Cecil Taylor Recordings/Sessions from 1964
(updated 12/07/04)

64.02.00

February 1964

Take 3 Coffee House, Greenwich Village, New York, NY (USA)

CECIL TAYLOR GROUP

Cecil Taylor (p)
Bill Dixon (tp)
Roswell Rudd (tb)
Albert Ayler (ts)
Jimmy Lyons (as)
Carla Bley (p)
Paul Bley (p)
Gary Peacock (b)
Sunny Murray (dr)

Primary Source: Heinrich Smejkal: Info from Saturn archives – February 2002/ # 190 (Info from the “Dixonia” book).

64.04.05-06

April 5, 6, 1964

“Jazz Weekend”; Bennington College in Bennington, VT

Cecil Taylor Unit

Cecil Taylor (p)
Henry Grimes (b)
Andrew Cyrille (percussion) ["reportedly his second ever date with the Unit"]
Jimmy Lyons on (as)

"possibly a solo piano performance by Taylor"

from email: "The transcript was published in a 1964 edition of Bennington College's literary journal "Silo" along with 2 photographs (one of Cecil, one of the Unit -- I have a Xerox of these pages, but no scanner). When I was a student at Bennington I searched high and low for a tape of the Unit's performance, but was told that it had been erased long ago. In 1995 I took a percussion tutorial at Bennington with Andrew Cyrille and asked him about the event; it was his recollection that this was his second performance with the Unit."

from website: "On April 6, 1964, a panel discussion – one of the final events of a “Jazz Weekend” – took place at Bennington College in Bennington, VT. This series of events also included a performance by the Cecil Taylor Unit (at that time comprising Cecil Taylor on piano, Henry Grimes on bass, Andrew Cyrille on percussion [reportedly his second ever date with the Unit], and Jimmy Lyons on alto saxophone) and possibly a solo piano performance by Taylor. Those appearing on the panel were Louis Calabro (Bennington faculty member and composer), Frederick Koenig as moderator, Hall Overton, and Cecil Taylor. Other comments were made by members of the audience. This is a transcript from a tape of the discussion which was recorded over music played the previous evening. Wherever “[MUSIC]” appears, a tape malfunction caused the previous evening’s music to drown out the discussion."

Primary Source: Matt Weston (mweston_1917@yahoo.com) in personal email to jason hook on 1/04/04. Web site has transcription of panel discussion: http://www.the-spa.com/mw/

64.12.28

December 28, 1964

Judson Hall, New York, NY (USA), Four Days in December (28.12. – 31.12.1964)

CECIL TAYLOR UNIT

Cecil Taylor (p) others unknown

Primary Source: Heinrich Smejkal: Info from DOWN BEAT Vol.31 No.33 (31.12.1964), S.10 (Short article – Festival schedule, no details).

64.12.00

December, 1964

Cecil Taylor Unit

Judson Hall, New York, NY (USA), Four Days in December (28.12. – 31.12.1964)

Cecil Taylor (p)
Buell Neidlinger (b)
Bill Barron
Michael Mantler
Unknown (d)

Primary Source: personal recollection by David Gitin, who attended concerts: "Cecil had Bill Barron, Buell Neidlinger, Michael Mantler, not sure of which drummer. It was in Judson Hall, NYC as part of "Four Nights in December" followup to "October Revolution." " -in personal email from David Gitin to jason hook on 3/25/03.