Once you overcome the double shock of seeing a picture of Cecil Taylor with neatly trimmed hair on an album sleeve with the word jazz on it, there is really much to be gained from this valuable compilation of the iconoclastic pianist's early recordings. They essentially make the point that he had to come from somewhere, stylistically speaking, and that the development of his ‘omni-directional tuned percussion’ unfolded in stages, the first of which was an adaptation of the leading lights of modernism. Fittingly, the opening track of the 1956 album Jazz Advance is Monk's ‘Bemsha Swing’, and Taylor's joyously energetic reading makes it clear how much inspiration he drew from Thelonious's rhythmic drive and harmonic idiosyncrasy. The younger player has really upped the sheer physicality of the sound and as he moves on to Looking Ahead, The World Of Cecil Taylor and Love For Sale, more sparks start to fly in his improvising. The acid sharp nature of the chording becomes a key component of his personal language. Originals such as the quite bracing ‘Excursion On A Wobbly Rail’ are memorable but it is equally fascinating to hear Taylor take on standards such as ‘Lazy Afternoon’ and ‘Love For Sale’. He daringly subverts their melodic content without stifling the underlying emotion.