Killer Mccoy (1947)

Born in Philadelphia on 11th December 1938, as a youth McCoy Tyner was encouraged to study piano by his mother and began lessons at age 13. Within two years music had become the focal point in his life and Tyner was playing on his neighbor's instrument, but his family soon invested in one of his own for the budding musician, following which he began hosting jam sessions at home. Among his friends were a number of other young musicians who would go on to make their mark in the field of jazz, including Lee Morgan, Archie Shepp, Bobby Timmons, Reggie Workman, and most notably, fellow pianist Bud Powell and his brother Richie. McCoy later said, Bud and Richie Powell moved into my neighborhood. Bud was a major influence on me during my early teens. He was very dynamic. Tyner later attended the West Philadelphia Music School and the Granoff School Of Music.

One of the better McCoy Tyner records on Milestone, this live set from San Francisco features the masterful pianist playing solo on "Naima" and leading a strong sextet (with George Adams on tenor, flute, and soprano; Joe Ford on alto and flute; bassist Charles Fambrough; drummer Woody "Sonship" Theus; and percussionist Guilherme Franco) on four of his originals. There are remakes (quite different from the originals) of "Fly with the Wind" and "The Greeting" and two newer pieces, including the atmospheric "Hand in Hand." An excellent example of McCoy Tyner's playing in the 1970s.

Famed Hanoi Rocks guitarist/vocalist Andy McCoy taps into the rich musical history that inspired him on this highly addictive covers album! Features an eclectic mix of songs originally by reggae legend Toots & The Maytals, David Bowie, ‘80s hitmakers Squeeze, rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson and more!

The debut recording from McCoy Tyner's big band features the pianist's all-star 15-piece unit romping through five of his originals (including "Blues for Basie") plus Steve Turre's "Lotus Flower." With such fine soloists as tenors Junior Cook and Ricky Ford, trumpeter Kamau Adilifu, trombonist Turre, and the leader, the ensemble (which includes John Clark's French horn and the tuba of Howard Johnson) had quickly gained its own sound and the results are quite memorable and frequently exciting. Recommended.

In the Altonaer Fabrik in 1986, the master trumpeter Freddie Hubbard was a guest in the trio of one of the most important pianists of contemporary jazz: McCoy Tyner, whose extremely powerful attack always added percussive power of the most energetic kind to his virtuoso playing. McCoy Tyner died in March 2020, the recording from 1986 (he was 58 years old at the time) show him at the height of the unmistakable jazz expression that defined him. His piano and the enormous radiance of the Hubbard trumpet (born in the same year as Tyner in 1938, but died in 2008) are the outstanding protagonists. But the recording also features bassist Avery Sharpe, born in 1954 and with excellent acoustic and electrical credentials, as well as Louis Hayes, still today the most indestructible of all modern drummers at well over 80 years of age. Together they refine the nine titles of this two-hour concert on this truly remarkable evening of music!

This set matches the McCoy Tyner Trio (which includes bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Al Foster) with four different guests. Altoist Arthur Blythe and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson fare best but both trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and guitarist John Abercrombie also have their strong moments. In addition to four Tyner compositions, there is one song apiece from McBee, Abercrombie, and Hutcherson in addition to four jazz standards. This collection is a fine all-around showcase for the brilliant pianist even if no new ground is broken.