The Real McCoy is the seventh album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner and his first released on the Blue Note label. It was recorded on April 21, 1967 following Tyner's departure from the John Coltrane Quartet and features performances by Tyner with Joe Henderson, Ron Carter and Elvin Jones. Producer Alfred Lion recalls the recording session as a "pure jazz session. There is absolutely no concession to commercialism, and there's a deep, passionate love for the music embedded in each of the selections".
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!
In October, 1991 four nights of jazz concerts were held in Warsaw, Poland as part of a 30-year-old tradition, Jazz Jamboree. The venue selected was the Operetka House, essentially an old wood structure in downtown Warsaw. The sound, however, was resinate in the ornate hall and many of the jazz artists that performed over the four-day period commented on the incredible acoustics…
Although these live tracks were recorded on the same evening in 1978 as McCoy Tyner's earlier Milestone album Passion Dance, they inexplicably remained unreleased until 2004. With Tyner joined by a powerful rhythm section consisting of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, the fireworks begin with an explosive interpretation of the pianist's "The Greeting." Next are two solo piano features, including a return to Tyner's exotic "Aisha" and "Sama Layuca," the latter building upon a hypnotic vamp from Tyner's left hand as thunderous chords with occasional tremolos are played by his right hand.
In Memoriam. R.I.P. Mr. McCoy… After a decade of consistent recordings for Milestone, pianist McCoy Tyner ended his association with the label with this big band set. On originals by Tyner, Frank Foster and Jimmy Heath, such soloists are heard from as Hubert Laws (on flute and piccolo), tenor-saxophonist Ricky Ford, trombonist Slide Hampton, bassist Ron Carter, trumpeters Oscar Brashear and Charles Sullivan, and Joe Ford on soprano; everyone wanted to play with McCoy Tyner! The powerful music lives up to its potential, making one wish that Fantasy will eventually reissue this Lp.
McCoy Tyner's fourth studio album has a split personality, with three tracks featuring an intriguing sextet of all-stars, and the rest with his trusty trio, done eight months apart. Perhaps the tracks with bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Albert Heath were leftovers from a prior incomplete or aborted full session, but anything Tyner played in this period was precious. The larger ensemble recordings present trumpeter Thad Jones as ostensible co-leader, composer of one selection, and lead soloist. Tenor saxophonist John Gilmore and alto saxophonist Frank Strozier join forces with Thad Jones to make what some might deem an unlikely front-line triad, but effective enough considering their established individualism…
This recording is a studio throw-down with 5 of popular music's most accomplished string specialists: Derek Trucks, Bela Fleck, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, and Marc Ribot. The song stack covers the old and new. McCoy finds common ground alongside na group of handpicked guitar and banjo players. It's a meeting of the generations.
One of the most important and enduring jazz pianists emerging from the 1960s, McCoy Tyner needs little introduction. John Coltrane's former sideman's style has always mixed melody, beauty, invention, and volatility. GUITARS is proof he's lost none of his edge. Here, Tyner mixes it up with a seemingly disparate range of guitarists (and one banjoist!), which might shock some old-school fans. Each guitarist joins Tyner's trio for two or three tracks. Marc Ribot's jazz-informed thorniness, John Scofield's plump-toned йlan, Bela Fleck's down-home sophistication and clarity, Derek Trucks's tightly wound blue-tones, and Bill Frisell's mystic, Jim Hall-inspired poetry–all meet Tyner on his own turf. Each string-bender is pushed to be his best in this setting.