Cecil Taylor Documentary - "All the Notes"

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by btf1980, Mar 23, 2012.

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  1. btf1980

    btf1980 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
  2. power popper

    power popper Forum Resident

    Once I set aside the time, I definitely will be getting into this. Many thanks, btf1980.

    For those who haven't clicked on the link, the film runs 72 minutes.
     
  3. crispi

    crispi Vinyl Archaeologist

    Location:
    Berlin
    Very worthwhile, atane. Glad you posted it.
     
  4. carledwards

    carledwards Forum Resident

    Agreed. Worth watching.
     
  5. bilgewater

    bilgewater Forum Resident

    Location:
    Michigan
    oooo. Thanks so much for the link!

    For me, Cecil Taylor is pretty close to the ultimate ear-stretching music.

    He makes punk rock sound so terribly conservative (4/4; tonal; song form). And it's always so much easier to "get it" by seeing Cecil perform.
     
    ruben lopez likes this.
  6. hyde park

    hyde park Forum Resident

    Location:
    IL, USA
    Thanks for posting - look forward to watching it.
     
  7. e630940

    e630940 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Canada
    enjoyed that - thanks
     
  8. gd0

    gd0 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies

    Location:
    Golden Gate
    That was cool. Thanks for the link.

    I'd never seen CT before. Quite a character. His playing seems (at least in part) a natural extension of his personal demeanor.
     
  9. SteelyTom

    SteelyTom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, Mass.
    Nice to read a Cecil Taylor post-- good to know it's not all about Carole King, James Taylor, and Adele here at the Forum.
     
    ruben lopez likes this.
  10. crispi

    crispi Vinyl Archaeologist

    Location:
    Berlin
    :righton:
     
  11. btf1980

    btf1980 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I have no idea who those characters are. I'm just here for the Beatles.
     
  12. mw1917

    mw1917 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albany, NY
    I've been meaning to see this for a while; will definitely check it out. Thanks for posting the link!
     
  13. DrJ

    DrJ Senior Member

    Location:
    Davis, CA, USA
    Yes, everyone else here at the SH Forums deeply aspires to have musical tastes as cool as yours. They all realize it just may never be in the cards for them - they realize they might (gasp) live long, happy, fully productive and fulfilled lives and yet never hear or appreciate Cecil Taylor's music, being relegated to the chumps you list instead - but in the meantime they can rest more comfortably in the fact they are able to live vicariously through your deep relationships with Mr. Taylor's music.

    Thank you, thank you both. Really. You do a tremendous public service with these kinds of posts. :wave:
     
  14. btf1980

    btf1980 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Did someone piss in your lemonade? I was obviously kidding with that comment, or is that not allowed on your watch? With all the Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Adele and miscellaneous pop, rap (even disco) threads/posts I've participated in, I'd be the last person who would be painted as "too cool for school". I like a lot of things, and that ranges from Cecil Taylor, to Whitney Houston to Ghostface Killah.

    Your snarky comments aside, I'm a fan of Adele, I'm indifferent to Carole King and I like Mr. Taylor, and I don't mean just Cecil. I like him enough to have seen him live 4 times, and it wasn't work related. In my former day job, I also did some promotion work around the time when Live at the Troubadour (which ironically includes Carole King) was released. But by all means, feel free to carry on and insinuate things that are completely off base. Obviously, I have rubbed you the wrong way somehow. I'll avoid your posts going forward. Peace to you anyway.
     
  15. blutiga

    blutiga Forum Resident

    James Taylor, Carol King and Adele's music can really polarise people:)
    Come Together fellows.:)
     
  16. mikestar

    mikestar Friendly Optimist

    Location:
    Capitol Hill
    I am a big Cecil fan. Was lucky to see him live once (so far). Thanks to the OP.
     
  17. btf1980

    btf1980 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Today is Cecil Taylor's birthday. He turns 83. :cool:
     
  18. ATR

    ATR Senior Member

    Location:
    Baystate
    Cecil, Ornette, and my mom all born in the same year, all still with us to celebrate. Happy birthday, CT.
     
  19. ATR

    ATR Senior Member

    Location:
    Baystate
    Yeah, like what's up with DrJ?
     
  20. 5-String

    5-String μηδὲν ἄγαν

    Location:
    Sunshine State
    :D:D

    Thanks for the documentary link, it was a great watch.
     
  21. NorthNY Mark

    NorthNY Mark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canton, NY, USA
    I haven't had the time to see the doc yet, but many many thanks for posting it. I think the concept of "genius" as we normally use it is kind of dubious, but for Taylor I think it just might be apt. I've only had the opportunity to see him live once, but it was probably the greatest concert experience I have ever had, in any genre of music. Can't wait to see this documentary!!!

    As to DrJ's comments, I always used to think he was one of the forum's more thoughtful posters. Something seems to have happened--I hope he's OK.
     
  22. rcdupre

    rcdupre Flying is Trying is Dying

    WOW, that was really awesome, thanks a lot! I saw the Cecil Taylor Unit right up front at Yoshi's in 1993 and it was a religious experience for me! (albeit helped along by the interesting combo of heroin and LSD) I never heard this guy talk, he's as ouside as his music is, very interesting...some of the things he says about music are right on! Amazingly, as I'm way into free jazz, I don't presently own a single CD by him, anymore. There's something about the music in this film that's a little too choppy for me, although I love it...does he ever sustain any notes with his left hand for longer than a couple of seconds? I need to hear some more of his stuff..maybe with Sonny Murray...any suggestions on some stuff (like from the seventies) to delve into? What should I hear?
     
  23. Campbell Saddler

    Campbell Saddler Used Bin Explorer

    Location:
    United States
    Regarding some recordings with Sonny Murray:

    The live recordings at Cafe Montmartre (1962) with Jimmy Lyons and Sonny Murray were reissued on the Revenant label (a 2 CD set) called Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come.

    [​IMG]

    On his Seventies output:

    You could investigate his solo recordings like Indent or Silent Tongues.

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    For a great, relatively inexpensive 4 CD sampler of late 70s to mid 80s work, I recommend The Complete Remastered Recordings On Black Saint/Soul Note Of Cecil Taylor: you get Winged Serpent, Olu Iwa, Historic Concerts (the 1979 duo recordings with Max Roach), and a great 1986 solo recording For Olim :thumbsup:

    http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Rema...L1EO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333184128&sr=8-1

    [​IMG]
     
  24. ATR

    ATR Senior Member

    Location:
    Baystate
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4iaYBwfyGY

    Watch all five parts of this.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsZqQttsGrk


    And both parts of this. The video quality of the second performance is poor, but it's the best representation I've seen of CT playing live on youtube.


    As for recordings, if you enjoy Sunny Murray the two disc Nefertiti the Beautiful One Has Come on Revenant is excellent, but not great sound quality. Taylor's esthetic was still in development at the time and it truly blossomed in the 70's starting with a trio of Jimmy Lyons and Andrew Cyrille. The Japanese album Akisakila is an excellent performance, well recorded. There is a trio and solo release, a bit pricey on CD IIRC. Student Studies is particularly intense.

    Other than that I would say it's too bad there's no Hat Hut or Hat Art box set. Aside from the duets with Max Roach which are extraordinary I think Cecil made better records for Hat than Black Saint/Soul Note. In particular Calling It the Eighth and One Too Many, Salty Swift, and Not Goodbye.

    The Blue Note albums Unit Structures and Conquistador have always been highly regarded. Not as fearsomely overwhelming as what came after, but as it's been said these are the sessions when Cecil became Cecil, so to speak.

    As for solo recordings I agree with a previous poster that both Silent Tongues and Indent are excellent. Many of the albums I mentioned are excerpted on youtube, so take a listen.
     
  25. Lloyd

    Lloyd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cleveland, OH
    Thanks, I look forward to watching this a little later today. I have a few Cecil Taylor recordings but really don't know much about him personally. Look forward to it.
     
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