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Cecil Taylor
Cecil Taylor On Piano Jazz

Cecil Taylor performs at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall in 2002. Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images hide caption

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Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz

Cecil Taylor On Piano Jazz

Cecil Taylor encompasses a never-ending range of sound and emotion. Hear an archival session with Marian McPartland from 1994.

Cecil Taylor On Piano Jazz

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Cecil Taylor, Jazz Icon Of The Avant-Garde, Dies At 89

Cecil Taylor performs at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall in 2002. Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images hide caption

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Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images

The Record

Cecil Taylor, Jazz Icon Of The Avant-Garde, Dies At 89

Taylor stretched the beats in a measure and played notes outside the chords of a song. A pioneer of free jazz, the pianist and composer remained true to his vision even through financial struggle.

Cecil Taylor, Jazz Icon Of The Avant-Garde, Dies At 89

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Cecil Taylor: The Pianist Who's Also An Orchestra

Cecil Taylor, 83, is being feted in a two-week celebration of his music in New York City. Peter Gannushkin/downtownmusic.net hide caption

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Peter Gannushkin/downtownmusic.net

Music News

Cecil Taylor: The Pianist Who's Also An Orchestra

He broke all the rules of jazz and improvised music — and that was in the 1950s. Now 83 and idolized by musicians, the great improviser is celebrated for developing a unique language at the keyboard.

Cecil Taylor: The Pianist Who's Also An Orchestra

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