Cecil Taylor
Cecil Taylor | |
|---|---|
Taylor at Moers Festival 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Cecil Percival Taylor |
| Born | March 25, 1929 Long Island City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 5, 2018 (aged 89) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, avant-garde jazz, free jazz, free improvisation |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader, composer, improviser, poet |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1956–2018 |
| Labels | Transition, Blue Note, Freedom, Hathut, Enja, FMP |
Cecil Percival Taylor (March 25, 1929 – April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet.
Taylor was classically trained and was one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an energetic, physical approach, resulting in complex improvisation often involving tone clusters and intricate polyrhythms. His technique has been compared to percussion. Referring to the number of keys on a standard piano, Val Wilmer used the phrase "eighty-eight tuned drums" to describe Taylor's style. He has been referred to as "Art Tatum with contemporary-classical leanings".