Introduction
Since its birth in the onset years of the 20th century, jazz music has been a true emblem and a critical reflector of American culture. This paper explores Cecil Taylor’s album Unit Structure album and discusses the album’s information, including its name, the sidemen, and the instruments involved in the production of its music. It will also examine the band leader’s biography, a description of the album’s songs, and its brief review.
Album’s Information
Cecil Taylor’s Unit Structure album was recorded in 1966 and released by Blue Note Records in the same year. The album comprises four music tracks, namely Steps, which lasts for 10:20; Enter, Evening (11:06), Enter, Evening (Alternate) at 10:11; Unit Structure at 17:47; and Tales taking 07:14.
Also, the album comprised seven sidemen and different instruments, each playing a distinct role in the musical rendition. They include Cecil Taylor- on piano, Allan Silva, and Henry Grimes- on the double bass (Alife, 11:20- 12:30, 2015). Further, Eddi Gale plays the trumpet while Andrew Cyril drums. Finally, Jimmy Lyons and Ken McIntyre play alto saxophone.
Biography of the Bandleader
The bandleader of the Unit Structure is Cecil Taylor. Born on March 15, 1929, in New York, Cecil Percival Taylor commenced her music career at six by playing piano. He later proceeded to the New York College of Music and New England Conservatory, where he specialized in popular music arrangement. In 1956, Taylor started his jazz career by releasing his first recording, Jazz Advance (Spellman, 2014). From the 1950s onwards, Taylor’s music career skyrocketed, particularly with the landmark release of the album “Uni Structure.” This was followed by sets of collaborations with various jazz icons and the release of other albums such as The Conquistador (1968), String of Two Blue J’s (1973), and Garden (1982), among others (Spellman, 2014). However, since the early 2000s, Taylor rarely recorded music but continued to perform in various concerts, teaching and mentoring until his demise in 2018.
Description of the Songs
Steps. This is the first track of the album. It is characterized by a free-form structure whereby the sidemen indulge in dynamic and impulsive improvisation. As such, while Taylor leads with piano, the rest perform their instruments to their improvisations.
Enter, Evening. Unlike the high-energy Steps, this music track commences with a low-spirited and introspective mood. However, as the instruments fluidly interact, the rhythm changes and evolves into a dossier of sound (Alife, 1:50- 10:00, 2015). This, in turn, permits the juxtaposition of moments and an exploration of different textures and tonalities.
Enter, Evening (Alternative Take). This track begins with the sounds of drums followed by the alto saxophone rendition with high emotional intensity and exemplification of physical force (Alife, 1:50- 10:00, 2015). However, the progressive and changing composition alternating between intense density and minimalism ensures it remains less complex but has an intelligent septet construction.
Tales. It is marked by breaking the musical rules and traditions, thereby giving the artists more freedom of performance. While Cecil Taylor dominates in the composition, the interplay between him and the drummer achieves an additional element of juxtaposing sonic landscapes (Alife, 39:40- 40:30, 2015). As such, it maintains the space and quiet while presenting the composition.
Review of the album
Cecil Taylor’s Unit Structure presents jazz in its classical music essence in form and content. In particular, I like breaking the rules and conventions in the last music, Tales, whereby other artists strategically and minimally contribute to the overall virtuosity of Cecil Taylor’s piano performance. However, its lack of clearly defined thematic interests and unconventional elements makes it harder to listen to and enjoy. Thus, the album should prioritize making established melodic and thematic concerns in each music track while including more familiar musical features.
To conclude, Cecil Taylor’s Unit Structure reflects classic jazz music in performance and composition. Unlike other albums, its deviation from the traditional musical convention gives it uniqueness and adventurous status. However, this comes with the challenge of inaccessibility and lack of clear themes. Thus, changing such areas would make it accessible to a border audience and, worse, more enjoyable to listen to.
References
Alife. (Nov 16, 2015). Cecil Taylor-Unit Structures (Full Album) [Video]. YouTube.
Spellman A. B. (2014). Four Jazz Lives (2nd ed.). University of Michigan Press.
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