Qu'a: Live at the Iridium, Vol. 1

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Qu'a: Live at the Iridium, Vol. 1 is a live jazz album by pianist Cecil Taylor. It was recorded on March 29, 1998, at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City and released later that year by Cadence Jazz Records (catalog CJR 1092). The group on the recording includes Harri Sjöström on saxophone, Dominic Duval on bass, and Jackson Krall on drums. This album is the companion to Qu'a Yuba: Live at the Iridium, Vol. 2, which was recorded on the same day.

The music features one long piece that lasts a little over an hour. In a review, AllMusic’s Steve Loewy says the quartet explores many shades and styles within that single piece, and while the setup may look conventional, the music remains uniquely Taylor’s, engaging and impressive.

The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings also comments on the performance, praising Krall’s inventive and often delicate brushwork, and noting that Taylor’s intensity remains strong and clear throughout.