Cecil Taylor And Buell Neidlinger - The Complete Candid Recordings of Cecil Taylor and Buell Neidlinger [1989] (4 x CDs)

JAZZ SUNDAY

CECIL TAYLOR & BUELL NEIDLINGER

Cecil Taylor And Buell Neidlinger - The Complete Candid Recordings of Cecil Taylor and Buell Neidlinger [1989] (4 x CDs).

The sessions that comprise the four discs on this first-rate Mosaic boxed set were done in 1960 and 1961 for the short-lived Candid label. Taylor's concept had not yet evolved into a finished package; he wasn't always sure where he was going. There are solos that begin in one direction, break in the middle, and conclude in another. Tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp often sounds unsure about what to play and whether to try and interact or establish his own direction. At the same time, there is plenty of exceptional playing from Taylor, Shepp, and the drum/bass combination of Buell Neidlinger and Dennis Charles. You cannot honestly say everything works on these four discs, but there is never a dull moment. It won't please everyone, but listeners ready for a challenge should step right up. (AMG review by Ron Wynn)

The Candid label was very short-lived, and the Candid recordings are a rare slice of time. This collection catches Taylor at a very early stage of his evolution, surrounded with very heavyweight New York players.  Recorded at Nola's Penthouse Sound Studio, NYC.

The presence of Buell Neidlinger and Dennis Charles and the occasional Archie Shepp ensures the proceedings keep one foot on the ground. Where the other foot is can be hard to locate.  Somewhere I read Taylor described as the only jazz musician with “absolutely no groove whatsoever”. That is not an insult, but a measured thoughtful description. The bass and drums - instruments whose main purpose is to deliver the groove – seem to operate independently of Taylor’s direction of the moment, not “free” improvisation, but playing a different tune from Taylor, occasionally crossing each other’s path. In a lesser way, it’s an adaptation I associate with Charlie Rouse, and how he coped with the melodic and harmonic eccentricity (genius) of Monk. One of you is a genius, but it takes a rare talent to play together.

The amazing box set cover photo, which first aroused my interest, is a still from the short stint by Taylor, Neidlinger, Shepp and Charles as the on-stage musicians in Freddie Redd’s NY stage play The Connection, recruited to cover for Redd and Mclean while they were away making the Shirley Clarke film version of The Connection, Enjoy the trailer here, Jackie Mclean “in the flesh”:  The cover has little to do with the music in the box set, however, as a photographic composition, yeah, the Rule of Thirds rules. Shepp looks seriously cool, as does Neidlinger, whilst Taylor faces away from the audience, enigmatically, considering it is his box set. Apparently, they over-ran all the musical slots in the stage play and caused mayhem.  Limited edition of 7500 copies. (Amazon)

==========================================================

ALL 

or

ALL 

===========================================================

Track lists

CD01

01 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Air 10:34

02 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Number One (Take 1) 12:35

03 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Number One (Take 3) 8:40

04 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - This Nearly Was Mine 10:54

05 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Air (Take 9) 17:27

CD2

01 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - E.B. 9:58

02 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Lazy Afternoon 14:56

03 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Air (Take 21) 11:27

04 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Air (Take 28) 8:44

05 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Air (Take 29) 10:24

06 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Port Of Call (Take 2) 4:20

07 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Port Of Call (Take 3) 4:23

CD3

01 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Davis (Take 1) 3:10

02 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Davis (Take 3) 5:17

03 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - O.P. (Take 1) 7:32

04 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Cell Walk For Celeste (Take 1) 11:28

05 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Cell Walk For Celeste (Take 3) 9:50

06 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Cell Walk For Celeste (Take 8) 11:41

07 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - I Forgot (Take 1) 8:32

08 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Section C (Take 1) 10:15

CD4

01 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Jumpin' Punkins (Take 4) 8:20

02 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Take 1) 10:07

03 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Take 3) 9:00

04 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Jumpin' Punkins (Take 6) 8:14

05 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - Cindy's Main Mood (Take 1) 5:14

06 Cecil Taylor & Buell Neidlinger - O.P. (Take 2) 9:11

=============================================================

=============================================================