This set covers the last two years of McCoy Tyner's tenure with Blue Note, beginning with the pianist's Expansions, the first album on which his own identity as a leader-composer-pianist came ringing through. With Woody Shaw, Gary Bartz, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter (on cello), Herbie Lewis and Freddie Waits, he fashioned a new sound, inspired by, but not mimicking his work with the John Coltrane Quartet. McCoy blended modality, Eastern music, African elements and spirituality into a music that was unmistakably his own.
This album's title and cover welcome the listener to trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's initial outing as a bandleader, and it's a fine Blue Note debut. (Prior to this release, … Full DescriptionHubbard had played with many East Coast jazz luminaries, most notably Sonny Rollins and Eric Dolphy.) Recorded in 1960, OPEN SESAME features a stellar band that includes pianist McCoy Tyner and saxophonist Tina Brooks.
The swinging title track, penned by Brooks, showcases the horns, but it also allows the rest of the band to get into a tight groove. The following tune finds the ensemble easing into Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke's classic ballad "But Beautiful," with Hubbard and Tyner taking center stage for much of the song. An outstanding first album, OPEN SESAME stands up to Hubbard's excellent latter-day recordings.
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. ~ AllMusic