Today we pay tribute to McCoy Tyner, whose work from the 1950s right up until his death earlier this month made him “the most influential pianist-composer in modern jazz,” according to the Penguin Jazz Guide. Best known for his work in John Coltrane’s legendary quartet, Tyner was an extraordinary artist in his own right, recording countless classic albums for the likes of Impulse!, Blue Note and Milestone.
Tyner’s first release for Milestone saw him follow Duke Ellington eastwards on the expansive session Sahara (1972), which marked his commercial breakthrough (it sold over 100,000 copies and was nominated for two Grammys) and showcases his balance of individuality and listenability, his talents as a multi-instrumentalist, and his interest in African and Eastern music.
Although Tyner left Coltrane’s group when the playing got too screechy (“All I could hear was a lot of noise.”) you can hear Trane’s influence in the searching, spiritual quality of the 23-minute title track and the exciting opener ‘Ebony Queen’. The music ranges from the thunderous ‘Rebirth’ (“one worries about the physical stability of any piano under such an assault,” Brian Olewnick says in his review) to the meditative ‘A Prayer For My Family’.
As well as the piano, Tyner plays flute, percussion and the Japanese koto. “I prefer wood and metal; they’re closer to nature,” he says. “And on acoustic piano you can sound like water, like mountains, like so many different things.” This connection to nature runs through the album like a fast-flowing river, resting for a tranquil moment on the beautiful ‘Valley Of Life,’ on which Tyner plays the Japanese stringed instrument.
He says the koto “gives the impression that one is out in the open; it’s like valleys and hills. Relate that to life, where you have ups and downs. The changes are what makes life interesting and keeps it moving.” The album represents a peak in Tyner’s mountainous career, his music a constant source of warmth in the coldest of climates.
And in these turbulent times, lose yourself in our ‘Facing East’ and ‘Kings Of The Keys’ playlists for more soul-soothing jazz.
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