Cecil Taylor - Looking Ahead (6 tracks) +Album Reviews

Glancing Back, LOOKING AHEAD.

Michael F. Hopkins | Buffalo, NY USA | 06/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those who think they know the ongoing saga of the

master pianist Cecil Taylor, the glories of LOOKING AHEAD

may pose quite an intriguing chapter to discover, and quite

the surprise. Among Taylor's earliest recordings, the late

1950s album finds the acclaimed freewheeler just as

formidable in "traditional" settings as he is stretching

them into the unknown. Rather than concern yourself

with which Taylor is better, put aside such foolishness,

and enjoy this brisk package of robust swing, abundantly

fueled by other things.

The quartet Taylor helms here includes bassist Buell

Neidlinger and drummer Dennis Charles, familiar to

anyone recalling the pianist's first recordings with

soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy. Here, however, the

quartet's fourth member is vibraphonist Earl Griffith,

whose wonderfully-staccato style is a perfect complement

to Taylor's already-whirling approach. While a listen

to this album make stir some to wonder how Cecil Taylor

and vibes wizard Walt Dickerson would sound together,

there is no denying the particular joy of Griffith's

highly personal sound.

Thus, LOOKING AHEAD is a superb showcase, standing alone

in the Taylor canon. Produced by acclaimed writer Nat

Hentoff (whose exceptional liner notes remind us that

critical analysis can be insightful and provocative in

responsible hands), the pianist's only album for

Contemporary Records more than makes the label live

up to its name!

The compositions are a delight, from the gospel shout

of "Luyah! The Glorious Step" to the serenade of

Griffith's "African Violets", from the head-nodding

"Of What" to the strolling finger-snap of "Wallering"

and the wistful travelogue of "Toil".

In particular, dig the album's grand finale, Taylor's

locomotive tribute to Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington.

Written on the changes of Strayhorn's epic "Take The A

Train", "Excursions On A Wobbly Rail" is bold, buoyant

and breathtakingly beautiful.

Singing its streamlined way across all boundaries, the

merry romp and ride points ever so cunningly to broader

vistas, just beyond the next bend...

"

Free form at its best

Michael F. Hopkins | 01/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great record, must be the finest available in the free form idiom. All four players are magnificent, not least the bassist Buell Neidlinger. This is not really difficult music to listen to either. Just listen to the opening track; this is hard swinging improvised music of rare quality. This is fascinating music. What an exciting pianist Taylor was (and still is)! The sound quality is absolutely splendid. Highly recommended!"

Piano like an orchestra---swing music for the un-swung

D. Jobe | 07/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Funny thing, this... I mean, you EXPECT the unexpected for Cecil, but the expected unexpectedly? Hardly. For the uninitiated, begin HERE, track 1, right off the bat it's Ellington as a mental patient, swinging to an unswung beat as the band takes different kinds of dope, each swinging erratically but damn if it all MAKES SENSE! Excursions on a Wobbly Rail indeed...you see, Cecil wasn't trying to re-invent jazz, he was trying to ADVANCE it (see first album title, see this album title). So you don't drop what you've learned, you lean on it... you keep the soul but change the mind, hell it was time! Post-bop that most stopped, making Cecil flee to the drudgery of dishwashing not long after this. But HERE is what he heard, and you can still hear it, swaying like willow tree its branches all together, but all separate to a different drum. Don't get it? Then get it, as in pick it up. Jazz still ain't caught up yet..."

The best of Taylor's early work.

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 06/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In my assessment the best example of Cecil Taylor's early material, "Looking Ahead!" finds Cecil Taylor in transition-- his rhythm section (bassist Buell Neidlinger and drummer Dennis Charles) has developed a more sympathetic ear to what he was trying to accomplish (at this point, something very different from where he'd end up) and vibraharpist Earl Griffith puts forth a fine counterpoint to Taylor's piano.

Musically, this is a unique record in Taylor's catalog, and it sits somewhere closer to the innovations of Ornette Coleman than to his later works-- the rhythm section is in an adventerous bop vein-- both occasionally leave behind their foundations for a more abstract approach, but largely maintenance of swing is essential. Taylor and Griffith are largely focused on intertwining lines-- Taylor in fact plays more single-note runs than I've heard anywhere else in his catalog to foil Griffith well. Earl Griffith is a bit of the ace in the hole for Taylor-- I have no idea where this guy went, but his playing shows an unusual sensitivity for his instrument and a fine understanding of Taylor's music. There is a space, an openness, an arythmic and polytonal approach that allows room for the musicians to work-- check Taylor's solo and the traded figures with Charles on "Excursions on a Wobbly Rail", the album's standout, to get a good feel for this. Taylor's future is laid out, but its definitely a growth rather than the full-on assault his later work would be. Also pointing closer to the future is "Of What", the densest song where, like in Taylor's later work, the quartet seems to operate as one instrument, interwining and voices rising and falling between each other.

The remainder of the pieces are a bit more open, with emphasis on intersecting single-note lines between Taylor and Griffith ("Luyah! The Glorious Step"), a lyrical ballad (composed by Griffith-- "African Violets") that shows a side of Taylor we rarely see and a piece that emphasizes space and openness in opposition to the usual Taylor density ("Wallering").

Taylor would reach greater heights as his idiom came together and his musicians were more sympathetic, but this record is a superb example of his finding his way. Recommended."

Embryonic journey

a superintelligent shade of the col | minneapolis | 02/04/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is weird. On one hand, you have Cecil Taylor's inimitable piano approach, not yet fully developed but definitely on the way. On the other hand, you have a pretty conventional bop rhythm section - straight-ahead bop drumming, walking bass, and vibraphone. The rhythm section anchors Taylor, in both the good and bad senses of the word. My sense? If you're already into Cecil Taylor, it's a worthwhile addition to your collection. But if you're new to Cecil Taylor, start with one of his later solo piano albums and get used to him first."

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