Cecil Taylor Recordings/Sessions from 1982
(updated 04.12.07)

82.01.08

Cecil Taylor Unit: [Unissued / Private Tape]

January 8, 1982
Lush Life
New York City
1.[45:00]

Cecil Taylor (piano)
Jimmy Lyons (as)
William Parker (b)
Rashid Bakr (d)

{Primary Source: RL, info via Ed Hazell; NYTimes article by Robert Palmer, 82.01.08, C24}
Not in my collection.

82.03.05
82.03.06
82.03.07
82.03.08
82.03.09

March 5-9, 1982

Cecil Taylor Quartet

Cecil Taylor (p)
Jimmy Lyons (ts)
William Parker (b)
Rashid Bakr (d)

Lush Life, NYC

Primary Source: "Private tapes exist", Jan Strom.

82.03.01

March 1, 1981

Cecil Taylor Large Ensemble

New York City

1.three unknown titles [77:00]
(Composition, Cecil Taylor)

Cecil Taylor (p; voc)
Raphé Malik (trumpet)
Butch Morris (cornet)
Craig Harris (trombone)
Jimmy Lyons (alto sax)
Glen Spearman (tenor sax)
Charles Tyler
Ken Simon
Daniel Carter
James Newton
Karen Borca (bassoon)
Muneer Abdul Fataah (cello)
William Parker (bass)
Rashid Bakr (drums)

{Primary Source: RL, info via Heinrich Smejkal}

82.03.21

The Cecil Taylor Big Band:

Jimmy Lyons
James Newton
David Murray, Craig Harris
Butch Morris Muneer (cello)
Karen Borca (bassoon)
Raphé Malik
Glenn Spearman
Daniel Carter
Ken Simon (soprano sax)
William Parker,
Rashid Bakr

Lush Life, NYC "for the last few Sundays..." RL, [Village Voice, March 30, 1982 - review by Stanley Crouch, p.59]

"...all hell broke loose that prior week because of the article that came out the week before, which was an attack on Cecil and the Unit. He was very upset with the author of the column, who then reappeared at the club and was escorted out before the maestro's show commenced on 82.03.21."
--Andre Martinez correspondence to RL, 02.11.06

82.03.28

The Cecil Taylor Big Band:

| Jimmy Lyons
James Newton
David Murray
Craig Harris
Butch Morris
Muneer (cello)
Karen Borca (bassoon)
Raphé Malik
Glenn Spearman
Daniel Carter
Ken Simon (soprano sax)
William Parker,
Rashid Bakr
Andre Martinez

Lush Life, NYC [RL, Village Voice, March 30, 1982 - review by Stanley Crouch, p.59]


82.04.04

The Cecil Taylor Big Band:
(no personnel details) similar to above dates,
plus Andre Martinez
Lush Life, NYC

"...every Sunday I was a full time member of the Band and spent many, many, many hours (and days and years) with the maestro from this point on till Sept. '92. ...There were alot of changes in the horn section from gig to gig. We rehearsed at the Bell Telephone Building in lower Manhattan across the street from the Odeon Cafe, which is still there. We would go there on many occassions to eat after rehearsals. ...it was at ESP Records [recording studio], Bernard Stollman's place (as confirmed by Karen Borca) and I would see Jerome Cooper there. I missed two [of the] weekends at Lush Life because I was under contract with Dee Dee Sharp to do some concerts for her and Gamble & Huff Productions in Philadelphia. Which was cool with Cecil, as he was always curious about thier operations and show productions. ...extensive conversations I had with Cecil... led to alot of the new concepts for his upcoming shows. ...From this point on Cecil's shows began to change and become more like productions [with] intros, poetry, dance, chanting... Pieces were scored as sections where moments of inspiration and melodic romantic-type melodies took place, encores were shortened but the power and creative fury and freedom remained. It was about show and production, layout and format: Intro and dance; followed by Chant; then entrance and set theme; followed by more intense piece; then a few solos; then a medium piece; followed by an all-out piece-- then bring it down, then up and out. Then do a small encore, leave, and let them come again for more the next time-- Show biz. And it worked very well for Cecil the great entertainer and musician. Some of the other horn players were Steve Coleman, James Newton and David
Murray..."
[Andre Martinez archive, correspondence with RL, 02.10.18-19; 02.10 24]

82.04.11

The Cecil Taylor Big Band:
(as above)
Lush Life, NYC
[RL, Village Voice, March 30, 1982 - review by Stanley Crouch, p.59]

82.04.18

The Cecil Taylor Big Band: (as above)
Lush Life, NYC
[RL, Village Voice, March 30, 1982 - review by Stanley Crouch, p.59]

82.04.25

The Cecil Taylor Big Band: (as above)
Lush Life, NYC
[RL, Village Voice, March 30, 1982 - review by Stanley Crouch, p.59]

82.05.28

Cecil Taylor and Segments / Expanded Unit: [Unissued / Private Tape]

May 28, 1982
Judson Memorial Church
New York City
1.The Eye of the Crocodile, part 1 [13:18]
2.The Eye of the Crocodile, part 2 [17:12]
3.The Eye of the Crocodile, part 3 [9:24]
4.The Eye of the Crocodile, part 4 [19:03]

[Total time: 59:42]
(Composition, Cecil Taylor)

[Note: The music was composed for a dance by Diane McIntyre. --JS]

Cecil Taylor (piano)
Jimmy Lyons (as)
Glenn Spearman (ts)
Karen Borca (bassoon)
Raphé Malik (tp)
Craig S. Harris (tb)
Muneer Adbul Fataah (ce) ???
Don Pate (b)
William Parker (b)
Brenda Bakr (voc)
Eve Smith (voc)
André Martinez (d; perc)
Rashid Bakr (d)
Diane McIntyre and Sounds in Motion:
Cheryl Banks, Dorothea "Mickey" Davidson, Diane McIntyre, Warren Spears, Kevin Wynn (dancers)

[Note: this piece was performed in this venue on the evenings of May 27th through the 30th according to correspondence with Andre Martinez, 02.05.27, as stated in his printed programs from these sessions. --RL]

{Primary Source: RL, Tape; Jan Ström's Jimmy Lyons, A Sessionography, p. 60; info via André Martinez archive}

82.06.29
82.06.30
82.07.01
82.07.02
82.07.03
Cecil Taylor Unit: Jimmy Lyons, William Parker, Rashid Bakr, Raphe´ Malik, Glen Spearman, Martinez / Lush Life, NYC "Lester Bowie sat in on one of the gigs." --Andre Martinez archive, correspondence 02.10.18, in which he also confirms all dates: "Lush Life schedule from the back of 'Hot House' (a jazz night-life guide) Vol.1 No.5 July 1982 [Only 06.29 & 06.30 mentioned in review in CODA #185 August 1982 pp.25-6], RL

82.08.15

August 15, 1982

Cecil Taylor Unit

Cecil Taylor (p,voc)
Jimmy Lyons (as)
William Parker (b)
Rashid Bakr (dr)
Andre Martinez (perc)
Brenda Bakr (voc)

6th Artpark Jazz Festival, Art Park, in Lewiston, NY

1) Untitled Improvisation - Sextet (Taylor) 45:05
2) Untitled Duo – Taylor/Parker (Taylor) 4:27
3) Untitled Trio – Parker/Bakr/Bakr (Taylor) 4:05
4) Untitled Duo – Taylor/Lyons (Taylor) 7:33
5) Untitled Solo - Taylor (Taylor) 5:13
6) Untitled Improvisation - Sextet (Taylor) 11:10

"...my 1st Cecil show, dated 8/15/82, from Art Park, in Lewiston, NY ...It was interesting for the following reason.Art Park generally had Pabloesque concerts. For example, in the Summers of 81/82, I also saw Count Basie and his Orchestra, (featuring Freddie Green); Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass; Herb Ellis, Barney Kessell, and Charlie Byrd. Get it? So, as you might imagine, the brain trust at the annual festival described Cecil as a Piano Virtuoso, and who do you think came: 2 distinct groups...a bunch a midddle-aged couples in sun dresses and seersucker suits, and a bunch of college kids/hippies/african-american men with Fros and Berets. Needless to say, lots of folks left early. Can you guess who?"

Primary Source: Tape from Heinrich Smejkal: info from Jan Ström “Jimmy Lyons – a Sessionography” (2000). Also, CODA Nr.:186, Oct 1982, S.31, 36, 37 (Concert review). Personal recollection from kevin slotnicki (kskot@hotmail.com) in personal email to jason hook on 11/25/03.

82.09.02

September 2, 1982

Cecil Taylor Unit

Cecil Taylor (piano)
Brenda Bakr (vocals)
Jimmy Lyons (alto sax)
William Parker (bass)
Rashid Bakr (drums)
Andre Martinez (drums; percussion)

Chicago Jazz Festival
Chicago, IL

1.unknown titles []
(All compositions, Cecil Taylor)

Primary Source: RL, info via Andre Martinez archive; festival date via Chicago Sun-Times article of Friday, 82.09.03, Section 3, pg. 3. Recording exists, jason.