Unit Structures

I think this is one of my favorite jazz albums I've heard so far. It's sounds exactly like the cover, colorful and playful, which is really interesting in a free jazz context. I'm a sucker for good piano pieces, so it makes sense to me that I enjoy the more piano-driven jazz, and while the sax is certainly more of a certerpiece of the project, our main guy, Mr. Taylor is incredibly good on this one. Despite the tracks being fairly long, I never felt like they became monotone or boring, it's all ... read more

Feels more focused than some of the more chaotic entries to free jazz, and though this does make this record significantly more “accessible” by comparison, it’s still a whirlwind of instrumentation that stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the best.

Standout: Unit structure/As of now/unit
Favs: Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure), Steps
Least fav: Tales (8 whisps)

Cecil Taylor knew how to play the piano, and he knew how to play it well. In fact, all of the musicians here know how to play well too. I do think this albums feel empty in a way. I also wish it was way shorter. Like, you could’ve cut out the last track. Oh well, still good.

What is Freedom?

When diving into the early discography of Cecil Taylor I could not help but feel lingering uneasiness. It did not come from any creepiness or any weird aspects of the music itself, which has on its own right genius moments of bop creativity, but from the sense that Taylor’s style felt stuck in this constant fight against the rest of the band playing with him. Often the feeling is that Taylor is a complete outlier, in his corner attempting to truly innovate and play his ... read more