Cecil Taylor Quintet

Truth in packaging, this 75-minute free-form performance exhibits so much adroit innovation and torqued interpolations that the bandstand is constantly lifted figuratively if not physically. Featuring one of American pianist Cecil Taylor (1929-2018)’s European ensembles from 1998, the in-sync players included two Finns, soprano saxophonist Harri Sjöström and bassist Teppo Hauta-Aho, German percussionist Paul Lovens and longtime American-in-Europe cellist Tristan Honsinger. All had considerable experience with the Taylor oeuvre and had considerable space to play during this live Tampere concert.

Honsinger is as embedded in his own sound world as Taylor is in his. So the pianist’s vocal mumbles, cries, yodels and syllabic glossolalia are joined by cackles, clunks and faux operatic tessitura from the cellist. Meanwhile Lovens’ cymbal clatters and measured thumps; harsh spiccato snaps from the string players and Sjöström’s squawks and soaring tongue flutters set up contrapuntal lines or the pianist’s fluid glissandi or clipped excursions up and down the keyboard. As the piece evolves, Honsinger interjects snatches of off-kilter romantic formalism, while Hauta-Aho’s thick pummeling protects the chromatic rhythmic flow. While Taylor can distract with intricate upper partial discourses and unexpected excursion into the lowest pedal emphasis, he never abandons his defining sound and craftily interjects fragments of the initial melody statement throughout. This happens at mid-point where a thematic crescendo of rolling piano arpeggios relaxes beside sul tasto cello rubs and arco moodiness from the bassist. Replaced by multi-fingered piano kinetics, altissimo reed screeches and bell-ringing percussion the narrative judders into high and low pitches during the next sequence with Sjöström’s snarls leading the way. Calmer later on, Taylor’s mixture of sliding keyboard melodiousness and Bedlam-like gulps, approach non-barbershop harmonies with Honsinger until Hauta-Aho’s commanding pulse modulates all players into an andante final section. Encompassing a rococo overlay that allows the saxophonist space for a melancholy aside, the piece climaxes with col legno wood beating from the string players and completist cries from the cellist and Taylor.

Remarkable in of itself, the performance on Lifting the Bandstand confirms both Taylor’s inimitable conception and ability to agilely transmit it to any receptive group of musicians.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Desperados

Personnel: Harri Sjöström (soprano saxophone); Cecil Taylor (piano); Tristan Honsinger (cello); Teppo Hauta-Aho (bass) and Paul Lovens (drums, cymbals and gongs)