Air Above Mountains < Buildings Within > cover

Air Above Mountains < Buildings Within >

Released

This live LP, recorded at Moosham Castle in Langau, Austria in 1976, may be Taylor’s most stunning solo performance. He was at a creative peak as an improvising pianist in the early 1970s, beginning with the albums Indent and Silent Tongues and leading to this marathon (76 minutes on CD, up from roughly 45 on the LP). Taylor lays down a few relatively simple figures at the beginning of the concert, then spins out lyrical extrapolations of those, broken up by dense clusters of notes that are more percussive and textural than melodic. By the end, it’s like he’s pulled a single spool of thread from his pocket and woven a tapestry before your eyes.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
+/- cover

+/-

Ryoji Ikeda
Medusae cover

Medusae

Nicole Mitchell, Fabio Paolizzo
Sextant cover

Sextant

Herbie Hancock
Birdland, Neuburg 2011 cover

Birdland, Neuburg 2011

Cecil Taylor, Tony Oxley
The Elements cover

The Elements

Joe Henderson, Alice Coltrane
Aliseen cover

Aliseen

Kaski, Jorma Tapio
Bitches Brew cover

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis