Cecil Taylor

Cecil Taylor (US)

Pianist Cecil Taylor is one of the founders of free jazz. The American, who has now reached the respectable age of 80, is still an innovator in the world of jazz and he never turns to standards. Taylor learned to play the piano when he was six and refined his technique at the New York College of Music. Although Duke Ellington was one of his greatest sources of inspiration, Taylor developed an entirely personal and rhythmical style of playing. Over the years, the New Yorker's work has thus remained highly individualistic, progressive and surprising and has earned him a faithful band of fans. That Taylor is a free spirit is also demonstrated by the fact that apart from being a phenomenal pianist he is also a respected poet. The 'elderly' piano legend still refuses to rest on his laurels and he continues to seek to expand the horizons of jazz music. This makes him a model for the younger generation of musicians and an audience favorite with those who are fans of progressive, uncompromising free jazz.