Cecil Taylor

[Chocola127]

It'd be epic if someone transcribed this

[ProteusQ71]

I would love to jam with Cecil once before I go. I would suck, he would be brilliant, but it would be sublime.

[superkulmedkniv25]

There's nothing like a homeless - looking black man from the eighties playing atonal piano.

[boflynn78]

bukowski liked classical music, by his own account he was anything but cool

[DenCoDom]

OMG!!!! YOU JUST MADE MY FUCKIN (EXCUSE MY CHOICE OF WORD) DAY! I GUESS THIS IS WHAT THEY MEAN BY GETTING YOUR MIND BLOWN! THANK YOU!

[drewcox010101]

epic

[metemi]

I can see why he needs to wear a sweat suit lol What he does looks physically impossible at times.

[mdomanico]

truth is beauty, beauty...truth....thank you Mr. Taylor.

[SoSleepySoSueMe]

MR. CECIL TAYLOR. It's so ecstatic, but it's so restrained.

He's is definitely up there with Messiaen, Finnissy and Adams as one of the few people whose piano idiom still sounds completely unique and MODERN. Love it, and very relevant to contemporary music.

[ch1noxs]

yo tambien ago eso & es porke nose tocar el piano xdd

[FOWLMUSIC]

THank you so much for uploading this video.  One of my all time favourite pieces of music, just amazing.

[robotkarel]

wwwwwwwwwwooooooooooowwwwwwwww­w

[twistswitch]

Creation!

[Megajosh2]

I like how he just nods at the end.

[Megajosh2]

Oh my god, he IS god!

[CoveredByCats]

31 people dont have a soul.. 

[jarokasanyi]

Full Cocain

[andalltheaces]

@jarokasanyi or pure enthusiasm

[Manzeron]

Genius....

[sippyjuice]

he reminds me of Rocky Balboa in that sweat suit....

[victorh1962]

lo mas vacano, disonante loco y controvertido k hayan podido realizar excelente pieza

[ClatreHat]

his fingers are kind of scaring me;;

[electrickabuki]

@ClatreHat

they're knives into the heart of music.

[cholocharile]

I think it's pretty cool to see how jazz evolved from ODJB and NORK to Bix to Goodman to Bird to Davis to Coltrane to this.

OK, I'm done namedropping now.

[davidofpiano423]

3:18 - 3:43 is my favorite part along with his facial expressions at the end. Took me a long time to appreciate this music... but now I love it

[medianode]

cecil went away and hid in the 50s when he heard thelonius munk to go away and practice. he stayed underground throughout the entire heydey of jazz. then he comes back in 80s, top dog once more, except this time he looks like a painter and decorater, skiving, smokin dubies, mashing away haphazard at the keyboard he stubbled across in this poorly heated art dungeon, he is also probably a benefit cheat

[Monsgoose]

@medianode

*Monk.

Thelonius MONK.

Next time you try to sound smart, know what you're talking about.

[medianode]

@Monsgoose ha ha ha

next time you try to sound like a lttile girl, grow a vagina

[plonzlc]

cecil taylor is amazing and wonderfull ..

i love free jazz

[plonzlc]

love this ..

i love free jazz..

[noratranvouez]

pure poetry with no sentimentalism. thanks interplanetaire

[nickman90gr]

Stunning!!! Notice the contrast of black and white in the video...It gives a sense of solitude that fits the music perfectly... :-|

[andifyouhadtwocoats]

makes about as much sense as a wet fart

see the truth

Rab

[ZeuhlEmgalai]

He's a cat

[Ihatelittlefagkids]

I get this exact same feeling when playing music except its not as pleasant to the ears haha. Hes just playing whatever he wants.

[AltoSaxBoss]

Pure genius

[cuddlesducks]

does cecil remind anyone else of bubbles from the wire

[ishta]

You have to see him live to appreciate. The guy has a strong mind. I thought I understood Cecil but what a revelation when I first saw him live

[jwklbm326]

@DanielTievskyRimon Nope. He is free and connecting both voices, his inner (vocal) and outer (piano).

[meredull]

şarlatan

[williamperry11]

I love the white background, it's like a blank canvas...

[TedEdFred21]

yes! im not the only one who opens his mouth strangely wide when playing music!

[spaceprophetdogon]

well,it doesnt really matter who played free first. during the 50s many experimented with free forms silmutaneously. Ornette,Coltrane,Sun Ra ,George Russell,evn Mingus with Dolphy.Tristano was a prodigy offcourse.But it seems that free jamming was a ragular for jazz musicians then and they saw that another chance for expression was given to them by ignoring the structure.

[kuba2111]

Maybe I'm weird, but damn I like it

[jazzbummer]

This guy is not just expressing his thoughts but he is actually going a direction as well.

[BetterTasteThanU]

more garbage from an overrated hack

[DaPartnerinDaCrime]

@BetterTasteThanU more garbage from a pretentious troll

[doublejohnson79]

nice sweatshirt dude- i didnt know they had bedazzlers in 1981

OVERRATED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

classic piano douchery

[marioduenasmusic]

5 Stars for Cecil Taylor! You are invited to check out my melodica & piano performances. Enjoy.

[marioduenasmusic]

5 Stars to Cecil Taylor. You are invited to check out my melodica & piano performances. Enjoy.

[mchank]

I feel like this is how Bukowski would have loved to hear the piano be played.

[musictflo]

Cecil is his own cliche. But what a cliche....This guy amazes me still after over 20 years of listening and hearing his rote organizational motives. He never fails to impress with how he can imbue freshness to his method. One of the very greatest musicians of the last and probably this century.

[spinboydotcom]

doing things people are still catching up to.

[trufiend138]

every artist, no matter the medium, takes something from other artists (especially those that came before him)....

[benmillerintx]

The way I see it, Taylor's brilliance cannot be overstated. I am surprised to hear that he goes back that fa! I don't know a lot about the structure of music, but I can hear that this music is different than Coleman's. Coleman was and is a visionary in his own rite. And Thelonious, however great, didn't deviate too much from bebop. But check into sun ra. Even Cotrane was influenced by Ra. But credit? The only musicians not making the music freer are the reactionaries threatened by brilliance.

[playermusicpiano90]

j'avoue qu'il est impressionnant , techniquement il est assez monstrueux.. j'adore le jazz mais pas le free jazz . ET la musicalment c 'est vraiment insupportable

[meszugat]

Niesamowity Facet :)

[jamesp34]

Il gagne sa vie en "jouant" comme ça ?

[anarchopaperclip]

Oui, mais il a été dans le trou pendant un bon moment. C'est du free jazz, Cecil est un des grands du mouvement.

[kornflakes3]

se parece a don ramon

[clifflako]

@kornflakes3 fuckin retard

[NyabinghiJazz]

Genius to the 9th power.

[UnexpectedExpressive]

Astonishing.

[tomrom7]

All the great geniuses were initially misunderstood: Debussy, Stravinsky, Monk...to name a few.

[soursourapples]

i don't think cecil taylor has been recognized as a genius in the same way those guys you mention have. And Monk wasn't around much earlier than Cecil was.

Not that I can say wether he is or isn't, it just seems he hasn't made the same huge waves in music as those people, or been as influential to great musicians.

[tomrom7]

Well, i think he is recognized by other jazz musicians, and has influenced a lot of them. He was doing this style before Ornette Coleman made it famous.

[soursourapples]

ornette coleman doesn't do this style. he improvises simple melodies that the rhythm section has to account for in its rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment. like i say i really dont know too much about cecils music but im sure it isnt what i've just described.

lennie tristano was the first to play free, he has some amazing recordings with lee konitz that were made in the 40s! i think this is some of the best free playing. the two tracks are called intuition and digression.

[tomrom7]

You're right, Lenny Tristano was the first to play Free Jazz, but he is also overlooked by the general public. People who really listen to jazz, such as yourself, have a better knowledge of the early influences. Ornette Coleman's style might be different, as is Don Cherry, or Sam Rivers, or The Art Ensemble of Chicago...but the idea is similar.

In every type of music, there are the innovators, and the ones who get credit for doing it

[soursourapples]

yeh i just wish i had the time to listen to all the music. there is some great music on your page.

[soursourapples]

you are right, he has influenced a lot of people in free jazz, but would you say there were the same kind of deliberate influence like monk has done for rhythm and harmony? maybe i should listen more and find out for myself haha

[tomrom7]

Amazing. Pure genius.

[jameslo93]

is he screwing up the keys?

[AltoSaxBoss]

Cecil Taylor is a genius !!!

[basswriterNYC]

Amazing how this video makes so much more sense to me than when I first saw it 15 years ago. He's expressing such a wide range of complex emotions (craziness, humor, love, tenderness, anger, daring, fear) with doses of structure, chaos, suspense, playfulness and some impressive chops... Damn!

[hellofromchieko]

This is a beautiful solo. Twenty years ago, I couldn't understand. But now I feel how piercingly, hauntingly beautiful this piece is. He's really ahead of many of us.  I hear a bit of Mussorgsky and bartok in his tune. I agree with you, basswriter, he's a sensitive soul.

[therofal]

@basswriterNYC dear fellow eat rain in space and come back. therofal

[herma57]

I'd love to see the pages he plays from, Flickr has one photo, but it's not clear what it is, it seems he write the name of the notes; in clusters, nests

[LazlosPlane]

I appreciate, since I saw him in 1975, his brilliant technique and improvisatory skills but honestly, WTF? What's going on here, musically? Is this something I'd want to hear again and again? Not really.

I guess I don't "get it."

[organdude44]

Mind blowing and brilliant!!

[1234acbe]

What would be the best way to study harmonies

[nepalnt21]

listen listen listen

take music theory

listen listen listen some more

[kekilicious11]

I agree this isnt "JAZZ!!"

[Robusto103]

who the fuck cares??????

[kekilicious11]

Watch your language... n I do.. I love jazz..

[Robusto103]

what I meant is that great music doesn't need labels, I luv jazz too, but I don't care whether something can be called with that name or not, if I like it!!!!!!!

[kekilicious11]

no offense... but he isn't good any way ;(

[Robusto103]

well, that's your opinion. Personally, I love him!!!!!!!!! XP

[rekingooo]

Hell!!

[maxigoodvibes]

what is jazz????

i think that nodoby can answer that question...

I like the idea that it's a way of creation and expression trough the music.

Its jazz for me and that why i love jazz

(sry for my bad english)

[werciu]

Guys ! Stop talking !Just listen! You want to describe everything !

[153redankh]

@werciu It's OK to try to put into words how you feel about something...

[robbayay]

@werciu The descriptions are very useful to those who don't understand. I'd advise you to keep from shouting orders at large masses of blameless youtube users, especially when you aren't absolutely certain of what people should or shouldn't do.

[MrThelonious]

Its an aural and tactile means of creating. I wouldn't call it composition. freejazzfree is right to draw attention to stride and classical piano, but of course it isn't remotely any of these styles. Actually if you listen to a lot of Cecil he loves his own cliches (runs, clusters, ways of creating density) and gets into them over and over again. So yes to stylistic references but no to "this is all written". He improvises - like a mutherfucker!

[freejazzfree]

essentially cecil composes songs for each performance he does.every piece he does is composed the way a piece unfolds involves improvisation.

cecil is always playing one song essentially. one that has many different variables.

this is his music. he has his own system.

it involves a synthesis of scalular patterns that also act as a basis for harmonic information.

i find that there is romanticism in his composition.particularly related to the impressionist/romantic composers of the 20th century.

[freejazzfree]

for someone who plays piano to exclaim that this performance is filled with random notes and is just plunking down... you need some ear training.

theres tons of repetition and development.

this is all written.

cecil doesnt 'free improvise'

in fact alot of the repeating figures are taking alot from stride and classical piano.

the hammered clusters are an expansion of melodic frames of reference.

cecil works with unit structures.range areas which he modulates certain themes through.

[17205513]

fuck you CECIL IS BEYOND

[cinedeguerrilla]

Toda una vida de trabajo y sentimiento.. Qué pasada.

[ebutuoy020]

chico: you are pathetic.... but besides that, when your groundbreaking record comes out which will blow the musicworlds mind?

[wolffrankenstein]

Anyone can be creative and anyone can be an artist. Denying that denies the point of this music. However, what makes a good artist is personal. I personally believe it takes more talent to be surprisingly creative with standardized rules, or perhaps by the introduction of non-standard ideas that only barely conform to or barely break the usual ones. Call me conservative or what you will, but I believe this because to ignore tradition in art is to ignore art itself. I would not want to devalue it

[wolffrankenstein]

Which isn't to say I don't enjoy listening to Cecil Taylor's music! I don't really prefer it, but, man, has this guy got some interesting technique!

[Israfvel]

Good point. However, there is so much you can do with a preset bunch of rules, even wherein a bit of bending is not only possible but necessary. If ignoring tradition to advance the cause of music as art (among other things) is the way to go, then so be it.

[Bambiezbotron]

Hey Chico,

If you were 'able to listen' you'd hear that there are rhythms and patterns that repeat throughout the piece. Then he expands on those patterns. Especially during the fast parts, there is a logic behind what notes he hits.

Sure, you can stick to your Chopin, but he's not writing any more music anytime soon.

[chicoflaco]

i am able, are u?

[flippenpinoi]

can you play it in a fashion as convincing as Cecil Taylor? you're not the only one who has shown disdain even Miles Davis jazz's commented "That shit ain't nothing," when asked about his thoughts on Taylor's discography. Here is a man who is clearly capable of playing music your dumbass can recognize i mean he did graduate from a conservatory but because of his conviction at one point received welfare so he could keep his integrity. so seriously who the fuck are you?

[chicoflaco]

why do they let swearing illogical people on here? ban this clown

[flippenpinoi]

the only thing illogical your poor interpretation of My Foolish Heart and Israel. Sadly however, your arrangement of Israel sounds quite similar to Evans' in Explorations...except Evans is actually playing piano while you're beating the shit out of it. You're a very cheap and poor imitation of a master while Cecil Taylor has a sound all to himself. So i say you and your poorly arranged not technique having ass should be banned. good day to you

[chicoflaco]

you have no clue about anything, all you can do is insult and swear

[flippenpinoi]

i know enough not to pass judgment on a legend like cecil taylor. and i know enough to say that your playing and what you call singing is really done in poor taste. you fucking suck. yes that was an insult and a swear.

[chicoflaco]

all you can do is insult me as an attempt to convince me that cecil is a legend? well that stupid attempt isn't going to work. I'm done talking to 4-year-old children

[flippenpinoi]

no all i do is insult you as an attempt to insult you. that and i find you fascinating. a wanna be Bill Evans with no touch or technique

[chicoflaco]

you no nothing about music obviously, and again with the insults, grow up

[detayl03]

Lol. Your comments rule!!!! Chico sucks ass!!!

[flippenpinoi]

my goodness thank you.... i mean i have nothing against the guy. but freak i mean why would you go on a Cecil Taylor video and talk shit? and im illogical

[sanjusanjusanju]

look chico, it's fine if you don't "get" this music, and it's fine if you don't like it. but be respectful of the man's life work. cecil taylor is widely recognized as an innovator, one of the most influential musician's in modern music. ask yourself what qualifies you to pass judgement on this. it's in our nature to dislike the things that we don't understand. try to recognize this and use some discretion. and understand that you're not convincing anyone; you're only making yourself look bad.

[chicoflaco]

i don't like it, just like i hate mushrooms

[autovern]

..well if you are able to listen, you will find that it is not random at all...

[chicoflaco]

if you are able to listen, you will find that there is a lot of random notes hit

[chicoflaco]

random notes and random disjointed tempos is noise to me

[thesnobsupreme]

i agree, thats why im educatin myself. cause i know its not actualy

[detoth67]

Its not random. Listen to Ornette Coleman, Peter Brotzmann, Cecil Taylor and other free jazz greats. This stuff was composed and rehearsed.

[chicoflaco]

I play piano, don't kid yourself, this is plunking down whatever notes you happen to hit

[detoth67]

Great! You play piano! Good for you. That doesn't change the fact that this music was composed and purposefully written. Indicated by the fact; the recorded versions are the same as the live versions.

This is the same old debate about modern art. Some people don't get it and don't think it isn't art. That in no way means that it isn't art.

[chicoflaco]

you being condescending doesn't prove that this is composed and purposefully written, and using the argument that some just don't get it is a fallacy in logic

[lordamasa]

yeah lets see you make free jazz sound that good.

[chicoflaco]

my ear doesn't think it sounds good, but if it works for you...

[karoloandria]

im having vision right now

[Pomeray8]

Oh, bah! Every generation blames some sort of music on the so-called destruction of civilization. Fuck that! I'm so glad there's a huge diversity to music all over the world and all over time. It makes life interesting. I'm glad people have the balls to try different and new things.

[iperuranioangela]

simple gorgeous. many thanks.

[Lafoliex7]

I got to 1:42 before posting this. This is fucking awesome. It should be an inspiration to you even if you don't like it: he is being himself.

[09090707]

that look at the end just seemed to be the look of a misunderstood genius, just spacing out after the incredible performance he produced, this guy is the most underrated musician of the second half of the 20th century

[mahoose6]

uplifting

[oliverkhoo]

excuse me all... what genre do you call this music?

[sempugas]

you fucking ignorant...

[ttoe]

just music

[JohnPatatino]

i call this Music, in particular i call him a Genius

[masonchapple]

Most people would call it "Free Jazz"

[1S15FReud]

SuperB

[Euroflounder]

Ah, public television; still fairly surprising.

[homestarfan2008]

This is awesome.

3:30, are you sure you didn't hit fast forward, that's going too fast.

[PSIchiater]

Real PSIchiatermusic,indeed!

[fatherfocus]

ya le dio la chiripiolka

exelent video

free free free

[smegghiggins]

peas to teh gawd.

saw him a few months ago. i sat in the very back- no mics and i could still hear him growling over the piano the whole time he played.

[biotonk]

i saw this on tv when i was 15. it changed everything for me ... total freedom.

[vihtorik]

lost your mind and

you were in mentalhospital?

[biotonk]

is that how this music makes you feel vihtorik ?

[vihtorik]

almost

[Euroflounder]

They actually put this on TV?

[biotonk]

yes ... i saw it on PBS sometime in the mid 80's

[misterpece]

Grosso!, un Capo del Free

[mahoose6]

Genius.

[bardobound]

he really doesn't need those charts, the music is written on the back of his eyelids...

[tomatwood]

i love this clip. i love the sweatsuit and the fact that he looks like some homeless guy who just wandered up to the piano and just let out everything hes ever thought or felt in his life.

[tothemax91]

lol, fantastic description

[douqep]

Homeless guy? He doesn't look homeless, are you nuts? With his spotless white cap and gray clothes he looks like he's from the future...and that's where he's from muhfuh!

[hcsk6]

yerp yerp

[bobohidalgo]

thanks for keeping this clip up.  one of my favorite piano performances on youtube.

[mikemcnellyf]

i wonder if he played for mr rogers

[ThreeLeggedMongoose]

for some reason i absolutely love this even though it sounds completely wrong and random to me... what the hell

[IloveAlexisBledel689]

that was very special

[mountaintop1234]

for all you stupid motherfuckers you wouldn't recognize real genius if it was fuckin' you................yittee taw riddin' ittee raw raw riddin'................

[mountaintop1234]

For all you stupid motherfuckers you wouldn't recognize reall genius if it was fuckin' you.................

[zyruemusic]

Now what does that mean?

[PiazzollaDev]

I'd love to see this man play live! ...which mental institution does he live in ?

[uncoolbeans]

He looks out of breath at the end

[decode135]

It reminds me of his album FLY! FLY! FLY! FLY! FLY! This is a great clip.

[simplelife88393]

Off-beat like the white girl shoulder dance

[imminy]

Structure them units, bay-bee!

-Dick Vitale

[AVHeimerski]

I'll rephrase that, solely to express my opinion:

Who's that badass motherfucker of a pianist, composer, and conceptualist? He can't play anything that sounds REMOTELY like shit - it's just too infuckingcredibly awesome!

[kaschte]

Who's that motherfucker? He can't play shit!

[StevieLeeRachel]

lol i fucking love this guy.