Incarnation

Incarnation is a live album by American pianist Cecil Taylor. It was recorded on November 4, 1999 during the "Total Music Meeting" at the "Podewil" in Berlin, and was released in 2004 by FMP. On the album, Taylor is joined by guitarist Franky Douglas, cellist Tristan Honsinger, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. In the album liner notes, Bert Noglik wrote: "this music opposes the increasing virtualization, the disembodiment of this world. And, at the same time, it itself can be seen as rejection of the shallow materialism of the world of goods by igniting something indescribable between the poly rythmic interlocking, the whirring sounds, the thundering clusters and the hovering micro tonalities: magic." Reception In a review for AllMusic, François Couture wrote: "Incarnation is a special date, something to cherish... this concert packs a lot of excitement, grace, and invention... Cyrille's drumming allies the ferociousness and feline grace of the lion, his playing remaining more confined to the role of an accompanist than Tony Oxley's, yet matching and even anticipating the pianist's mood swings at an uncanny level, just like the days when he was a regular fixture of the pianist's quartet. Douglas offers the strangest contributions: the true wild card of the concert, he keeps on introducing new ideas, from electronic-sounding textures to warped, bluesy licks, to no-brainer rhythmic chugging... Honsinger also displays a wide range of creative moves, his performance corresponding to what he usually brings to Taylor's groups."