The Tree of Life dates from a 1991 Berlin concert during which Cecil plays unaccompanied. Tree consists of five sections, ranging from 1:08 to 44:28 in length, and ranks among Cecil’s more impressive albums. One of the most important and original of jazz pianists, he can be counted on to play inventively, but at times his solos have been unvaryingly frenetic. Here his work is full of contrast. Both pensive and aggressive improvising can be heard, as well as plenty of dynamic and textural variety and effective register contrasts. There’s thorny lyricism here, and Taylor uses rests effectively.
Cecil Taylor: The Tree of Life
JazzTimes may earn a small commission if you buy something using one of the retail links in our articles. JazzTimes does not accept money for any editorial recommendations. Read more about our policy here. Thanks for supporting JazzTimes.
