Mr. McCoy played with aggression and grace, speed and precision. He is often a wonder to behold, and his Blue Note output (particularly, 'Expansions') is enthralling, inventive, and classy.
2
Yes, by all means, open up those chords with fourths to give space to the soloist! Well done.
3
What a loss! What beautiful music he gave to the world! It has taken me quite a while to be able to write something in tribute to McCoy Tyner. I remember as a sophomore in college, raving to a friend of mine about how great a composer, arranger and pianist Bob James was. He didn't answer me but just smiled, walked over to the record player, removed the Bob James album I had been playing, took out his McCoy Tyner album, Cosmos and put it on. I listened intensely having never heard anything like this before. I didn't speak for hours afterwards, my friend left simply saying "I know, let's talk tomorrow". I went to the record store the next day and bought everything they had with McCoy Tyner and from that time on it has been a wonderful experience appreciating this great man. I have watched him live numerous times in a variety of settings and I count myself as one of the fortunate people to be able to love this music and to have experienced this legend of jazz. Thank you Sir. RIP.
6
Cosmos is one of the best and most underappreciated albums in McCoy's entire discography. ( Blue Note kept it in the can for years). you are very fortunate to have had this one as your first exposure to McCoy
In 1978, The Man came to San Francisco, to record his live album "The Greeting" at the Great American Music Hall. My girlfriend, a college buddy, and I sat in the front row. (You can hear us hooting after Franco's berimbau intro to "Hand in Hand.")
Afterwards, I went back stage to say thanks. Mr. Tyner, smiling and warm, stuck out his masterful hand to shake mine.
I heard him a number of times after that, including solo.
It was like watching someone playing with eight hands,
the musician version of a Hindu deity.
When I think of his playing, I think of what Nietzsche said about music: Without it, life would be a mistake.
1
Many years ago (late 70s) when I was young and single I had a first date come to my apartment. I played the first song of the Extensions LP, "Message from the Nile" for her. When the track finished she turned to me and said "Wow, that is the first jazz track I have ever listened to, now I know why people love jazz" If you can listen to this album or at least that first track you can't help but be moved. One of the previous commenters mentioned Yoshi's, the jazz club in Oakland. My wife and I saw him there maybe 25 years ago and the saxophonist Charles Lloyd was in the group that night. Tyner was gently kidding Lloyd about having been a favorite of the "60s hippies" (LLoyd had a well selling LP called Forest Flower). Needless to say the music was transcendent,
I am so grateful to have heard Mr. Tyner's music throughout my life, including having seen him live several times. What a wonderful written appreciation of an extraordinary composer.
2
Thank you @benratliff for a beautiful paper. And for your passion for jazz.
3
The passing of a legend always allows me to reflect on the majesty of the music they shared with the world. I was extremely fortunate to see McCoy at the Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, Maryland. It was a tiny space seating about 100 music lovers. For two years straight, the folks in that room shared the wonder of exceptional performances by a true jazz giant. Rest in peace McCoy. Thanks for the talent and joy brought to our lives.
2
McCoy Tyner was a plot point in “The Shield,” a show I used to like. There was a young black hustler who continually tried to impress an older white policewoman. In one episode, he tried to bribe her to go out with him with McCoy Tyner tickets. She was impressed that he had the tickets, implying that the show was sold out. I liked that, being a fan of McCoy.
3
I stumbled upon his 1979 album "Horizon" while DJ'ing an overnight music show on the Brandeis University student station, and the lightning bolt struck -- my ear for music opened up in profound ways. It is just about the album I would take to a desert island. He pulled together a fascinating band from violinist John Blake to saxophonist George Adams (talk about aggressive!) to percussionist Guilherme Franco and made it all work so beautifully and in such harmony. Hard driving numbers, to a great trio piece, to the sweet, sweet "Woman of Tomorrow" with its gorgeous flute orchestration. I've collected many of his recordings, but for me Horizon encapsulates his distinct sound and creativity and range like no other, and I can't begin to count how many times I've listened to it. So glad to have heard him live a couple of times, most memorably leading a small group at the Jazz Gallery in Milwaukee. Farewell and thank you McCoy.
I have followed McCoy's music for over 50 years and from a PIANISTIC standpoint that period when he made Horizon might have been his peak. I dig that album and that band w John Blake a lot.
I remember many nights listening live to Tyner performances, what a remarkable journey with him
Rest In Peace Master
2
Back in the 80s at Ronnie Scots in London, I saw Mr Tyner. His playing introduced me to jazz. The first album I brought was" Fly With the Wind". I was overwhelmed with Mr Tyner's deep understanding of sound. One of the few Jazz musician who knows how to use the brass section in a big band.
I would say that Mr Tyner music is "Black Classical Music."
Rest In Peace Brother, you have done your service to humanity. You will be missed.
7
I’m listening to A Love Supreme right now. John Coltrane definitely takes over whenever he blows. No doubt about that. But McCoy’s piano stylings, if you pay attention to the context of things, are, so different than what is typical. Giant chords every other beat. Atmosphere. Nobody played like that back then. Nobody has really played like that since. I sat still and concentrated on what he was doing, and it is totally unique. When Coltrane starts taking rests and leaving space, McCoy fills in the blanks. Then he takes over the lead with that numb chant of “A Love Supreme.” The drums are so good, and McCoy fills them in. Then a bass solo going back into that Coltrane amazing sax melody. McCoy gets a so,o for 5e first time. It seems playful. But he creates a whole new melody and song over the bones of the old song, then he evolves into those huge expansive chords, then suddenly he starts doing this progressive abstract chording to every beat. P.S. I would never write something like this if it wasn’t about jazz or Jack Kerouac. McCoy forever.
12
It really is one of the greatest pieces of music ever produced by humanity.
2
@Ben Came home Saturday from a day out, lay on the sofa and listened to A Love Supreme with my headphones on. Listening to Favorite Things right now. I'm not a musician do don't have all the right words, but his playing is indelibly etched into my mind. That percussive mix in the final movement of Love Supreme has to be one of the most beautiful things ever written.
1
You compare McCoy Tyner to several other “modern jazz pianists.” No. None of those people are even close to being in the same league, even though they are all extremely talented. There are only three jazz pianists who belong in the top tier with McCoy—Art Tatum, Bud Powell, and Monk. You could make a case for Oscar Peterson, but I just don’t think he quite deserves it.
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@Ben I would agree, Mr Tyner was an original, most modern so-call Jazz pianists are imitators.
3
@Ben Bill Evans would like a word with you. Few pianists—few jazz musicians period—had an impact on the harmony of jazz the way Evans did. He may not have been as virtuosic, but he pushed jazz onward and upward. His compositions and improvisations are eternally modern.
With all due respect to Oscar Peterson (who is my favorite jazz pianist, for what it's worth), he didn't have an impact on the genre like these others did. He helped popularize certain tunes with his dazzling virtuosity and ability to adapt to all styles, but he didn't compose or innovate the same way these others did.
3
@Sam Mr Tyner was an originator when you take his African American heritage into consideration. Jazz is a rebellion against the ontological and scientific fallacy that black people are not human. Moreover, whiteness is the transcendental norm for excellence. Musicians like Mr McCoy creates Jazz forms in order to find a reality that harmonised with their lived experiences. Mr McCoy in his why has contributed to the John Coltrane project of making Jazz a universal expression that all of humanity can participate.
Bill Evens and Oscar Peterson are great musicians. But in my opinion, they are not as lyrical and spiritual like Mr Tyner. Naturally, music is a very subjective medium.
4
In high school I used to listen to A Love Supreme almost every night. Those huge expansive chords that didn’t sound like anybody else but still were completely logical and beautiful courtesy of McCoy Tyner. I loved him so much. I used to adapt his style for guitar on post rock tracks subconsciously. I see it clearly now though. Man, I love him.
6
“I play what I live. Therefore, just as I can’t predict what kinds of experiences I’m going to have, I can’t predict the directions in which my music will go. I just want to write and play my instrument as I feel.” Pretty much, that is it. He was very brilliant and I am going to be sad listening to his music for the next while. I was a huge fan.
5
This is an education in jazz history, as well as a great homage to one of jazz' greatest pianists. Great obit! if one can say that.
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@Bill As are the comments. I can feel the love and admiration and deep, deep appreciation of the jazz-knowledgeable in these comments.
I heard him play solo at Night Town in Cleveland Heights in the 90's and got to meet him. What a profound experience...
2
As an exchange student in Paris in 1982 to 83 I spent many nights at Club New Morning and became sort errand runner for and Fahri the owner it was during these times I had pleasure of meeting and running errands for Mr Tyner
He was always kind to me and always told me to pursue my education upon returning to Howard U I would often travel to NYC to catch him playing and he always had time to chat. He was always very gracious and kind.
Rest In Peace
11
McCoy Tyner, unique in every way. His music was a cornerstone in my life. A supreme master musician.
8
I was in college in the early seventies staying at the house of the woman who became my first wife. Iwas just getting into jazz & her brother was playing some records. One of those records was Sahara by McCoy Tyner with Sonny Fortune on alto & soprano sax. I was hooked on the music from then on. Saw Mr. Tyner countless times at clubs & concert halls in NYC & Chicago. I have a large collection of albums, cds & tapes. One of my favorite musicians. He will be missed .
5
Words cannot express how his music has so filled our hearts with a true love supreme. With heartfelt deepest gratitude always!
4
Love his playing with Trane! GOD Blesshim!
4
A love supreme.
Rest In Peace my brother
7
Anybody who can create “Giant Steps” must exist on a supernatural musical level. Oh for a fraction, or even a personal glimpse of that experiential plane.
6
"What you don't play is sometimes as important as what you play," he said to fellow pianist Marian McPartland in an interview with NPR."
Text brilliant! Thank you very much and congratulations!!
6
Do yourself a favor and go have a listen to McCoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIH3fNUsbnA
Eudora Welty wrote a short story titled "Powerhouse", about a jazz pianist said to have been based on Fats Waller. Compliments to your headline writer if the allusion was intended.
Just so sad to hear this. Mr. Tyner was, to me, a hard-rock fan, an entry way into the wonders of jazz. This article/remembrance notes Mr. Tyner's sticking to acoustic piano. That didn't mean he was stodgy or complacent or a "purist" in a negative sense. Check out his Guitars album, recorded in 2006, teaming up with young guitarists like Derek Trucks and experimental players like Marc Ribot, and banjo player Bela Fleck. His body aged, as all bodies must, but he kept the spark of youth in his art. I need to cry now. Goodbye, and thank you, Mr. Tyner.
6
Bright text! Thank you very much and congratulations!!
1
You will be missed.
1
Best rapport between audience and performer I’ve ever witnessed was a McCoy Tyner concert at Oberlin’s Finney Chapel. Walking in I was behind a pair of giggling students doing 50’s jive talk and I said to myself, “this is going to be awful.” But the kids in that packed concert hall, some of them leaning over the railing of the upper balcony above the stage, hung onto every note. And I swear McCoy and bassist Avery Sharpe exchanged smiling glances as if to say, “They get it!”
3
Chick Corea does not deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Mccoy Tyner.
2
Most of the rappers These days could not even shine that mans shoes. He played what I call real music.
3
At age 11 I used my allowance to buy a John Coltrane Album. I listened to it and devoured the linear notes and saved my money to explore the powerful almost trance like music. I soon had a collection of 15 McCoy Tyner albums and even managed to hook up my parent's phonograph to the amp and speakers from my brother's rock band. I played McCoy Tyner so loud I think it lifted the house off the ground. Anyway, that experience started a lifelong love of Tyner's music and my own piano study.
At 18 while living in San Francisco I managed to gain regular admission to the Keystone Korner and didn't seem to get carded if I put on a suit and tie. There I sat only a few feet from McCoy's right hand for every set of his twice yearly week long gigs.
I never really got a chance to meet him but studied and transcribed his music and always admired him for his passionate commitment to his music. I loved the thundering, climactic tremolos, the percussive, irregular rhythmic displacement of his left hand lines, and the almost impressionistic, whispering, sotto voce cadences.
He may be gone, but for those who hear well, it sings and echoes still. Let us raise a glass in celebration of the life of a giant of American music.
8
@Terry a great description of his playing ! Thank you & RIP McCoy Tyner
@Terry Transcribing his piano is not easy!
Sad news, certainly.
And as an aside, it is shocking and despairing (in terms of how just unpopular jazz has become to most Americans) to read that he was considering being a cabbie sometime after his association with Coltrane just so that he could make ends meet.
This is a superb artist, one of the giants of jazz, an American cultural treasure, and he almost was dropping people off at the airport.
(sigh)
5
I went on a first date to see McCoy Tyner. Twenty five years later my wife and I are still making music. You spread love wherever you went McCoy. Thank you for your life.
6
Just learned of his passing. Brought much joy to me over the years. Love and treasure recent “guitars” album. RIP MAESTRO.
1
Ive seen McCoy preform many, many times and waited on him when working at Yoshi's jazz club in Oakland. He signed all my Coltrane Albums (as did Elvin Jones). An amazing pianist and gentle soul. Thank you McCoy
3
In the early 80s I worked as a waitress in a jazz club, Lush Life. It was a corner spot on Bleeker & Thompson. There were lots of greats who played there, but who I remember most were Ahmad Jamal and McCoy Tyner, jazz pianists. I know nothing about music, just what I like. These two were exceptional, but quite different. Most obvious to me, was their style of playing, their approach, if you will. McCoy Tyner attacked, he had great force. He could play soft and tender, but even those passages were strong, even the pauses had purpose. He played like a great orator, his music and sound resonated deep within. Away from the piano, Tyner’s presence had gravitas. He could part waters. He was impressive. He was very nice to me, though it’s not like we ever had a conversation, other than a greeting. Ahmad Jamal’s style was light and delicate, equally as powerful, but different. It was a wonderful experience to listen to them time and time again. Bass player Ron Carter always accompanied Tyner. In between sets, he would charm cigarettes out of me, and I gladly gave them up.
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@cynthia you know EVERYTHING about music
4
@Leopold So kind, thank you.
1
@cynthia so well written and thank you for sharing. You know what mattered most.
2
Truly a deep loss. I've long been enthralled by the texture and tonal power of Tyner's playing. The greats are passing into history and their magic lost to generations but I am grateful that Coltrane, Tyner, Miles and so many have been recorded for posterity. A sad day.
5
At 16 in 1968 I woke first to Charlie Parker. Mathematical precise, balance and great beauty. Then came Live at Birdland. The mystery and depth of Tyner and Coltrane gave me goosebumps. Decades later I even got to see Mr. Tyner live at the Blue Note where I sat almost right next to him. Then, as now, I thanked the gods for my great good fortune and spiritual enrichment from this man.
10
One of the finest and most distinctive jazz pianists of all time. Listening to him play brought me so much joy. His music was transcendent. Thank you McCoy!
7
Rest in peace. One correction: I believe the Roulette sides of the Coltrane quartet with McCoy, Steve Davis (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums) were the first recordings of McCoy with John Coltrane. There was only one side of an album with three tunes, Exotica, Simple Like and One and Four were orignally released as part of a 2 LP box set of various Roulette tracks.
1
This is really sad, the end of an era. A wonderful musician and human being: quiet, fierce and a great collaborator. I first saw him in 1973, Baker's Keyboard Lounge, with Sonny Fortune, shortly after Sahara Album. This was a life changing experience.
For people who have never heard McCoy, the embedded video is wonderful and revealing, showing that he was both a collaborator and a mentor. In this video from Live at Montreaux, a 19 year old Azar Lawrence, really just learning how to make music, is allowed to control the pace and given huge amounts of time to express himself. Then, once the pace is set, McCoy provides a virtuoso performance starting at minute 7. You can't overestimate the difference in stature of the two musicians at this point in time. It's huge. But McCoy allows the young to lead, and the mature musician uses this lead to build on.
If you don't think this had an impact on Lawrence's style, listen to his horn 12 months later on Atlantis. What did McCoy get out of it? Arguably Atlantis was best album of his career in the post Coltrane era.
12
This obit on McCoy almost makes up for the hit job on Berrnie Sanders that showed up yesterday in the Times. It is wonderful to have someone so jazz savvy as Mr. Ratliff profile such an enormous talent and wonderful human being. I saw Mr. Tyner live at the Regatta bar in Cambridge in 2012 and the opening performer was none other than Jon Batiste (of Stephen Colbert's Tonight Show). It seemed like a passing of the torch kind of evening.
7
So, so sad. Reminds me it's been a few years since we lost Horace Silver too, another keyboard master. RIP Mr. Tyner. Thankfully, WBGO-FM is playing songs by the new artists inspired by them and their other talented contemporaries, in addition to keeping their music alive and heard.
5
There was such dignity, grace, and brilliance, and simultaneous power to his sound. Thank you, McCoy Tyner, for sharing your gift with the world. I’m still listening to and growing with your music.
6
Until today's news I've found it comforting that McCoy Tyner still lives and plays, beating the odds for longevity among the jazz greats. What a fantastic musician and composer he has been, glad the NYT gave his story so much space.
6
His solo on Afro Blue, Live at At the Village Gate !!!
2
@David
But what about the solo on The Promise, Live at Birdland, Coltrane quartet.
Then there is solo on Wise One, Crescent with Coltrane.
or. . .Sahara the whole album. . .
Or the 12 minutes starting at minute 7 of the embedded video from Live at Montreaux. . .
Or Etc.
Spent the whole afternoon listening to him, and have a lot more to digest.
2
What an artist the world has lost today.
The great McCoy Tyner, ladies and gentlemen!
7
Another of the great jazz artists is gone. Very sad. RIP
1
I had the honor of seeing Mr. Tyner at Dartmoutn a few years ago. I was in audience left and had a great view of his keyboard.
There was a Q&A after the show. After watching his technique I said he was obviously ambidextrous... but asked if he'd been left handed as a child. He confirmed that he had been.
I think this had a big impact on his approach.
In any event, he was truly a master.
9
Eudora Welty wrote a short story about a jazz pianist, titled "Powerhouse", said to have been based on Fats Waller. Compliments to your headline writer if the allusion was
intentional.
2
Such a shame that he never received the Kennedy Center Honors and Cher did.
7
Bud Powell comes in an plays for him. What more is there to say.
7
“When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad”
McCoy Tyner, 1938-2020
8
saw him at Lisner Auditorium in DC, way back in the 80s, epic
1
Rare that a true original exists in any art form, but Mr Tyner certainly meets that description. His influence was widely spread - even the Grateful Dead's rhythm guitarist Bob Weir mentioned patterning his playing like McCoy's to support his version of Coltrane, Jerry Garcia.
3
I saw McCoy in concert many times, starting when I was in high school, and I'm now well into middle age, so he's been a part of my life for a really long time.
A truly inspirational force, and with wide-ranging musical tastes. For example, in addition to his straight-ahead jazz groups, he also occasionally led a first-rate Latin jazz band.
He was, above all, a melodist, and he quit the expanding Coltrane band when the music got too avant-garde abstract for his taste (some of those later Trane albums are utter chaos, and I don't blame him or Elvin Jones for leaving).
Farewell, Maestro! And thanks for all those great years.
4
@Rollo Nichols agree. A Love Supreme was Trane's apotheosis
1
Heroin addiction has unfortunate consequences for artists.
1
When I fell in love with Coltrane and the so-called original group in the early 1960’s, my love of Tyner began and has continued throughout the years to be at the top of my pianist list that includes Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal . I loved his latin all- stars group and his masterful solos with that band.
He and his music will not be forgotten.
5
His solo versions of "Naima" were some of the most complete exhaustive efforts on a piano keyboard: sublime!
7
It has been a real privilege to have been present on Earth during a time when such wonderfully creative beings have passed through. Musicians /Dancers / great directors,actors and movies /artists/etc. Sadly, all the greats are going. One by one. Luckily in this era we have been able to documents many of them & their works.
8
An old boyfriend, a pianist, took me to see Tyner perform once in the 1980s at Blues Alley.
A sublime evening.
R.I.P., sir.
6
I remember hearing Mr. Tyner in a small venue in Evanston, IL, in the mid 70's. The place was so small I had to sit on the floor right next to the piano bench. It was there that I understood how the piano is a percussion instrument. He was a big, powerful man who could play wonderfully melodic as well as percussive. I will remember that night.
Rest in peace, Mr. Tyner.
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@wtsparrow
I also heard him in that little club in Evanston! For me, as a working musician, it was a memorable night, since he didn't play that many gigs in the area. The place was packed with an appreciative audience. I remember that night to this day and am thankful that I had at least one chance to hear him live. Thanks for your post.
4
The club was called Amazing Grace. I was there too! Maybe 15 times just to see McCoy before he literally closed the place down when it went out of business. As a pianist, those were some of my best lessons. He was a brilliant unassuming musician. His style was so distinctive and strong that it took me decades to truly work my way out from under it. One of my all-time heroes.
4
@Peter S. Yes! Amazing Grace, thank you, I couldn't recall the name. Tyner was definitely an unassuming personality, but as a player, he always stretched the borders. He wasn't afraid to go anywhere. I so admired that about him, and it really inspired me as a player.
2
Another great one gone. I loved that guy. Loved his playing. Was very fortunate to see him several times in the late 70s in Boston. One memorable show was a double bill of the Bill Evans Trio and McCoy's trio, which finished the night. They didn't play together, but just a fantastic concert. His thundering left hand always killed me. My favorite cut of his was Wave on the Super Trios album. But so many great cuts to choose from with Coltrane. What an incredible legacy he left behind. Will miss him greatly!
5
@GeorgeAmerica Yes, another great one gone. We just lost Jimmy Heath. Sonny is still around, but he can't play anymore. They are immortals all of them. They live on in our hearts and in their recorded legacies. I'm listening to McCoy as I write.
5
Fellow aficionados, I saw McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones at a club in San Francisco called "The Keystone Corner", (regrettably I can't remember the bassist and I love the bass) back in the late 70s but I do recall the power and energy of Mr. Jones who had a tendency to growl when he played and Mr. Tyner's ownership of the garden as he brought sunshine to those keys, what an evening. I've listened to Mr. Tyner's solo on "My Favorite Things" countless times only to discover it takes a lot of talent to drive that song so deftly with one well placed note for most of that solo, unbelievable especially in this day and age. RIP to one of the greats.
10
@The Surf It is the same group I saw in May 1960 and I am quite sure the bass player was Reggie Workman.
1
I saw McCoy Tyner for the first time in 1960 when the John Coltrane quartet played for the first time in the West Village. It was the beginning of the Impulse Records that featured this thundering new group. I will never forget this new sound I heard that night. It was the last thing I did in NYC before heading to France on a 24 months military assignment.
10
@Tonjo
Yes, the old Jazz Gallery. Coltrane's new band held forth there for a few weeks, unprecidented for NYC night clubs. Hearing the John Coltrane Quartet back then (and the quintet, with the addition of Eric Dolphy) was like hearing the future. The stamina of musicians playing at such a high level was inspiring and humbling. I am so fortunate to be of the generation that saw the music unfold in real time and McCoy Tyner was a huge factor in the overall sound. His music has been and will always be with us.
5
@GB You are so right about the stamina of the musicians. I was wondering if the walls of the club would rattle when Elvin Jones and Reggie
Workman kept the players moving.
Coltrane had some excellent pianist in his previous groups on Prestige and Atlantic Records. However none could have fit in so perfect as McCoy Tyner
I was a young draftee in my very early 20s and the music that night and the cohesion of the players left quite an impression on me.
They are all going, so sad. McCoy Tyner was such a joy to see play the piano, the last time I saw him was at Yoshi's some years ago. Wish I had been more attentive and not let them slip away one by one. All I have left is my albums.
15
@Constance One of my favorite albums is McCoy Tyner Quartet, which I've read was recorded at Yoshi's in 2007. I got to see him play the Montreal Jazz Fest in 2008, but how I would have loved to have been in the audience when this album was made.
1
I was a latecomer to McCoy Tyner and jazz generally. I scored a free ticket to a Bud Powell tribute concert at San Francisco's Masonic Auditorium in the late '90s. I was vaguely aware of Powell's name and I knew of Chick Corea, one of the featured players on the bill. I had never heard of the fellow who took the stage first, seating himself at the unaccompanied grand piano, and resigned myself to a possibly tedious time until Corea and his bandmates played.
I remember nothing of Corea's performance that night. McCoy Tyner and his lone piano crashed through all my ignorant notions of what jazz was and blew the debris off in a glorious explosion of power and passion. He filled that sizable space more completely than I ever thought possible.
I might be in the minority but I treasure most of all Mr. Tyner's solo recordings: I prefer the man undiluted, as it were. Those recordings always take me back to that auditorium, and to the other times I was lucky enough to catch him solo, each and every one of which left me with a big, slightly wistful smile -- wistful because I wished I had known about him a lot sooner.
25
I had the privilege to listen and meet Mr Tyner. I was an undergrad student at Southern Univ. At N. O. 1992. My music appreciation instructor was Mr Kid Jordan, at treat in itself. Mr Jordan said, in his very distinctive voice, “ I have a very special guest for y’all today, class will b in the auditorium today”. We get to the auditorium, and this gentleman starts playing on a ragedy upright piano. A piano we played w everyday. He made that thing , literally talk to us. It was the most phenomenal piece of music inspiration I’ve ever heard in person. Thank you “Kid Jordan” for introducing us to Mr McCoy Tyner.
24
A truly emotional joy, to read about one of the truly greats from a world we knew, heard and thrilled beyond words. A special tribute to Ben Ratliff who must be thanked for his immense knowledge expressed in language which encompasses honor, love and indescribable genius. His obituary like McCoy Tyner's music allows us to relive a world we know.
12
We saw the brilliant McCoy Tyner perform with the Howard University Jazz Ensemble (HUJE) at the Kennedy Center November 6, 2009. Our youngest son Chris, who was a sophomore at Howard and a trombonist with HUJE, had the opportunity to perform with HUJE and Mr. Tyner at the Kennedy Center. What a masterful concert!
This was an amazing experience for the students to perform with one of the great jazz masters.
Mr. Tyner, thank you for inspiring these young Howard University musicians who are continuing your legacy.
10
The last time I saw McCoy Tyner was 2012 at Yoshi's in Oakland. Ravi Coltrane on sax and Esperanza Spalding on bass.
It was a unique experience seeing John Coltrane's talented son and Esperaza Spalding, one of "the new young faces of jazz" performing in the same group.
All three were great that night.
16
Few words can rarely express the passing of a musician of legendary status to honor them suitable to the music they gave that lives on.
Mr. Tyner thank you for the inspiration and may your music be heard for by many future generations.
14
a kinder wiser soul never was - never met and knew him only through his music - yet still feel as if I've lost a friend
25
McCoy Tyner and Thelonious Monk are the two all-time greatest jazz pianists, in my opinion, and Mr. Tyner didn't always get the recognition to which he was entitled. His left hand was so powerful, it often sounded as though there were two pianists playing, not one. A concert he played (with Avery Sharpe) in 1993 in Burlington, Vermont is the best I have ever had the honor to attend. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
28
I was fortunate to see McCoy Tyner play at Blues Alley in the 90s. It was a moving experience mainly because being seated to his right, and slightly behind, I was able to absorb the full force of Mr. Tyner's masterful "attack" on the keys as the melodies filled the air. I was thrilled to see the music and the motions that brought the music to life. It was uplifting and cathartic. From that experience, everytime I hear a McCoy Tyner piano, I see those hands gliding across the keys. That memory persists. As long as we can hear, McCoy Tyner will persist.
20
@PP
Friend, My wife and I have sat in that very spot more than once, although one had to get in the 'alley' early and stand in line.
I now treasure the words exchanged between us at the breaks, and those several autographs on the album covers.
13
I had the pleasure of seeing McCoy Tyner at Yoshi's jazz club in Oakland with Ravi Coltrane and Esperanza Spalding.
Great performances!!!!!
7
I first heard McCoy Tyner in 1962 when he played with Trane. I got out of the Army that year and became a Friday night regular at the Showboat, a basement jazz club at Broad and Lombard in Philadelphia and a mainstay of Philadelphia's absolutely incredible jazz scene. The cover charge of two dollars got you in for as many sets as you wanted and my drink was J&B and milk at a buck a dance. I used to meet Patti Mayfield (God rest her soul) at the bar and we spent the next few hours listening to some of the finest music on the planet. Coltrane - Elvin - McCoy - and possibly Garrison - a truly magnificent quartet that appeared regularly at "Boat". One night during a break I went outside for a breath of fresh air and Coltrane, Jones and Tyner were out there as well. Coltrane offered me a "good evening", and began chatting with me. So there I was - a 22 year old fresh out of the military trying to somehow figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my life in the middle of a casual friendly chat with three of my idols. One of them asked me if I played any instruments and I answered that I messed around with a valve trombone, so of course the conversation segued into Mulligan and Bobbie Brookmeyer and their sound. Magic! That was it. A fifteen minute friendly chat with giants. I have cherished and carried those wonderful memories with me for almost six decades. May McCoy rest in peace and may his name be a blessing forever.
78
@Irv What a great memory. Thanks for sharing that.
13
@Irv
I went to the Showboat many times in the 60's. And just one block south of Lombard was South St where there was another great jazz club, PEPs. Some nice memories.
5
@Irv Thanks for sharing this story!
3
I was a kid, maybe 14 or 15, when I heard a McCoy Turner recording of the Antonio Carlos Jobim composition, “Wave” and was completely captivated. What a marvelous talent and a giant in jazz. RIP McCoy. You were, and you remain, a giant.
18
First a Gentleman, then a Believer, and then , last but not least, a Master Musician/Pianist. Well Done, McCoy!
22
I am a saxophonist and pianist. McCoy Tyner is equally as important to me on each instrument. His contributions occupy a space in my playing of either instrument at all times.
13
I remember interviewing him when he visited Oberlin in the late 70's. At the time, I was so consumed with Trane, that I probably annoyed him because for meas well as just about everybody else Mr. Tyner's career was defined through his association with Trane, both a blessing and a curse. Back then, I used to wonder when listening to My Favorite Things, why he kept getting in the way of Trane's music, that is until I realized that it was McCoy Tyner who was holding the beat. Requiem for MCoy Tyner today.
19
I remember very well listening in the early 60s for the first time to a record by Coltrane. Everybody had of course been talking about that miraculous new American saxophone player. All the talk was about Coltrane only. But I thought: that piano player is something very special too.
Thanks Mr. Tyner
22
Fly with the Wind to the next destination McCoy Tyner. You were a blessing to us all in this place. God speed.
22
What a profound loss. His music is breathtakingly beautiful and timeless.
We pay tribute to you, Mr. Tyner. You leave us gasping for more and certain we'll never be the same without you.
You were an American original.
Thank you.
20
A profound loss for the planet. It was impossible to be in a room with McCoy Tyner at the piano and not have an entirely transcendent experience listening to him. Offstage, he was equally dazzling--a brilliant human being. I am deeply saddened to hear this news.
20
I am at a loss for words. The sheer beauty of McCoy's piano . . . like butterfly patterns there was nothing to compare it to, nor will it ever be.
13
There will never be another like him. RIP McCoy.
9
Thank you NYT for such a jazz savvy obit of Mr Tyner. My condolences to his family.
21
America was blessed to have had his beautiful and enlightened voice in our midst. I was fortunate to hear him play on a couple of occasions and he was transcendental and brilliant. Thank you McCoy Tyner, you were inspirational.
14
Mr. Ratliff is correct in that McCoy Tyner has had a tremendous influence upon pianists so much so that there is a little piece of him in the DNA of every pianist I know out here, including myself.
If Duke Ellington was my musical daddy, McCoy Tyner is an uncle who was in all the family photos.
I remember hearing him perform once and the qualities of perseverance and the energy of pursuit something greater were always present in his music. He will be missed but never forgotten.
12
@Ronn As I read your comments, I'm listening to this great man. He went so far beyond the music. He and Trane were, are soulmates. Music was how they brought us all into that "something greater" to which you refer. He may be gone, but his legacy endures for all time.
10
An American genius. And a master of the art form that remains one of our nation’s most significant contributions to world culture. Just listen to his composition “Aisha” off of John Coltrane’s “Ole”, one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful songs ever recorded.
Farewell Mr. Tyner. And thank you.
16
The Classic Quartet is reunited and making heavenly music again. Long live the Classic Quartet.
14
As a jazz devotee, it gives me great pleasure to know that I lived at the same time as one of music’s great prophets. I saw Mr. Tyner in concert one summer many years ago in the Catskills. I remember thinking “this man played with Coltrane,” a thought which soon disappeared as I listened to his music. Lucky me. Rest in peace.
10
Thank you, Mr. Tyner, for all the great music.
Rest in Peace.
8
He has given me joy and hours of close company since 1976. Just last Saturday I bought 3 more cds. A modest Picasso of jazz piano, deconstructing and resurrecting melodies. I thrilled at his crescendoes and stilled at his tender licks. And his “Song of the New World” is my own planned funeral dirge. “Sayonara” McCoy as the announcer said at the end of “Song of the New World” on his live Japan album. He made the world a more beautiful and interesting place.
17
I saw McCoy several times, memorably in the intimate confines of the Keystone Korner in the early 80s. Tremendously powerful, the piano seemed to levitate under McCoy’s hands.
9
McCoy made such a strong impression on me at age 16 when I "woke up" to jazz, that obsession followed for decades, and for almost my entire life now, McCoy has been, whether when I was listening to one of my oldest records or getting excited about seeing him perform a concert, or thrilling to thoughts about his greatness and the greatness of Coltrane, or remembering how much I loved such and such album back when I was a teen, or when recently downloading one of his Milestone albums that I never heard before and when waking up to one of his quiet ballads on my iphone every morning on a work day, has been a beautiful fixture in my mind and heart, something to love, and I am grateful, grateful, grateful!
14
McCoy, I wonder what you played when your hands touched the piano for the last time. And then I grieve. I will treasure your musical gifts forever.
14
Years ago, I took my 12-year-old son to see the McCoy Tyner Trio at Yoshi's in Oakland. After the performance, we got to speak with Mr. Tyner backstage, and thank him. He was as gracious to my son, a drummer, as could be, quietly encouraging my son in his path with music. Al Foster, who was on drums that night, was equally quiet and gracious. It made an unforgettable impression on us that these men played fierce, powerful music that came from the center of the earth, as well as soft, nuanced, whispered music that never touched the ground.
Back in 1980, I attended a double bill at SF's Great American Music Hall, the McCoy Tyner Trio along side the Bill Evans Trio. I expected to love Bill Evans, who long been my favorite pianist. They played first, and were lovely. Then McCoy's trio came on and absolutely killed, shook the earth, and we were never the same again. Beautiful.
Thank you, Mr. Tyner.
27
Farewell dear great one. Twice you transformed me at live performances. Eternally grateful for your spirit.
9
Saw McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Billy Cobham at Yoshi’s in 2005.
They took us with them to a great place that night.
8
My mom, pianist Gay Mehegan, and I saw McCoy Tyner at a jazz club in NYC in the early 90s, and had the identical experience of joy and laughter watching the calm, meditative face of Mr. Tyner juxtaposed with his hands flying all over the keyboard in a whirlwind of harmony and improvisation. Transcendent!, and a beautiful memory of my mom.
14
I had the immense pleasure of seeing McCoy at the 1968 Newport Jazz Festival when I was 15. I was just developing a palette for jazz at that young age and McCoy's performance was mesmerizing. His percussive attack on the keys and blazing speed all tastefully executed was jaw dropping. He autographed his Time for Tyner album after his performance and he was as gracious as he was brilliant. I urge every lover of jazz piano to listen to McCoy's recordings both as a leader and on Coltrane's seminal A Love Supreme album. The jazz world lost a titan. RIP Mr. Tyner.
24
His sound informed my ears, I've loved his music since I was a kid in the South Bronx, listening to my father's records. Bless him forever for the enduring gifts he bestowed on us. I am grateful. My deepest condolences to his family. Blessings on his generations.
17
I first saw McCoy Tyner in 1976 when I was in college, and I was lucky to see him most recently at the SF Jazz Center. An extraordinary human and musician, what a gift he gave to us all.
10
McCoy Tyner was a stone cold cool musical genius. I am so blessed and happy to have seen him live and in person. Particularly in small jazz club intimate settings. He was humble happy and approachable.
21
@Blackmamba Agree with you about his skills in small venues. He performed at Jazz Alley in Seattle, and it seemed we were sitting on the piano bench with him. Similar experience in the Palm Court area of the Smithsonian Museum of Art at a Mother’s Day concert in the late 80s. What a gift he gave to all of us in sharing his talents!
5
He didn't get involved with drugs. I wish we'd devote more research to why some people don't, despite working in an environment where others do.
4
@Linda In his case, the conjecture that his Muslim faith was a factor does not seem out of bounds.
Beautiful tribute to a true genius.
I was privileged to see McCoy live 7-8 times over the years. The first time was in about 1976 during Fly with the Wind era. This show turned me into a life long jazz fan.
The last time was in 2017 at Blues Alley in DC. It was painful to see him struggle to reach the stage. But wow could he still play. We were lucky to hear the master play Fly with the Wind and Walk Spirit one last time. I’m not a particularly spiritual person but there was definitely a spiritual feeling that night.
My favorites have been Fly with the Wind, Walk Spirit Talk Spirit, and of course You Taught My Heart to Sing.
We had a back corner table at Blues Alley. Leaving the stage his nephew walked him past our table and I was able to talk with him. He appreciated our ‘fandom’ but confessed how painful it was to experience our countries ever increasing prejudice towards Muslims.
RIP McCoy. Thanks for making the world a better place.
31
He played the piano like a force of nature. No one ever made the piano sound the way he did. A true genius, no words can express the loss to the world of jazz and to humanity.
22
Right. Remember him during the free Mandela cultural era. His music was a great relief from it all, but in it for the fight too.
10
McCoy Tyner was a pianist, not a keyboardist. He didn't play the keyboard, he played the whole instrument through the keyboard.
He played a piano and was at one with his instrument when doing so--not just the keyboard but the whole piano including its resonance and peddles and its sound board. That's why he played the piano and not a synthesizer. He was a pianist in every cell of his body, in his spirit.
16
@Che Beauchard Yeah, that gets at it - it always seemed that he was shaking music out of the piano. Great musician. Wonderful man.
3
When normals walking down the hallway in my workplace toss off the cliche "I'm livin' the dream" it really irritates me. Such an accomplished musician who gave his music to everyone--he lived his dream.
6
We have lost so many great jazz musicians of late, and knowing how advanced in age McCoy Tyner was becoming, I recently found myself thinking of him frequently and listening to his music, most recently just the other day. It reminded me of hearing him at the Vanguard, how I felt I was seeing and hearing a musical genius. I often wondered why his music had only rarely been used in a film, but I realized that because the music itself was so cinematic, it would overpower the images on the screen. Decades ago my friend and I lived in rural Pennsylvania and worked till midnight in the dead of winter. We would hang out listening to McCoy till dawn, then go for a drive in the frozen woods and listen to him some more. Such great memories, and such heartbreak in that McCoy died today, and my friend of more than 40 years died only last night. Two friends, lost together, but so much more than just friends. Goodbye, and thanks to both. Fly with the wind.
31
One of the giants. I especially liked his understated work on “Ballads,’ my favorite Coltrane album from the early 6o’s. Caught him at a small club in Philly with violin great John Blake Jr. on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Went with my favorite uncle who introduced me to Jazz. It doesn’t get any better than that.
23
Tyner’s solos on “Equinox” and “My Favorite Things” are classics in my mind. For those who may not have heard his album, “Inner Voices” where he has the big band and the beautiful voices, you are missing another one of his great accomplishments.
His playing is so unique and recognizable on hearing the first few chords. I’m always saddened when jazz greats leave us, but I also feel blessed to have seen them and heard their creations.
12
I had the honor and privilege of seeing McCoy Tyner play three times, the first of which was at Fat Tuesday's, here in New York City. I was seated in such a way so that I was practically looking over his shoulder and could watch his fingers move over the keyboard so swiftly that I was astonished. What that man could do was sheer genius. Years later, I had the pleasure of meeting him backstage at the Iridium and I was impressed by his humility and serenity. One of the best is now jamming with the Angels on the Other Side.
22
@Donna Bailey Thank you for sharing your experiences Enjoyable reading and most importantly, your post confirmed my belief that McCoy Tyner was a person of good character. RIP to McCoy Tyner. Thank you for your beautiful art.
12
Thank you, McCoy. Will never forget the nights listening to you and the quartet at the Vanguard.
A giant.
16
RIP to one of the greats. I feel fortunate to have been in his audience; one of the most immersive, interesting and beautiful musical experiences that I have ever had.
11
McCoy shared his genius with us and we will never be the same. Rest In Peace dear one.
14
When I went to see McCoy Tyner at Jazz Alley in Seattle, I always thought of it not as merely attending a music performance but as a pilgrimige.
25
A true giant of jazz. I revered him when I first started seriously listening to music in the late 1970s
There will never be another one like him.
RIP McCoy.
12
John; Eric; Reggie; Elvin; McCoy. 1961 - Impressions, live. Still blows my mind. And of course Jimmy a little later.
Light in a dark world.
13
I'm sad to hear of Mr. Tyner's death. I love his music and am thankful that recordings exist. Condolences to his family and friends. He was such a stellar musician, I know that he was a good man. I am sorry for your loss.
15
Hard to believe but the planet just became a bit sadder of a place to live today
18
I'm grateful we had him for all these years. He was working and sharing his genius until the end.
8
Lucky to have seen him a number of times over the years. He was always spellbinding. He could have sat on his early laurels and just played My Favorite Things for twenty minutes (something I would have loved to have seen once), but he was always pushing things into new directions and I can't think of a better compliment for a great jazz musician. RIP, man....your music will live on and on
20
Mccoy Tyner was a force of nature.
I challenge anyone to put "Inceptions" on the platter, and still be in possession of their socks by the end.
Vale!
15
McCoy Tyner. You can't pin his art down to a niche because it is so pervasive, so powerful, so relevant to so much in life. A true artist.
15
..."When you are thinking of Coltrane playing “My Favorite Things” or “A Love Supreme,” you may be thinking of the sound of Mr. Tyner almost as much as that of Coltrane’s saxophone."...
Very saddened.
21
Heart breaking.
9
Saw McCoy Tyner most recently at the Library of Congress Coolidge Auditorium in December of 2017. While past his prime, he still brought it. His extensive discography, both on his own and with John Coltrane, ensures that we will have Tyner with us for many years to come. The body dies but the music lives on. RIP.
12
What sad news. He was great art.
7
Nice tribute to a jazz legend, whose work with the John Coltrane Quartet helped rewrite the rules of music.
One quibble, though: The article says Coltrane "grew up in Philadelphia." Not so. Coltrane was born and raised in North Carolina, attended high school in High Point, N.C., and didn't move to Philly until he was 17.
11
Hearing McCoy Tyner play live or on record brought joy to the world and helped countless human beings' brains release dopamine. As the kids say, He was "Dope"
6
To borrow a phrase from Rahsaan Roland Kirk, “Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle”. That’s what it was like to see McCoy Tyner play live. I’ve never heard anything like it before or since.
27
Harry Bosch would be weeping at the passing of McCoy Tyner.
8
I learned of McCoy Tyner through working with Marcus Belgrave and Sam Sanders of the Detroit jazz scene. I was working with many artists who were involved in the Black Arts Movement. I was also working with John Conyers in 1978 when the National Endowment for Artists began under Conyers' auspices to fund Jazz in the African american communities as an indigenous American art form. Anyone who attacks and calls the "left" communist is attacking the many fine artists who followed in Paul Robeson's steps to become the Black Arts Movement which is global and includes all races and forms of music and artists. These musicians would dishonor their art to perform for neo Nazis anywhere for many are/were veterans! RIP Sweet Brother Tyner!
10
@Edna Ewell Marcus Belgrave! His “Gemini” albums are something very special. What a brilliant generation of musicians.
That was a special period in jazz, and it might never be equaled.
Try Ole sometime, or India. You will never be the same.
9
RIP McCoy. You were the man with that unforgettable sound. That immortal left hand and those stacked fourths.
10
I first heard McCoy Tyner in Salt Lake City in the 70s with his Atlantis project. In the late 90s while working on my dissertation at UW, I was most fortunate to be able to interview Mr. Tyner in Seattle when he was performing at Jazz Alley. Articulate, kind, respectful, passionate about his music, and superbly skilled at the piano. He will always be an inspiration to me.
13
I am shocked ,really shocked to read this ,I first heard this incredible musician in 1963 with John Coltrane at Birdland ,one set had Coltrane play a few bars from "My Favorite Things "and then Coltrane walked off the stage McCoy took over with Elvin Bishop & James Garrison who played w/o Coltrane for about 30 minutes on that tune .. we knew we were listening to history that night and as it turned out to be we did.
What's more, several of those performances were recorded.
11
@Carlyle T. Elvin Jones, drums. Elvin Bishop is a rock singer, guitiarist.
@Eliot
You are correct my error in the name ..only the name.
I was fortunate to see McCoy Tyner once. I went to see him perform at Sweet Basil downtown around 1989. It was a transformative experience. I think about it often and am still amazed by the music and the fact that I was about 10 feet from the piano. Grateful for all the amazing music from McCoy and all his collaborators.
11
McCoy was the God of Thunder on the keys! Like Peterson, Bill Evans, Monk, Powell and Garner, he was instantly recognizable. And so young in the Coltrane years (watch https://youtu.be/sCUWc9ves8g for that amazingly tight quartet). I had the great good fortune of seeing and hearing McCoy Tyner live in venues big and small. A memorable occasion was in the late 80s at Zootz in Portland, Maine. We were a long way from New York, he and his band treated the fans as if we were at the Vanguard. He was a gentleman through and through. Thank you for the music.
15
Truly the end of an era. It's hard to describe how McCoy Tyner's music made me feel but I do recall feeling fortunate every time I had the opportunity to experience him both live and in his recordings. Such strong and moving sounds. Always refreshing and thought provoking. To watch him play was simply amazing. He was a gift and I will cherish him.
6
Witnessed McCoy on several occasions from my college days through grey hair. Every event an evanescent transformation to a safe place of human kindness. From a formal affair at the concert hall to an accidental walk about UnionSquare to pop-in the Blue Note ( oh, McCoy's playing) let's go to the revival. Dig it.
5
I think I was celebrating my 19th birthday in 1973, and when asked what gift I wanted, I said I wanted to catch McCoy Tyner at the bar/club at Carnegie Hall. I loved it. I'm 65 now and hope I'll experience a gift like that once again in this lifetime.
It was such a sweet magical evening, unforgettable.
23
@Jodi malcom
I cannot think of a cooler gift than to see McCoy Tyner play at Carnegie Hall, especially for one's birthday gift.
6
I bought all the Coltrane quartet records and many of McCoy Tyner's too, heard him a big venues like Carnegie Hall - must have been a Newport Jazz event - but the one time I really remember was in the late 70s in a small club just off Bleeker Street in the Village, upstairs I think (not the Gate...) when it was just him & a bassist and I was sitting up close. What an experience hearing & watching a master artist. I'm replaying some of his albums tonight.
14
I was fortunate to have heard Mr. Tyner on numerous occasions. After shows, he was always willing to sign an autograph and have a conversation about his music. He was a kind gentleman. His recorded music library is too vast to singularly point out the "best of". Aside from the many recordings with J.C., two of my favorites are, The Real McCoy (Blue Note 46512 2) and Extensions (Blue Note 37646 2) Gone from this time and space, but never forgotten. Your music will live forever. Peace
16
@Chas. Michael Double thumbs up! Many are familiar with The Real McCoy (a classic), but if I HAD to close one McCoy album to take to the proverbial desert island, it would be Extensions. I can still get goose bumps upon hearing the opening passage of Message From the Nile.
1
I've had the great pleasure of hearing McCoy Tyner live maybe 8 or 9 times starting in college back in the '70s to about 10 years ago here in Chicago. When getting to sit up close to him in smaller venues it felt as if the man was every bit as big as his sound. What a huge presence.
Hearing "Walk Spirit Talk Spirit" live at the Cellar Door in Washington, DC in 1977 was, well, a revelation. So apt of the Times to link it here!
The last time I heard him it sounded as if his hand was a tad stiffer, a tad slower, but if he had lost anything at all (not much!) but he compensated with emotion, profundity, wisdom. A cliche, maybe, but when I heard Vladimir Horowitz in his old age it felt the same.
Now that the last member of the Coltrane Quartet is gone, the world has lost something we will never see again. My heart aches. RIP and condolences to his family.
27
Fantastic talent, stuff of legend. Goodbye McCoy... thank you for your great work and spirit... RIP.
7
What a wonderful musician. Sorry to hear this.
4
One of my first jazz piano heroes. Rip.
5
I caught him with Coltrane’s quartet at Pep’s in Philly during mid 60’s. I didn’t know what hit me, but it was powerful and the experience changed my life. The world lost another giant from Philly.
10
mr tyner made it possible to be always surprised by his solos. he was a singular talent. no bombastics. no stunts. no pretense. in my view this is a loss. a big loss. great musicians arent living next to each other anymore so that eight decades later they can be celebrated. no. some marketing guy will try to sell us on a kid who still has milk on his breath as the next someone great.we know better because we know that when tyner goes the loss is felt.
12
A Love Supreme!
He found it. The others were still looking.
Rest In Peace, McCoy.
11
These were great times with great musicians. So grateful I got to experience this. Thank you McCoy Tyner - enjoy the next set!
6
Tyner's recordings with Coltrane provided me my first ecstatic jazz piano listening experience.
10
Going to miss the magician whose magic was amazing.
11
Many moons ago when I was getting into the Grateful Dead, I focused on Bob Weir's rhythm guitar and was struck by his harmonics. It was not a typical rhythm guitar sound. He found these odd spaces that would allow Garcia and bassist Phil Lesh to weave in and out of each other. Part voice leader, part bridge, I found Weir's playing key to the Dead's sound. As I researched his style more, I came to McCoy Tyner, a person he credited with helping his form his style. When I started adding McCoy, Miles and Coltrane to my listening, I felt like I had reached musical nirvana. Thank you, McCoy, for your distinctive musical style!
17
I'm a bit surprised no commentator has cited the cut 'The Promise', an outstanding piece that has a smooth flow to it.
The Best of John Coltrane, Pablo Records, 1983.
10
@KVM Well I'll cite it! It's from Live at Birdland. I was 12, 13 years old when I first heard it and I listened to it over and over again. Suddenly there was something in my life that mattered.
I must have listened to it a thousand times over my lifetime. It has been a rock in my darkest hours. Or just a great listen that never gets old.
I have had to part with many things, many books and CDs, and I have few possessions but Coltrane Live at B irdland I will never part with.
By the way, thanks NYTimes for the clip of Walk Spirit Talk Spirit. Wow! Can't believe I never heard it!
RIP Mr. Tyner, thank you for your great spirit.
16
McCoy Tyner’s impact on jazz is immeasurable and I was fortunate to have two memorable conversations with him - during the Stanford Jazz Workshop (in the late 1990s) where he gave a spectacular solo piano performance and at Duke University in 2006 where he lectured and performed. (I also spoke with him briefly in 2015 when Duke awarded him an honorary degree). He spoke fondly about his close ties to North Carolina. As a child he visited and spent summers with his grandmother in Murfreesboro, a rural town near my hometown of Margarettsville, NC. Tyner’s compositions, “Contemplation” and “You Taught My Heart to Sing”, are among my all-time favorites.
1
Saw the McCoy Tyner trio at a free Saturday afternoon concert at the Uptown Theater in Philly in 88/89. What a great show it was !
7
Love you McCoy. You will be missed. RIP
8
I had the pleasure of seeing and hearing him several times in varied solo to quartet groups in different jazz clubs. But clearly a highlight for me was a small concert venue duet show with the tap percussionist, Savion Glover! They had uncanny percussive and harmonic connections!
RIP!
13
A true innovator and legend. He had a sound that changed the vocabulary of the piano andank You McCoy for your music. Jazz. I was fortunate to see him several times and loved his play, compositions and band. Thank you McCoy for your music.
9
RIP Mr. Tyner, and thank you for your music. The first time I head him with Coltrane doing “My Favorite Things” was one of those before/after hinge points where my musical explorations were changed forever.
12
@Drew Fields
Just listened to “My Favorite Things” again. Stunning...
7
He was a genius!
9
I feel lucky to have heard Mr. Tyner at the old Yoshi's night club in Oakland, CA in the 90's. RIP
10
@Louis I saw him there as well with Eddie Harris. Great show.
10
One of my great thrills as a music lover was sitting right behind Mr Tyner at a small club in Hollywood 25 years ago (I had to get up so he could get to his piano). The second set didn't sell out so we stayed for that too. He was a beautiful force of nature. RIP
10
All-time Fave. Was lucky enough to see him twice at Catalina's in the 90's. One time I was sitting so close I could have touched the high keys on the piano while he played. Trust me, that piano was really struggling to keep up with the tornado named Tyner! The power and passion of his playing will live within me forever. RIP.
9
a titan of modern music whose legacy is profound
12
Hearing him play at Catalinas club in the 80's, I suddenly realized he had five melodic lines going on simultaneously. Two that he alternated with his left hand and three with his right hand!
14
Honored to call him a friend. Honored to have worked with him.
15
I first heard Mr. Tyner at the Iridium in NYC. What talent, what a beautiful man to play such wonderful music. We're losing the greatest generation of jazz too soon. R.I.P. brother!
6
I had the blessed experience of hearing him live at the Greek Theater in Berkeley in the 1990s. Beautiful stuff! I have listened to jazz piano differently since hearing him, looking for that energy. With the death of Lyle Mays, this has been a rough few weeks for us jazz-heads. I will listen to "The Real McCoy" all weekend!
12
I had the great pleasure of hearing McCoy a few dozen times. I believe his working group of the late 70s, early 80s was one of the finest live performance jazz ensembles of our time: George Adams, Joe Ford, Charles Fambrough, Guilherme Franco, and later with John Blake, Jr. in the lineup. Power and beauty. And excellence. Fly Like the Wind !
8
I’m from So Jersey. My memory tells me I saw him in Philly at either the Showboat or Pep’s located around South Broad St & Lombard St. Would’ve been the sixties. So young and so great way back then.
6
Eulipian:
Where ever that special place is that true artist go to when they leave earth I am sure all the musicians, writers, painters, singers, dancers, etc., will greet McCoy with open arms.
13
I think he will be remembered for a long, long time. I listen to a lot of jazz on NPR stations; WRTI in Philly being the main one. There are so many great musicians including pianists coming up and playing up a storm and it all goes back to the foundational players that built their chops live and then had their genius codified with great recordings and collaborators.
RIP Maestro.
10
Thanks for the joy!
Rest in Power!
15
Now, all members of the John Coltrane Quartet are reunited above...
I was fortunate to see Mr. Tyner in person twice. A wonderful musician. Listening to the magnificent "Fly With The Wind" right now.
10
His music took me to other worlds. There is none like him. I went to see him in Los Angeles in my twenties all by myself. Rest in Paradise. Thank You for the music!
8
His sound and compositions were equally powerful and mystical. He opened up my ears to different shapes of music. Being born in the late '70s, I didn't get to see many of my jazz heroes play live, but I did get to see McCoy when I was in college in the '90s. Transcendent, and easily the finest live jazz I have ever seen. Royalty at work. Thank you for the sonic gifts and the inspiration.
12
A fantastic musician, a fantastic man.
I'm so happy he lived on this planet and I'm so sad to see him go.
14
A Giant has gone. A beautiful pianist.
Niama on Echoes of a Friend, says it all.
I'll have a few beers tonight and celebrate the great mans life, listening to his wonderful vinyl recordings.
17
Rest in peace to one of the greatest ever!
12
A powerhouse. Known for a left hand so strong it could break strings (no matter if that story is apocryphal, it’s still a great story). I saw him a few times when he did his two-week residency at Yoshi’s in Oakland, and got to see him play with fellow legends such as Jack DeJohnette and Billy Higgins. It was such a joy and delight to see absolute masters plying their craft with passion, skill, and sometimes, humor - the best solo I ever heard was Higgins doing this little three-second stutter step on the snare and tom that cracked everybody up in the room, Tyner included. Thanks for everything, Mr. Tyner.
21
@Dewane
Bass Piano strings can break when they are repeatedly hit heavily before they have a chance to recover from their amplitude. I’ve worked on pianos in jazz clubs and for Mr. Tyner and it happens frequently. Not fun to repair or replace, but he’s more than worth it.
What a great pianist technically and artistically.
14
Just hearing a block chord on his left and right-hand's fingers sprinting up on the piano, immediately we knew that's him, McCoy Tyner. One-and-only stylist. Witnessed more than a few times, he dropped his left-hand a couple feet above the piano to strike a majestic chord. I have loved his music so much that I could listen endlessly since a teenager. Thank you, McCoy for sharing your abundant gifts with this world generously.
38
Bill Evans in 1980, late in his life, once bemoaned the state of jazz piano players going forward. He noted McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarret (not knowing that Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea would come along) were the last ones left "playing our music". Friends, in McCoy Tyner we have lost one of the greatest artists of the mid-century of the 20th Century. The angels are singing and swinging tonight.
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@JLM
What a cool comment! I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Bill Evans and his Trio. Thanks for sharing this story. And yes indeed, "the angels are singing and swinging tonight."
18
@JLM - Evans was almost certainly well aware of Hancock and Corea in 1980, as both had already "come along" and been playing at a very high level with numerous recordings for 20 + years at that point. Among much other work, both played with Miles in the 60's after Evans recorded "Kind of Blue" with Miles in 1959.
11
@JLM
Just an FYI, Jarrett didn’t come before Herbie or Chick, they were on the scene before him. What McCoy must have meant is that Evans and Jarrett were still playing acoustic jazz, not electric fusion like the others.
7
Saddened to learn of the great McCoy Tyner’s passing. Truly, one of the finest and most distinctive jazz pianists ever! In seconds you know you are listening to the one and only McCoy Tyner. Condolences to his family and close friends.
Always admired his playing and the way Mr Tyner remained committed to the acoustic piano, shunning electronics and effects for his pure percussive sound. His records remain... and the best of them will stand the test of time for eons.
Unfortunately I was too young to have seen him in the Coltrane quartet. But back in 1977, we presented McCoy Tyner at the Arcosanti Festival in Cordes Junction, Arizona. It may have been his first time performing in Arizona as a solo artist.
Not a surprise that he had a terrific group, but when he first saw our terraced earthen amphitheater in the middle of the Arizona desert, 70 miles north of Phoenix, he was a little wary. Then McCoy Tyner sat down at the 9’ Steinway and all was well. Great sounds reverberated across the desert Mesa. One of the high points of my career. Although I got to see him in concert and clubs in the ensuing years, that day at Soleri’s Arcosanti was one that I’ll always treasure...
R I P indeed. Tyner vinyl in heavy rotation this weekend.
PS let this be a sad reminder to see your aging performer heroes while you AND They still can.
55
Nice post. And amen to your reminder. I learned my lesson when Jerry Garcia died. Never got to see the Grateful Dead. I then made it a point to see Art Blakey when he was in town. One of the best shows I ever attended. He died a few months later.
I was fortunate to see McCoy Tyner several times. One of my early idols. He never disappointed. RIP.
11
@Howard Beale II
re: aging performer heroes
Bob Dylan.
50 years of bringing majesty, guts and heroism to rock n roll.
Still touring at 78.
Get it while you can.
2
I had the good fortune of seeing him live several times in the last twenty years or so. This man was a great, great musician.
12
Among the most memorable is McCoy Tyner's playing on Grant Green's My Favorite Things, which is on Green's 1964 Matador album featuring Coltrane's rhythm section. I once made a mix tape with that song on it and gave it to a new friend who went on and on about it. A Blue Note classic.
13
McCoy Tyner was the glue that held the Classic Quartet together. What an incredible musician, and that left hand... wow. Thunderous.
Memory Eternal!
20
In my opinion he was the greatest jazz pianist of all time. The ultimate. And I think many would agree. Anyone who saw his solo during “My Favorite Things” in Comblain-la-tour, Belgium in August 1965 would agree completely.
18
On all levels, this is tragic. The one good export that America shares with the world. My cultural and literary heroes are passing on. I feel tired and overwhelmed by all the loss. Jazz as an art form will endure and as Pops said, the world will be wonderful, just maybe, wonderful again.
21
Oh, this is very sad. there was no more dynamic, inspiring, and transcendent player. Trident - magnificent!
21
Heard him in a small venue back in the late 1970s. On vocals? The First Lady of Song. As classic as it gets.
RIP, Mr. Tyner.
12
I have seen hundreds of live shows in my life across a wide range of musical genres. I was lucky enough to see Mr. Tyner about a half a dozen times, and at least two of those shows would probably be in my top five of all time. The first time I saw him, I can recall that by the end of the performance I was hugging the total stranger sitting next to me, largely so that we could keep each other upright instead of collapsing into a pool of musical ecstasy. Not many musicians can produce a reaction like that. RIP, and thanks for the wonderful memories.
32
His Bluenote albums Expansions, Extensions, and Asante are three modal jazz pillars that should be more widely heard. In addition Cosmos is a double LP from that same period that was released a few years after it was recorded. Those four albums fit together perfectly and continue the Coltrane tradition. The musicians playing on them are all of the highest caliber.
RIP McCoy.
18
One album not mentioned deserving much wider recognition (a huge influence on my own piano playing) is "Time For Tyner" with vibist Bobby Hutcherson. Great compositions, engaging African influences and a perfect matchup of both McCoy and Bobby's styles. Between "Time for Tyner" and Monk's "Underground" album you will experience complete musical heroism (amongst so many others). Thank you McCoy!
24
@Dana Al Foster, at Woolsey Hall, Milestone Jazz stars tour. I was there too.
@Dana that old devil moon, right?
Saw him in New Haven in the late 1970's he had a unique style that was instantly recognizable. One of the giants of jazz piano, he made a lasting contribution to the art, his music will live on. Played with Sonny Rollins and Ron Carter on that gig. Can anyone remind me of the drummer, please.
9
Probably, Al Foster. At least he’s the drummer on the live record on Milestone which was taped at several venues across the country including a venue in New Haven. (Just looked at the LP).
Foster deserves wider recognition, terrific drummer... he was in Miles’ late groups and also recorded with saxophonist Dave Liebman, another great musician deserving wider acclaim.
7
@sob it was probably Jack DeJohnette.
1
@sob Al Foster perhaps?
3
Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit.
May the spirit of McCoy Tyner live on for ever.
34
Sometimes my friends and I lament that we don't have recordings of some of the masters like Chopin or Mozart playing live.
Then I put on McCoy and start listening, and I realize we're so fortunate to have been around at the same time as Mr. Tyner.
Thank you for your transcendent music and may you rest in peace sir.
65
He accepted an invitation to a modest home-cooked meal when his band came through my college town. He was memorably humble, honest, kind, and wise. A cherished mentor, remaining in our hearts
111
@chris b
What a lovely story.
My wife and I have been fans since 1970, and we have had the opportunity to see him a dozen times over the years.
Always a gentleman, I now treasure the times he was kind enough to sign an album cover or just the back of a postcard for us. Always smiling at everyone.
Sitting within arms length of him at Blues Alley in DC is fixed in my memory forever. Play on Master Tyner.
6
@Stephen Csiszar
Also want to let his many fans know that there is an enormous amount of video available on YouTube with performances ranging from 1970 on through.
Many recorded in Europe. Beautiful quality.
Keep something handy to wipe the tears while you watch.
5
@chris b
I think your story takes the cake. What I wouldn't have given to be at that dinner gathering. WOW and then some.
3
I play sax. Coltrane was muse. The quartet was transcendental thanks to it's players. all of them. And the glue that bonded them was McCoy Tyner's extraordinary piano playing. Melodic, ethereal, rhythmic, percussive, exceptional. I never had the chance to see them play, but did see McCoy several times at the Village Vanguard. I feel eternally blessed to have been lucky enough to be on the planet at the same time as these legends, and conscious enough to have appreciated their genius.
71
@BB
What an awesome, awesome comment!
I know what you mean when you wrote, "I feel eternally blessed to have been lucky enough to be on the planet at the same time as these legends, and conscious enough to have appreciated their genius." Actually, that's my favorite sentence - period.
I felt the same way when I was at a concert of B.B. King and another concert with Mercer Ellington and his orchestra. I recall Mr. Ellington in this brilliant pink tuxedo while his band members wore white tuxedos. I thoughI I had died and went to heaven after being at those concerts.
12
@Marge Keller
Thank you Marge.. I appreciate your appreciation. A couple of other moments: my sax techer took me to see The Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1959 just after Time Out was released. I was 12 at the time. Paul Desmond's alto playing inspired me to actually practice. Also had the privilege of seeing Stan Getz, Miles Davis, Pharaoh Sanders, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and many others play in person. Pharaoh Sanders is the last one still with us. We really are the lucky ones to have present when these gifts were bestowed.
11
@BB
WOW! Your list of hearing and seeing various greats top my frugal list.
I have always been partial to Dave Brubeck as well as Stan Getz and Miles Davis.
There is no such thing as a "bad" jazz giant, just some are better than others.
Thanks much for chatting and sharing your experiences. What a delight and positive note on such a sad occasion.
5
I just spun the Real McCoy yesterday! Fantastic player. I will play his albums all weekend.
21
My musical hero! Rest in love and peace McCoy.
20
"Fly Like the Wind" is not considered one of his more prestigious recordings, but it carried me through some difficult times back in college. From there I grew into the rest of his artistry over the decades.
Thank you, Mr Tyner, for making the piano roar with beauty.
31
I’ve always liked that one too. Of course, there are many more. ‘My Favorite Things’ includes The Real McCoy.
3
What a giant! Rest in magnificent music and power!
26
An all time great--it was a privilege to hear him play.
15
Thanks McCoy!!
12
Mr. Tyner, thank you, thank you, thank you.
You gave the world so much pure musical pleasure.
RIP
21
We will miss you, McCoy. Condolences to all.
12
I had the great pleasure of seeing him perform in a small club in Seattle in the late ‘90s. From about 5 feet away. His command of rhythm, his ability to paint murals of sound so spontaneous and supple- it was a fantastic experience. A real master pianist.
42
@Henry O, I was there too! Superb performance. At Jazz Alley, which is still operating. Hard to believe it was over 20 years ago.
4
The most powerful, expressive, inventive and emotional jazz pianists (and jazz artist!), I've ever had the privilege to experience live (club was so packed they let a few of us onstage!). He was a huge force. Our planet just got smaller.
Condolences to his family.
58
@Slann I agree! I saw him back in the late '90s in Schenectady, NY and when it was over I floated out of the venue. It was truly transcendent! RIP McCoy, your music will live with me forever.
6
In as much I consider Miles and Coltrane to be my jazz godfathers, I think McCoy’s work sustained my interest and belief in jazz as a transformative art with great personal benefits. Rest In Peace, our friend.
21
I was driving home late one night in the early 70s, listening to McCoy Tyner on WRVR. It was so good that when I got home I managed to lock my keys in the car. 
54
@MF Tedesco Right on! And WRVR, yes indeed - those days were it.
8
I had the privilege of seeing him once in San Francisco. I remember his first solo album, which I couldn’t wait to buy. He was a giant.
17
The passing of another musical master and genius.
I heard him and John Coltrane's quarter play in person so many years ago. While the time has slipped away, the memories, feeling and emotions which were conjured up that day will never fade nor be forgotten.
Ben Ratliff's one paragraph so eloquently and melodically richly describes Mr. Tyner's gift to a tee: "Mr. Tyner’s manner was modest, but his sound was rich, percussive and serious, his lyrical improvisations centered by powerful left-hand chords marking the first beat of the bar and the tonal center of the music."
I realize that I am no spring chicken but the passing of such an influential and gifted jazz pianist and artist not only breaks my heart but realize that so few have been able to fill his footsteps. That kind of soul and sass is born within the artist.
"I just want to write and play my instrument as I feel.” - and he did it so effortlessly, with such ease.
Thank you Mr. Tyner for all the beautiful music you created and shared with the world. The jazz would not have been the same if you had not been a part of it.
132
I put Monty Alexander at the top of my personal list now, along with Chick and Herbie. I love Bill Charlap and Brad Mehldau, but they are different cats.
1
@IlsaLund
I love the uniqueness and diversity of the five chaps you listed. You are spot on about Bill Charlap and Brad Mehldau being "different cats".
1
@Marge Keller
Apologies for the many typos. It's tough to type when one's eyes continue to fill with tears.
6
Tyner was my introduction to jazz when I saw him play in the Village in the 70s as a teenager.
And what an introduction. I continued to go see him play as often as I could through the years.
I've never seen another jazz concert which equaled any of his shows.
25
I am surprised the author did not mention that Mr. Tyner was left handed and that was one reason why his chords were so powerful... terrific player who should have had more commercial success...
47
@The Central Scrutinizer
Indeed, I was always surprised to remember this when asking him to sign an album cover. There goes that massive left hand with a pen.
I have been told he could break the strings on that side of a piano. The greatest ever.
5
The first Coltrane album I heard and owned was "A Love Supreme" - after that, everything I could get my hands on. What can you say about a beautiful and creative life, lived well and fully? I feel as if I lost a family member; his sound echoes in my ears and my heart, always.
RIP, the real McCoy, indeed.
84
A giant in the art of Music. He leaves behind a rich legacy of innovation, intellectual power, and sheer joy. He shall be dearly missed.
20
The real McCoy indeed. RIP.
32
@ASD32
Agreed!
They just don't make 'em like that anymore.
3
Marvelous pianist, who made amazing music for decades. I'm so sorry to lose him.
33