A classic Cecil Taylor set from the 70s – a record only issued in Japan, but one that grew to have a reputation as one of his strongest live performances from the time! The group here is amazing – that boundless Taylor energy on the piano, matched perfectly by the free drumming of Andrew Cyrille and alto of Jimmy Lyons – both wonderful musicians on their own, but partners who really soar here in the company of Cecil – maybe in a way that no other musicians could at all! In fact, the three-part energy of the trio might well be one of the key moments in free improvisation – at least for its time – and you'll hear them come together magically, as they work their way through a double-length continuous performance of one number – "Bulu Akisakila Kutala" – all at an energy level and freeness that pushes the Taylor trio out even farther than its explorations of the 60s, with an intensity that never lets up throughout the entire set! CD

A fantastic set – and one that didn't exist in this way during the vinyl years of Impulse Records! The package provides important early work from these two musicians who'd go onto shape the avant side of jazz in the 60s – three tracks that Cecil Taylor recorded with Gil Evans for the label – and four more from the sessions for Roswell Rudd's Everywhere album! CD

A very moody performance from Cecil Taylor – one long reading of the piece "Calling It The 8th", originally presented as 2LP set, but finally getting its due here as a single CD that presents the whole thing from start to finish with no interruption! Although as free as some of Taylor's other material from the time, the work also has a sound that's somehow more introspective than some of the others – possibly because of the rumbling bass work of William Parker, which seems to ground the record in an earthy territory that has the players circling back to home after taking freer flights on their solos. The group is a quartet, with Taylor on piano, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Parker on bass, and Rashid Bakr on drums. CD

One of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists – who operate based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes, at a level that's maybe one of his most inventive, ambitious expressions of the decade! The whole lineup is great – with especially strong horn work from Eddie Gale on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Ken McIntyre on alto, oboe, and bass clarinet – and Taylor's piano gets accompaniment from two groundbreaking bassists – Henry Grimes and Alan Silva – plus drums from Andrew Cyrille. Given the lineup, and the format, the whole thing almost feels more like one of the BYG/Actuel avant sessions than Blue Note in the 60s – and titles include "Steps", "Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure)", "Unit Structure/As Of A Now/Section", and "Tales (8 Whisps)". CD

A beautiful solo piano set by Cecil Taylor – recorded live in Ohio in 1973, and originally released on his own small Unit Core label. The work is a perfect example of how Cecil was stretching himself at the time – working in a mode that was part free jazz, part 70s spiritualism, opening up far more than even in his classic group recordings of the late 60s. The album features one long work – "Indent" – separated into 3 "layers". CD

A sharply focused session from Cecil Taylor – one that's driven by plenty of his free flights on the keys of the piano, but which also receives key support from a larger group! There's a great match here between the dynamism of solo Cecil and some of the collaborations of his earlier years – and in a way, the recording is one of a stretch that almost has Taylor reconciling the solo years of the 70s with the early group recordings of the 60s. Players here are Cecil's excellent Unit group – and include Carlos Ward on reeds, Leroy Jenkins on violin, William Parker on bass, and Thurman Barker on drums – and the set features one long performance that runs for nearly 70 minutes in length! CD