On New Year’s Eve 2020, drummer Andrew Cyrille, double bassist William Parker and flugelhornist Enrico Rava played at a Paris festival under the moniker “Tribute to Cecil Taylor.” But the bracing, beguiling 2 Blues for Cecil, which was culled from that performance, is a tribute album in the most unconventional sense, and its lack of
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Yes, Cyrille, Parker and Rava each worked with the late pianist and compositional groundbreaker, albeit during separate time periods and in different configurations. Cyrille was a member of the Cecil Taylor Unit from 1964 to 1975, Parker served a stint in another lineup of the group from 1980 to 1991, and Rava contributed to Orchestra of Two Continents and the Cecil Taylor European Orchestra in 1984 and 1988, respectively. But rather than offering their takes on a slate of classic Taylor numbers, as might be expected for such a salute, the three tackle original compositions plus a standard and engage in several extended improvisations that demonstrate what they learned from the master, not how successfully they can imitate him.
The recording’s title is an example of truth in advertising, since there are indeed two versions of “Blues for Cecil” on hand. The first begins with a subtle Parker line that precedes the entry of Rava and Cyrille, with the trumpeter exhibiting his inveterate melodicism over propulsive rhythms that swing and stutter for more than 10 fascinating minutes. The second opts for a more leisurely pace and concludes with a solo from Parker at his most meditative.
Other highlights include the idiosyncratic “Top, Bottom and What’s in the Middle,” as well as “Overboard,” marked by a memorably rumbling beat; the exploratory “Machu Picchu”; and a “My Funny Valentine” that provides an appropriately melancholic conclusion. The results do Taylor proud. — Michael Roberts