by Scott Yanow
This is a matchup that should have worked but was only a limited success. For the only joint recording ever of pianist Cecil Taylor and tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, trumpeter Ted Curson was scheduled to join the quintet but was unavailable; his replacement Kenny Dorham was much less sympathetic to Taylor's dissonant comping and constantly voiced disapproval. The tension can be felt on the four performances (two standards and a pair of blues), particulalry when Dorham is playing. This unintentionally fascinating encounter has often been reissued under Coltrane's name (including as a Blue Note CD) but it was originally Taylor's date.