''Indent'' is a
live album by
Cecil Taylor recorded in March 1973, originally released on Taylor's own Unit Core label and subsequently more widely released on the
Arista Freedom label.
It was the first solo piano performance released by Taylor but was recorded over four years after ''
Praxis
Praxis may refer to:
Philosophy and religion
* Praxis (process), the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, practised, embodied, or realised
* Praxis model, a way of doing theology
* Praxis (Byzantine Rite), the practice of fai ...
'' which saw limited release in 1982.
''Indent'' was recorded at
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Founded in 1850 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1852 as a non-sectarian institution; politician and education reformer Horace Mann was its ...
in
Yellow Springs, Ohio
Yellow Springs is a village in Greene County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,697 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is home to Antioch College.
History
The area of the village had long b ...
. Taylor taught at Antioch from 1971–73 and, with bandmates
Jimmy Lyons
Jimmy Lyons (December 1, 1931 – May 19, 1986) was an American alto saxophone player. He is best known for his long tenure in the Cecil Taylor Unit. Lyons was the only constant member of the band from the mid-1960s until his death. Taylor never ...
and
Andrew Cyrille
Andrew Charles Cyrille (born November 10, 1939) is an American avant-garde jazz drummer. Throughout his career, he has performed both as a leader and a sideman in the bands of Walt Dickerson and Cecil Taylor, among others. AllMusic biographer ...
, led a student orchestra called The Black Music Ensemble.
Reception
The
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
review by
Scott Yanow states "Taylor is quite stunning in his control of the piano, his wide range of percussive sound and his endurance. As is often true of Cecil Taylor's music, this recital is not for the faint-of-heart, but those with open ears will find it rewarding and certainly stimulating".
Robert Palmer wrote: "Taylor's music deals with the creation of energy and with motion... On ''Indent'', he is also attempting a coherently organized exploration of the melodic, harmonic, textural and tonal resources of his instrument... The deliberate clarity of Taylor's musical thought insures performances which are both thought-provoking and accessible."
The authors of the ''
Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings
''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled by ...
'' awarded the album 4 stars, and commented: "''Indent'' is fashioned in three layers, with a thoughtful opening section leading to a second part of contrasting effects and conflicts, before moving to the astonishing, grandstanding arpeggios which sound like the keyboard being levered apart: Taylor may eschew showmanship in some ways, but it's telling that this brings cheers from the audience, and it certainly creates a memorable catharsis."
1995 saw the publication of an analysis of the second layer of ''Indent'' in the journal
Perspectives of New Music.
Track listing
:''All compositions by Cecil Taylor.''
# "Indent: first layer" - 13:40
# "Indent: second layer (part 1)" - 9:50
# "Indent: second layer (part 2)" - 3:50
# "Indent: third layer" - 17:25
:*Recorded at
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Founded in 1850 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1852 as a non-sectarian institution; politician and education reformer Horace Mann was its ...
, Ohio, March 11, 1973
Personnel
*
Cecil Taylor – piano
References
{{Cecil Taylor
1973 live albums
Cecil Taylor live albums
Freedom Records live albums
Instrumental albums
Solo piano jazz albums