As pure a distillation of McCoy Tyner's lyrical vision as one could ever hope for – a brilliant early standout session for the pianist as a leader! McCoy is backed up here by the energetic drumming of Elvin Jones – with whom he shares a natural empathy from their many years together under Coltrane – as well as the incomparable bass of Ron Carter, and the spirited tenor of Joe Henderson – both players who make the quartet date explode with a fresh sense of imagination – the kind of work that has McCoy stepping out strongly from the shadows of The Great One, into a hip space of his own. The set glistens with 5 Tyner originals – including "Passion Dance", "Four By Five", "Contemplation" and "Search for Peace" – all of which point towards new directions in the post-Coltrane years!
"McCoy Tyner and the Latin All-Stars" is an album by McCoy Tyner released on the Telarc label in 1999. It was recorded in July 1998 and features performances of by Tyner with Gary Bartz, Claudio Roditi, Dave Valentin, Avery Sharpe, Ignacio Berroa, Johnny Almendra and Giovanni Hidalgo. The Allmusic review by Jim Newsom states that "McCoy Tyner's percussive piano style has always worked well within an Afro-Cuban groove, and this recording provides an excellent setting for him and his all-star lineup to work in"
McCoy Tyner's percussive piano style has always worked well within an Afro-Cuban groove, and this recording provides an excellent setting for him and his all-star lineup to work in. Mixing genre classics like "Afro Blue" and "Poinciana" with original material, Tyner's first release for the Telarc label provides a completely satisfying, highly rhythmic experience. Regular bassist Avery Sharpe combines with a three-man percussion section to propel the group's extended explorations.
The album reached No. 12 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and topped the Billboard Soul LPs chart. The album features the single, "The Hustle", which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts.
His first official solo album away from Gym Class Heroes (though he has released some mixtapes), Travie McCoy's Lazarus finds the band's charismatic frontman as upbeat as ever on his summery debut. Right from the get-go the album opener, “Dr. Feelgood,” establishes the album as a top-down, good-time summer album, with a funky uptempo beat and a hook by none other than Cee-Lo Green, whose falsetto adds a nice touch of soul to the track. Further in, “Billionaire” has guest Bruno Mars and McCoy channeling Sublime on the laid-back reggae-inflected jam. The real highlight of the album comes from “Akidagain,” where McCoy does his take on Ahmad’s “Back in the Day,” reminiscing about being a kid with a flow that’s looser and more natural than anywhere else on the album. Even though every track on the album isn’t a keeper, like the Auto-Tuned “Superbad” or the Black Eyed Peas-style “We’ll Be Alright” (which borrows the hook from Supergrass' “Alright”), it has some solid additions to any summer playlist and will definitely please fans of Gym Class Heroes.
''I've never done anything like this before'' McCoy Tyner recently said of his second album on McCoy Tyner Music/Half Note Records, a CD/DVD titled GUITARS. Along with a trio of Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette, Tyner invited guitarists Bill Frisell, Derek Trucks, John Scofield, Marc Ribot, and banjoist Bela Fleck for the studio recording and DVD shoot, scheduled for a September 23 release. ''It was great, and each guy had his own concept and own sound which is very, very important on any instrument, '' said Tyner, ''You know, I look for that, the individual sound and concept.''