Robert Levin on Cecil Taylor

[brite]

Interesting piece.

Notes from a Season at the Center of the Universe: Cecil Taylor at The Take 3 (1962-63)

[Chuck Nessa]

Fascinating. Thanks for the link.

[jlhoots]

Nice!!

I've always wanted to read more by Robert Levin.

[paul secor]

Thanks so much for posting that. Captures something of the time before I heard Cecil's music, so it truly was great to read. I hope Robert Levin finishes his book - look forward to reading it. Remember some of his writings from back when.

Hope I've become a "good listener" and hope to become a better one.

[JSngry]

Probably the closest thing to a successful number from the Hard Driving Jazz recording session, Mel Tormé’s “Christmas Song”— “For the Noël market,” Cecil said—was left out of the album.

Probably the closest thing to a successful number from the Hard Driving Jazz recording session, Mel Tormé’s “Christmas Song”— “For the Noël market,” Cecil said—was left out of the album.

[Caravan]

Interesting indeed, but Levin got the year wrong - he writes "late 1962" and "mid-November", but in October-December 1962 Taylor, Lyons and Murray were in Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway), where they also met and played with Ayler for the first time. Levin's story should relate to 1963.

[JohnS]

Thanks and welcome.

[gvopedz]

Interesting indeed, but Levin got the year wrong - he writes "late 1962" and "mid-November", but in October-December 1962 Taylor, Lyons and Murray were in Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway), where they also met and played with Ayler for the first time. Levin's story should relate to 1963.

Looks like the year is correct. Levin's article "Monk and Taylor" appeared in the 16 August 1962 issue of Village Voice (p. 8). On p. 1, there is a banner that says "The Monk & The Taylor - see Jazz, p 8." According to the article, Taylor opened at Take 3 on 6 August. You can find the article at Google News Archive:

http://news.google.com/archivesearch/advan...ed=us&hl=en

[Caravan]

Well, perhaps Levin refers to events in both 1962 and 1963, but in October-December 1962 Taylor c.s. were definitely in Scandiniavia (CT at the Montmartre, Copenhagen, Denmark, was recorded November 23, 1962), during which period they met and played with Al Ayler for the first time ever (AA with CT in the Revenant box was recorded in Copenhagen, November 16, 1962). There are also CT recordings from Stockholm, Sweden, October 1962. They returned to the US late December 1962. Ayler playing with Taylor in NYC must refer 1963, not 1962.

[AllenLowe]

the reason I like the Cecil piece is because normally I find Taylor to be extremely annoying in interviews, just full of bullshit mysterioso poetics - whereas Levin obviously has a close and human relationship with him, and Taylor actually speaks to Levin like a person.

[brite]

Well, perhaps Levin refers to events in both 1962 and 1963, but in October-December 1962 Taylor c.s. were definitely in Scandiniavia (CT at the Montmartre, Copenhagen, Denmark, was recorded November 23, 1962), during which period they met and played with Al Ayler for the first time ever (AA with CT in the Revenant box was recorded in Copenhagen, November 16, 1962). There are also CT recordings from Stockholm, Sweden, October 1962. They returned to the US late December 1962. Ayler playing with Taylor in NYC must refer 1963, not 1962.

I just emailed Levin about the date discrepancies and this was part of his response:

No wonder that "November" night was so "balmy." I wrote about Cecil at The Take 3 as I remembered the experience, without bothering to refresh my memory or to check my facts. Cecil played The Take 3 before and after he went to Scandinavia and I erroneously recalled both gigs as one. I thought my memory lapses were limited to the short-term variety. Thank you. I obviously have some editing to do.