Cecil Taylor

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The pianist Cecil Taylor, from New York, studied at the New England Conservatory and named Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk as his most important examples in jazz. As early as 1956, before Ornette Coleman, he recorded music that left the boundaries of bebop behind. Taylor played the piano like a percussion instrument: clusters of notes, lightning-fast lines and eruptions of energy. He said he was playing 88 drums. On Unit Structures and Conquistador! (both 1966) his groups played long, layered compositions. He often gave solo concerts of more than an hour and worked with dancers and poets. He was also greatly appreciated in Europe.

Listening

• 
  Steps · Cecil Taylor, 1966
• 
  Enter Evening · Cecil Taylor, 1966
• 
  Air · Cecil Taylor, 1960
• 
  Conquistador · Cecil Taylor, 1966

Discography

Studio albums

• 1960The World of Cecil Taylor
• 1966Unit Structures
• 1967Conquistador!
• 1971Jumpin’ Punkins
• 1972New York City R&B
• 1978The Cecil Taylor Unit
• 19793 Phasis
• 1981Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly!
• 1987Chinampas
• 1988Cell Walk for Celeste
• 1990Air
• 1990In Florescence
• 1991Dreaming of the Masters, Volume 2: Thelonious Sphere Monk
• 1999Momentum Space
• 2019Duets 1992

Other work

• 1956Jazz Advance
• 1974Silent Tongues

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Jazz Map^NL Map
• Mixtape 5: Jazz Festival^NL Reader
• After Hours: Session 3^NL Reader

See also

• The World of Cecil Taylor
• Jumpin’ Punkins
• New York City R&B
• Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly!
• Free jazz