Cecil Taylor, Nefertiti: The Beautiful One Has Come (side C)

Recorded in 1962 (though my Arista pressing dates from 1975), Nefertiti: The Beautiful One Has Come is one of Taylor's earliest recordings with alto player Jimmy Lyons, who was his right hand for many years.  From the beginning of their collaboration, they integrated seamlessly.  They both have the ability to move from overt jazz references (which turn up more here than on some of their later work) to free wailing, and they can sustain incredibly high energy levels when called for (which happens far less here than on a later record like Akisakila).  Nefertiti dates from Sunny Murray's short-lived association with Taylor—before Andrew Cyrille became a distinctive anchor, Murray added a bit more chaos to the ensemble.  The recordings here sound OK for a live recording, though Lyons sometimes pulls a bit too far into the foreground, and Murray's cymbals overpower the rest of his kit (this partly stems from his playing style).  The Arista release unfortunately does not look very good or flatter the album's contents.