Jumpin' Punkins

Cecil Taylor was among the principal figures that knocked the jazz world on its collective ear in the late 1950s and early '60s. Along with the creative efforts of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Albert Ayler, Talyor tested, shocked, and finally revolutionised the jazz world with his spiky, percussive, unfettered approach to the piano and improvisation. With his sound informed by pre-bop eras of jazz (Monk, Ellington, even Dave Brubeck) as well as contemporary classical music, Taylor blazed new directions that influenced jazz--and beyond--for decades to come.
JUMPIN' PUNKINS is a 1961 session previously available only in Japan, and captures Taylor with players that span the jazz spectrum. Where else can one hear Clark Terry, Steve Lacy, and Archie Shepp having a fine old time on classic gems like Duke Ellington's "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" and the title tune? The feeling here is almost one of a jam session: loose-limbed, easy-going and tuneful--this is Taylor at his most accessible yet without a hint of compromise. "I Forgot" is the one Taylor original here, and it's a dark, harrowing "ballad" featuring some Ben Webster-ish playing from Shepp.|