Andrew Cyrille, William Parker, Enrico Rava – 2 Blues for Cecil

(TUM Records. TUM CD 059. Album Review by Olie Brice)

2 Blues for Cecil – the first recording of the trio of Enrico Rava, William Parker and Andrew Cyrille – is a beautiful and relaxed exploration of swing, melody and the blues within a free context.

The trio’s first gig was at a Whitney Museum exhibition about Cecil Taylor, and the album is dedicated to Taylor. While all three musicians worked with the legendary pianist (Parker and Cyrille extensively and Rava occasionally) the dedication feels more like a memorial than any attempt to use Taylor’s music as a point of reference.

All three contribute compositions, and they also play a a freely improvised piece, a couple of improvised blues and even a surprising standard, ‘My Funny Valentine’. The subtlety and detail of Parker and Cyrille’s free swing is a joy, and Rava’s smoky flugelhorn tone and melodic sensibility fit perfectly.

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Like all TUM releases that I have encountered, this one is beautifully recorded and presented. TUM have done a wonderful job of documenting the ongoing work of some of the greatest improvisers in this music (their Wadada Leo Smith catalogue is particularly important) and ‘2 Blues for Cecil’ is a wonderful addition to that list.

LINK: 2 Blues for Cecil at Presto Music