Cecil Taylor Recordings/Sessions from 1974

(last updated on 06/29/05)

74.01.18
74.01.19
74.01.20

January 18, 19, 20, 1974

CECIL TAYLOR UNIT

Wollman Auditorium, Columbia University, New York, NY (USA)

Cecil Taylor (p)
Jimmy Lyons (as)
Sirone (b)
Andrew Cyrille (dr)

CECIL TAYLOR SOLO

Cecil Taylor (p)

CECIL TAYLOR ORCHESTRA

Cecil Taylor (p) others unknown

Primary source: Heinrich Smejkal: Info from DOWN BEAT Vol.41 No.1 (17.01.1974), S.8 (Concert schedule, short article – “produced in cooperation with the Columbia radio station WKCR-FM” - but no details). Private Tapes (broadcast) probably exist.

74.03.12

Cecil Taylor Unit Core Ensemble:

March 12, 1974
Carnegie Hall
New York City

1.[80:19] (incomplete, cuts in at beginning, split rack at 45:01, split track at 57:29)

* There is a shorter tape circulating at 58:33-- this tape is missing the final 23:00+ end section. --RL

(Composition, Cecil Taylor)

Cecil Taylor (p)
Jimmy Lyons (as)
Bobby Zankel (as)
Hassan Abdullah (ts)
Craig Purfura (ts)
David S. Ware (ts)
Elliot Levin (ts)
unidentified (ts)
unidentified (ss)
Charles Tyler (bs)
Karen Borca (bassoon)
Raphe Malik (tp)
Hannibal (tp)
Arthur Williams (tp)
Kevin Fitzpatrick (tp)
Joe Bowie (tb)
Sharon Freeman (frh)
Carla Poole (fl)
David First (g)
Bud Neuber (g)
unidentified (g)
Sirone (b)
William Parker (b)
Dave Saphra (b)
Earl Henderson (b)
Rashied Bakr (d)
Sunny Murray (d)
Marc Edwards (d)
Andrew Cyrille (perc)
unidentified (perc)
unidentified (perc)

Note: posted on CTR yahoo group on Jul 11, 2003 by bobby zankel: "Hi--my memories from that period with ct would make a chapter in a book but i cant remember how the music sounded-- carnegie hall was an excellent band (in spite of my youth) and there was a decent amount of rehersal - a balance between people accustomed to cecil's system/language and newyork pros-- my strongest memory was coming back to my music stand after playing a too long solo and being met by jimmy lyons' smile and a pat on the back from him and charles tyler(he played baritone)--bobby"

Note: "In Down Beat 74.02.28 (Vol.41, No.4 - pages 9 and 33) is an announcement that the Cecil Taylor concert was one part of total 15 concerts organized by the New York Jazz Repertory Company [including] the dates of the concerts. In Down Beat 74.05.09 (Vol.41, No.9 - page 29) [there is] a concert review by Gary Giddins, unfortunately he mentions only a few of the participants. Giddins noted also that 'many players were recruited from colleges where Taylor has taught.'" --Heinrich Smejkal

Rick Lopez has some very interesting anecdotes that Cecil bandmate, Marc Edwards wrote about this show here on his site. Also on that same link are comments and photos from David First.

further notes added 6/05: from anonymous source, via personal email to jason, who attended concert:

1974/0312 was a Tuesday.

Cecil Taylor Unit Core Ensemble

"Tribe" (Taylor) [about an hour and a half]
1. Voices
2. To Night
3. Being Body
4. Black Node
5. Suns
6. Weight Fall
7. Tribe

1] One of the tenor saxophonists is named Craig Purpura, not Purfura.
2] One of the trap drummers is named Rashid Bakr, not Rashied.
3] One of the trumpeters is named Hannibal Marvin Peterson, not simply Hannibal.
4] It's unlikely there was an unidentified tenor saxophonist. Frank Lowe was
supposed to have been there, but was absent.
5] A Kevin Fitzpatrick never existed as part of this orchestra. The correct
name of the trumpeter was and is Kevin Powell.
6] Luther Thomas was said to have been there. With Joseph Bowie there, a fellow
member of the Black Artists Group, this was quite possible.
7] The unidentified soprano saxophonist may have been Jemeel Moondoc.
8] The unidentified trombonist may have been Craig Harris.

74.07.00

July 1974

CECIL TAYLOR UNIT

St.Paul De Vence (F), 10th Anniversary Fondation Maeght

Cecil Taylor (p)
Jimmy Lyons (as)
Andrew Cyrille (dr)
+ Unknown European musicians

Primary source: Heinrich Smejkal, Info from DOWN BEAT Vol.42 No.7 (10.04.1975), S.12-14, 31 (Feature article by J.B. Figi - "As the Unit we did that about three weeks after the Montreux thing" - I assume it happened in the last week of July 1974).

74.09.07

September 7, 1974

CECIL TAYLOR UNIT

Windsor, Ontario (CAN), Ann Arbor Festival (06.09. - 08.09.1974)

Cecil Taylor (p)
Jimmy Lyons (as)
Andrew Cyrille (dr)
Arthur Williams (tp)

Primary source: Heinrich Smejkal, Info from CODA Vol.11, No.12, Oct. 1974, S.32, 33 (Festival report).

74.09.00, 2nd Japan Tour

September 1974

CECIL TAYLOR UNIT

Cecil Taylor (p)
Jimmy Lyons (as)
Andrew Cyrille (dr)
Arthur Williams (tp)

Primary source: Heinrich Smejkal, Info from Hiroshi Takahashi E-mail correspondence to Heinrich Smejkal, (6.10.2002).
Info from DOWN BEAT Vol.42 No.7 (10.04.1975), S.12-14, 31 (Feature article by J.B. Figi).

74.10.00

October 1974

CECIL TAYLOR UNIT

Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA (USA)

Cecil Taylor (p)
Jimmy Lyons (as)
Andrew Cyrille (dr)

Notes: Info from Jan Ström "Jimmy Lyons - a Sessionography" (2000).

Primary source: Heinrich Smejkal, Info from DOWN BEAT Vol.42 No.7 (10.04.1975), S.12-14, 31 (Feature article by J.B. Figi - mentioned a two weeks engagement).

74.10.00

October 1974

CECIL TAYLOR UNIT

Jazz Showcase, Chicago, IL (USA)

Cecil Taylor (p)
Jimmy Lyons (as)
Andrew Cyrille (dr)

Primary source: Heinrich Smejkal, Info from DOWN BEAT Vol.42 No.7 (10.04.1975), S.12-14, 31 (Feature article by J.B. Figi) and
DOWN BEAT Vol.42 No.1 (16.01.1975), S.34 (Article, "Profile Jimmy Lyons" by John Litweiler - mentioned a 5 nights engagement).