In August 2018, musicians Paul Abbott and Seymour Wright (together known as XT) and Pat Thomas took part in a tribute to Cecil Taylor at London’s Cafe Oto, four months after the death of the US pianist. In advance of the performance, the trio looked to Taylor's “attitudes of preparation” to inspire them, and created a piece developed in response to their listening to, and discussion of, Cecil Taylor Unit's Akisakila, recorded in Japan in 1973.

The audio resulting from this exercise was then used as a framework for the live performance. “We prepared the piece, transcribing elements,” they explain. “And developed a series of cycles – unit structures – made up of various voices of Cecil’s influences and associates (real and imaginary), and at the end the voice of Cecil himself.”

The recording of the 2018 concert is now to be released by Swiss label Edition Gamut, housed in a sleeve intended to exhibit the way the group want to remember Taylor's influence. The artwork is built from weaving transcripts of interviews between the musicians and the label, as well as Cecil Taylor and pianist Eric Plaks.

Attitudes Of Preparation (Mountains, Oceans, Trees) will be released by Edition Gamut on 3 June. XT & Pat Thomas perform at Zürich Gamut Stuenzi on 10 & 11 June, Brussels Les Ateliers Claus on 14 June, and London Cafe OTO on 22 June.