Jimmy Lyons (December 1, 1931 – May 19, 1986)[1] was an American alto saxophone player. He is best known for his long tenure in the Cecil Taylor Unit. Lyons was the only constant member of the band from the mid-1960s until his death. Taylor never worked with another musician as frequently as he did with Lyons. Lyons' playing, influenced by Charlie Parker, kept Taylor's avant-garde music tethered to the jazz tradition.[2]
Biography
Lyons was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States,[1] and raised there until the age of nine, when his mother moved the family to Harlem and then the Bronx. He obtained his first saxophone in the mid-1940s and took lessons from Buster Bailey.[3]
After high school, Lyons was drafted into the United States Army and spent 21 months on infantry duty in Korea. He then spent a year playing in army bands. Once discharged he attended New York University.[4] By the end of the 1950s, Lyons was supporting his interest in music by working for the United States Postal Service.
In 1960, Lyons followed Archie Shepp into the saxophone role in the Cecil Taylor Unit.[1] His post-Parker sound and strong melodic sense became a defining part of the sound of that group,[5] from the 1962 Cafe Montmartre sessions onwards.[6]
Lyons died from lung cancer in 1986 at the age of 54.[1] He did not publish many recordings with his own ensemble, though Ayler Records did release a five-CDbox set of recordings from 1972 to 1985.
