If the title alone The Complete, Legendary, Live Return Concert doesn't blow out those flu-like post-holiday cobwebs in a big hurry, the full, near ninety minute assault on all that was and is holy damn well will. Couple the jittery anticipation of NYC's Town Hall audience pushing up against the cool onstage élan of alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, percussionist Andrew Cyrille and bassist Sirone aka Norris Jones and the air in the hall is highly, nervously charged, all of them waiting for the exile to end. After five years, Cecil Taylor took to his piano. . .and all hell broke loose! It was a moment in the lives of all those participating that they could instantly equate with, say, where they were when Kennedy was shot. Or Martin. Or Lennon. Or when men thought bigger than assassination and strode the moon. Created vaccines. Conquered fascist powers.
With five years of academia behind him (he was a visiting professor at Antioch College and University of Wisconsin-Madison) and only one missive, the solo challenge Indent (Unit Core, 1973) Taylor had to be, as the kids say nowadays, freakin' jacked! Jacked to the max he was.
"Autumn/Parade" is impenetrable, hypnotic, impossible to hold, but never look away. Never turn a blind ear to its chaotic perplexities or pass lurid judgement on its more accessible moments. Taylor is unhinged and that can only mean the world will be a much different place when he is done. Be that change for the better or worse was up to the listeners in '73 and is up to listeners in '22.
Long before this gig, Taylor had proved himself his own one man army. Adding Lyons, Cyrille, and Sirone makes "Autumn/Parade" unstoppable, a frenetic, riotous, visionary invention gratefully, gleefully heard here completely for the first time. And it sounds awesome too. Included is the often romantic, often tumultuous second set "Spring of Two Blue-J's" which was previously released on Spring of Two Blue-J's (Unit Core, 1974). Digital release only.
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
We sent a confirmation message to . Look for it, then click the link to activate your account. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, check your spam, bulk or promotions folder.