Cecil Taylor

American pianist Cecil Taylor is one of the great names in jazz history. He combined the compositional grandeur of European traditions with intensely idiosyncratic improvisational technique to express emotions and employ his own brand of Ellington-inspired lyricism. Beginning in the 1950s, the artist shaped a body of work that, in scope and dissonant audacity, made him one of the most original jazz artists of the post-war era. His debut album, 1956's Jazz Advance, was followed by dozens of releases including Unit Structures (1966), the solo Indent (1973), One Too Many Salty Swift and Not Goodbye (1980), For Olim (1987), and 1998's The Tree of Life (1998). Taylor's final work was 2011's Birdland, Neuburg 2011. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 89. Since then his entire catalogue has been reissued; the bounty includes many previously unissued live outings including 2026's Fragments: The Complete 1969 Salle Pleyel Concerts.