Cecil Taylor

Cecil Percival Taylor (March 15, 1929 – April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet. Taylor was classically trained, and is generally acknowledged as having been one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an extremely energetic, physical approach, resulting in complex improvised sounds which frequently involve tone clusters and intricate polyrhythms. His piano technique has been likened to percussion — referring to the number of keys on a standard piano, Val Wilmer used the phrase "eighty-eight tuned drums" to describe Taylor's pianism. He has also been described as "like Art Tatum with contemporary-classical leanings".