what treatments he gives it.

[vojtechprochazka]

check out the disc "Love For Sale" on Blue Note, early Cecil playing some great Cole Porter interpretations. Also check out "Jazz Advance," "Looking Ahead!," and "Coltrane Time" - other early Cecil records

[mrpossibilities]

Thanks, man

[disconnected22]

He does some standards on his 50's album Jazz Advance. He totally blows up "Bemsha Swing".

[RichardJ60]

beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[morphologies]

lovely stuff!

[prwalton]

thanks so much, a real treat!

[SidewalkFrequencies]

I think Cecil's early days are absolutely brilliant and some of the best avant jazz piano ever.

but this just sounds like a mess.

[fuman5]

A mess is something my dog makes in my backyard, I hardly think that's what this is.

It's truly great art.

[Euroflounder]

Who's to say your dog can't make art in the back yard?

[doradovitali]

Well, congrats! Great daughter!

b.t.w.:

'Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.' (Pablo Picasso)

[SCordeliaB]

you wish. you dont listen to alot of post tonal music do you?

[bobjazz11]

Well spotted!

:-)

Bob

[freejazzfree]

did you channel this almighty wisdom from the creator.

sounds like you're being deceived.

'keep the tongue rare to fill the space with meaning'

'pluck the mote out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly to pluck the mote out of thy brothers eye'

[theroyalpriest]

Haha quote the bible.. that's good...play on a christians "convictions"...lol nice attempt but it didnt work. The fact still remains that I am entitled to my opinion and in my opinion this is equal to the random incomprehensible babblings of a toddler - interesting to hear, but it's not language, it doesnt communicate anything to anyone else. Lets agree to disagree without judging the character of a person by a youtube comment or statement of opinion.

[joseluismiami]

No one else evokes that depth of sound from the piano. Cecil is a true revolutionary of the keyboard, he's created an entire new lexicon for musicians to draw from.

Thanks for posting.

[pianodan10]

Many many thanks

[postmeback]

wow! a whole cecil solo concert on youtube. when was this shown?

[bobjazz11]

About 1984 I think

Bob

[tommyschmitz]

whoa. thank you.

[bobjazz11]

A pleasure

Bob