Tag Archives: cecil taylor

World AIDS Awareness Day

December 1, 2019 – 1:21 pm

In the Fall of 1978 I was hired as security at an uptown punk disco uptown. The job paid $100 a night and free drinks from the gay bartenders. I came home from Hurrah smelling of cigarettes, beer, and perfume. Alice slept on the bed. I crashed on the couch. Late one night a doctor […]

By Peter | Posted in 20th century, gay lesbian | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

THE LAUGHTER OF THE MAESTRO by Peter Nolan Smith

February 9, 2013 – 2:27 pm

Last week I was walking home through a snowstorm. Turning the corner toward Fulton I called Cecil Taylor, who lived in the last unrenovated brownstone on that street. We knew each other from back in the 70s. The jazz pianist’s manager James Spicer had been a mutual friend, until the silver-haired impresario ripped off my […]

By Peter | Posted in brooklyn, Legend, music, semi-fiction | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Letter To A Legend

October 23, 2012 – 4:38 pm

mr. cecil taylor I was walking down the street the other day and found myself engaged in conversation with the construction foreman renovating the house next to yours. Having worked in metal we spoke about scrapping rust from the ironwork on the stoop as well as our health. Both of us are in our early […]

By Peter | Posted in 70s, Legend, music, NEW YORK | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)