cecil taylor - the jazz composer's orchestra

pulses in a tonal center

there is nothing like cecil taylor's work with large ensembles. it's going to take me way too long to think of a way to explain what this music sounds like in english, so i recommend just listening to the recordings.

here we have another fantastic specimen from the record collection of the late rosario aglialoro. the only thing i can compare this album to is john coltrane's ascension (it is from the same year). it is something of a series of explosions in various tonal centers, and free improvisation combined with consciousness altering orchestrations. i don't know how else to put it.

oh and 5 of the best bass players ever are on this record. thats right, there's 5 bass players.

cecil taylor
the jazz composer's orchestra
side one: communications #11 part 1
side two: communications #11 part 2

cecil taylor: piano
al gibbons, steve marcus: sopranos
bob donovan, jimmy lyons: altos
lew tabackin, gato barbieri: tenors
charles daivs: baritone
lloyd michels, steven furtado: flugelhorns
bob northern, julius watkins: french horns
jimmy knepper: trombone
jack jeffers: bass trombone
howard johnson: tuba
bob cunningham, charlie haden, reggie johnson, alan silva, reggie workman: basses
andrew cyrille: drums

all music composed and conducted by michael mantler

recorded june 20th and 21st 1968

jcoa records