Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Cecil Taylor

Role / Field:

Pioneering American jazz pianist and poet known for free jazz and percussive technique.

Born:

1929-03-25

Died:

2018-04-05

Century / Era:

1929s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Cecil Percival Taylor (March 25, 1929 – April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet. Taylor was classically trained and was one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an energetic, physical approach, resulting in complex improvisation often involving tone clusters and intricate polyrhythms. His technique has been compared to percussion.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Referring to the number of keys on a standard piano, Val Wilmer used the phrase "eighty-eight tuned drums" to describe Taylor's style. He has been referred to as "Art Tatum with contemporary-classical leanings". Cecil Percival Taylor was born on March 25, 1929, in Long Island City, Queens, and raised in Corona, Queens. As an only child in a middle-class family, Taylor was encouraged by his mother, Almeda Ragland Taylor, to play music at an early age. He began playing piano at age six and went on to study at the New York College of Music and New England Conservatory in Boston.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

At the New England Conservatory, Taylor majored in popular music arrangement. During his time there, he also became familiar with contemporary European art music. Bela Bartók and Karlheinz Stockhausen notably influenced his...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Al Davis — Contemporary (Born in 1929) (1929): Pioneering NFL executive and coach, known for building the legendary Oakland Raiders.
• Alasdair MacIntyre — Contemporary (Born in 1929) (1929): Influential Scottish-American philosopher known for virtue ethics and political theory.
• Aletta Jacobs — Contemporary (Died in 1929) (1929): Pioneering Dutch physician and feminist, advocating for women's rights and reproductive health.
• Aaron Klug — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Pioneering biophysicist known for crystallographic electron microscopy and nucleic acid structure.
• Alan Bean — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): American astronaut, naval officer, and lunar explorer who walked on the Moon.
• Alexander Zakharchenko — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Pro-Russian separatist leader and head of the Donetsk People's Republic.
• A. J. P. Taylor — Shared historical date (03-25 · Born) (1906): Influential English historian specializing in 19th and 20th-century European diplomacy.
• Alexander Herzen — Shared historical date (03-25 · Born) (1812): Pioneering Russian socialist thinker and writer, precursor to agrarian populism.
• Abby Aldrich Rockefeller — Shared historical date (04-05 · Died) (1948): American socialite and influential philanthropist, key patron of modern art.
• Akira Toriyama — Shared historical date (04-05 · Born) (1955): Pioneering manga artist, creator of Dr. Slump and the global phenomenon, Dragon Ball.
• 1929 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1929
• March 25 (03-25) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 25
• 2018 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2018
• April 5 (04-05) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on April 5

Frequently Asked Questions about Cecil Taylor