''Respiration: Live in Warsaw '68'' is a live solo piano album by

Cecil Taylor Cecil Percival Taylor (March 25, 1929April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet. Taylor was classically trained and was one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an energetic, physical approach, resulting in comple ...

. It was recorded on October 18, 1968, at the Jazz Jamboree festival in Warsaw, Poland, and was released in 2022 by the Polish label Fundacja Słuchaj!. The album helps to document a period during which Taylor recorded infrequently, and captures a performance that took place roughly three months after the one heard on ''

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 ...

'', Taylor's first recorded solo piano concert.

Reception

In a review for ''The Free Jazz Collective'', Gary Chapin stated that the album "adds to the Cecil Taylor oeuvre a nearly perfect 43 minutes of Taylor's solo power recorded at a beautiful level of quality," and described it as "joyfully playful." He remarked: "What once... seemed wonderfully outrageous to me now feels like excellent storytelling. As I get older, Cecil Taylor gets better and better. Can that be right? Of course it can." ''

The New York City Jazz Record ''The New York City Jazz Record'' is a New York City based monthly free newspaper about jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries ...

Duck Baker Richard Royall "Duck" Baker IV (born July 30, 1949) is an American acoustic fingerstyle guitarist who plays in a variety of styles: jazz, blues, gospel, ragtime, folk, and Irish and Scottish music. He has written many instruction books for guitar ...

called the album "a must," and one that "ranks with the most satisfying of Taylor's solo records." He commented: "The fact that his material was considerably different from what we are used to hearing draws the listener in immediately... one rarely hears how dramatic Taylor's dynamic range was on record but you certainly hear it here, from absolute pianissimo to full fortissimo... One senses in his 1968 recordings that Taylor was captured at an exciting moment, growing into his full stature as a pianist, and we hear that excitement in this record." Phil Freeman of ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

'' noted that, on the album, Taylor is "going deep inside the piano, and deep inside himself, and the fact that you, the listener, are present is at best a secondary consideration. It's brilliant stuff, though, so take it on its own terms and you'll be glad you did." Writing for the ''

Downtown Music Gallery Downtown Music Gallery (DMG) is a long-running, internationally-known record store, mail-order, and performance space located in New York City. It specializes in "Downtown Music", a recognized catchphrase for avant-garde jazz and contemporary compo ...

'', Bruce Lee Gallanter remarked: "Taylor's playing here is extraordinary, intense, oft brutal, powerful, diverse, furious at times and unlike any other pianists during that turbulent period. This music, this concert is absolutely incredible and in a class of its own. Are you ready for the exciting ride?!? The take a leap into the unknown and go surfing on the cosmic waves." Musician and producer Jim O'Rourke described ''Respiration'' as "fantastic," and commented: "This is so great, this is AMAZING... It's ''so'' good, it's insane."

Track listing

Composed by Cecil Taylor. # "Respiration" – 42:55

Personnel

* Cecil Taylor – piano

References

{{Reflist 2022 live albums Cecil Taylor live albums Solo piano jazz albums Fundacja Słuchaj! live albums