Cecil Taylor & Paul Lovens, Regalia (CD)

Cecil Taylor and Paul Lovens of course come from different threads of musical evolution, with Taylor's thread lying a bit closer to jazz traditions. They've collaborated in the 80s and with increasing regularity in the 90s. While 1989's Regalia predates the period of their most frequent collaboration, the synergy between them is particularly remarkable. Lovens matches Taylor's frenetic energy as Andrew Cyrille and Sunny Murray once did. Where those percussionists emphasized Taylor's flow, Lovens constantly violates it and instead emphasizes the disjunction and fragmentation in Taylor's lines. The textural detail in Lovens's work seems to inspire Taylor at times in this direction, but it does not lead him far from his recognizable style. The packaging and recording of Regalia both draw little attention to themselves.