Cecil Taylor

Unit Structures

First released1966

Unit Structures was recorded on April 6, 1966 at the A&R Studios in New York City in a single session. The album was produced by Bill Evans (the producer, not the pianist) for Blue Note Records. The recording captured Cecil Taylor's innovative approach to free jazz piano with his ensemble, featuring musicians including Jimmy Lyons on alto saxophone and Andrew Cyrille on drums. The session was notable for its technical challenge in capturing the complex, densely layered textures of Taylor's atonal piano playing and the group's collective improvisation. The album represents an important document of mid-1960s avant-garde jazz and Taylor's continued evolution as a bandleader and composer.