Love for Sale
Cecil Taylor · 1959
50 min · 6 tracks · jazz
An adventurous interplay of complex rhythms and dissonant harmonies, showcasing a unique blend of jazz improvisation and avant-garde expression.
Top tracks — play these first
-
→
Get Out of Town — This track exemplifies Taylor's ability to transform a standard into a dynamic exploration of rhythm and tonality, showcasing his intricate playing style.
-
→
Love for Sale — The title track reimagines the classic tune with intense improvisation and harmonic complexity, setting a precedent for future interpretations of jazz standards.
-
→
Matie’s Trophies (Motystrophe) — This piece highlights Taylor's distinctive use of space and silence, allowing tension to build before erupting into fervent piano passages that challenge conventional structures.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
InstrumentalThe album's avant-garde approach to jazz standards sets it apart, though its cohesion is less consistent.
What we noticed
- The album features extended improvisations where the piano often plays against a backdrop of complex rhythms from the bass and drums.
- Each track reinterprets jazz standards with dissonant harmonies, creating an avant-garde sound that diverges significantly from traditional jazz forms.
- Composition 25% of the score
-
8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
-
7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
-
6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
-
9/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
-
5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady exploration of emotional depth
- intense improvisation with rhythmic complexity
- thoughtful engagement for attentive listeners
- rich piano textures for deep
Maybe skip if you
- prefer quick, catchy tunes
- seek easily digestible music
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in 1959, Love for Sale marked Cecil Taylor's first studio album. At this point, he was beginning to establish himself as a leader in the avant-garde jazz movement, pushing the boundaries of traditional jazz conventions with his innovative piano techniques and compositions.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Sun Ra· Ornette Coleman· Anthony Braxton
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Get Out of Town 9:14
- 2 I Love Paris 5:14
- 3 Love for Sale 8:17
- 4 Little Lees (Louise) 9:07
- 5 Matie’s Trophies (Motystrophe) 10:16
- 6 Carol/Three Points 8:16
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
Sync your library
Everything you track here works immediately — no account needed. Create one when you want to sync across devices.