A great run of music from Jimmy Lyons – some of his most important albums as a leader! First up is Wee Sneezawee – the kind of work that makes you love the Black Saint label for giving players like Jimmy Lyons a chance to still express themselves this way! Lyons is in wonderful form throughout – blowing with all the sharp tones that you'd know from his work with Cecil Taylor, but also bringing in a bit more structure too – kind of shaping a coherent sound out of an infinite array of possible actions – any of which seem possible at any moment, given the dynamic energy of the group! Other players include William Parker on bass, Paul Murphy on drums, Karen Borca on bassoon, and Raphe Malik on trumpet – and tracks include "Wee Sneezawee", "Gossip", "Shackinback", "Remembrance", and "Driads". On Give It Up, Jimmy Lyons is wonderful, but equally great is trumpeter Enrico Rava – whose bold tones on the record easily match those of Lyons in terms of energy and inventiveness! The format is relatively free – although some tunes have a bit of an inside swing, at least more so than Lyons' work with Cecil Taylor – and other players include Karen Borca on bassoon, Jay Oliver on bass, and Paul Murphy on drums. Titles include the long workouts "Methods", "Never", and "Give It Up" – plus the shorter tune "Ballada". Burnt Offering features great duets between Jimmy Lyons on alto and Andrew Cyrille on percussion – and titles include "Popp A", "Exotique", and "Burnt Offering". Nuba is a compelling collaboration between percussionist Andrew Cyrille, vocalist Jeanne Lee, and alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons – one of the freer sessions on the Black Saint label, and one of the most striking as well! Cyrille handles a wide range of percussion – and also a few whistles too – and he really sets the tone with his open, expressive approach to his instruments – almost more melodic at points than rhythmic, with echoes of African roots that come through more strongly than on some of his other albums. Most numbers are pretty spare, and titles include "Nuba 1", "Cornbread Picnic (Maize)", "The One Before Zero", "JJ & A", "In These Last Days", "Sorry", and "Nuba 2". Something In Return is another set of duets between Lyns and Andrew Cyrille! While working in Cecil Taylor's group, Cyrille and Lyons developed a wonderful interplay and dynamic, which can be felt in full effect on this wonderful duo recording, where they approach mostly original material, but also take on Strayhorn's "Take The A Train". Also includes the title track "Lorry", "JL", "Nuba" and "Fragments I". CD

A pair of crucial Cecil Taylor sessions from the 60s – both of which show the free-thinking pianist working amidst some larger arrangements! First up are three tracks from the Gil Evans album Into The Hot – all tunes written by Cecil Taylor – a very bold move for Evans, given Taylor's strongly out reputation even at this point in his career – and possibly even more bold, given that Taylor's on the tracks playing piano, alongside players who include Archie Shepp on tenor, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – plus work on one track from Ted Curson on trumpet and Roswell Rudd on trombone. The material's fantastic, and is a key part of Taylor's work at the time, and shows a very different setting for his piano – a bit of tension with the larger Evans group, in a way that's almost more compelling than his own early dates as a leader – on the titles "Pots", "Bulbs", and "Mixed". Next is the Unit Structures album – 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

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)". LP, Vinyl record album

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

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

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)". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual collection of work from Cecil Taylor – a set that mixes together two different key strands of sound from the mid 60s! The first selection on the album is "With (Exit)" – a 19 minute long track taken from the Conquistador sessions – which formed one of Cecil Taylor's most striking albums of the 60s, and one of the few in which he works with a larger than usual group – not a trio or quartet, but an ultra-hip sextet! The lineup is incredible – the cream of the arch-modern players of the avant era, including Bill Dixon on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on bass – a double-use of the instrument that's really tremendous. Cecil himself plays with a firey style that's got the best energy of some of his earlier European recordings, but a tighter approach that's even more compelling. Student Studies is next – quite a great little session from Cecil Taylor – recorded in Paris in 1966 by BYG, and one of his most adventurous of the 60s! The group on the set is a quartet – with Cecil on piano, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Alan Silva on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums – all working in a style that's even freer than some of Cecil's other European recordings of the decade. Titles include the two-part "Student Studies" – plus "Niggle Feuigle" and "Amplitude". CD

A legendary live set from Cecil Taylor – originally only issued overseas, but a record that really helped cement his status as a groundbreaking improviser at the start of the 70s! The record is maybe one of the first times that Taylor was really able to break free on record – and hit the style that would become his standard for years to come – working here in an excellent quartet with Jimmy Lyons on alto, Sam Rivers on tenor and soprano, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! This volume includes "Second Act of A" part 1. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Cecil Taylor's most striking albums of the 60s – and one of the few in which he works with a larger than usual group – not a trio or quartet, but an ultra-hip sextet! The lineup is incredible – the cream of the arch-modern players of the avant era, including Bill Dixon on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on bass – a double-use of the instrument that's really tremendous. Cecil himself plays with a firey style that's got the best energy of some of his earlier European recordings, but a tighter approach that's even more compelling. The album features 2 long tracks: "Conquistador", which is very free and wild; and "With (Exit)", which is a bit more subdued, but not too much! CD

One of Cecil Taylor's most striking albums of the 60s – and one of the few in which he works with a larger than usual group – not a trio or quartet, but an ultra-hip sextet! The lineup is incredible – the cream of the arch-modern players of the avant era, including Bill Dixon on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on bass – a double-use of the instrument that's really tremendous. Cecil himself plays with a firey style that's got the best energy of some of his earlier European recordings, but a tighter approach that's even more compelling. The album features 2 long tracks: "Conquistador", which is very free and wild; and "With (Exit)", which is a bit more subdued, but not too much! CD features an alternate edit of "With (Exit)" as a bonus track! CD

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