Alfred McCoy Tyner, December 11, 1938 – March 6, 2019, was an American jazz musician best known for his work as a member of the John Coltrane Quintet and his long career in performance. Tyner was the oldest of his three children and was born in Philadelphia. His mom encouraged him to focus on the piano. At the age of 13, he began to contemplate the piano and within two years, music was the center of his life. He was 17 when he converted to Islam through Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. His name was changed to Sulieman Saud. He was surrounded by artists Richie Powell, Bud Powell, and others in Philadelphia. Tyner was a member of the Jazztet, which was led by Benny Golson (and Art Farmer) in 1960. He joined the four-man John Coltrane group that also included Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones and Elvin Jones a half-year later. He was a member of the Jazz Gallery band that lasted for over a year, replacing Steve Kuhn. (Coltrane had been friends with Tyner in Philadelphia and had performed “The Believer” as early as 1958. He was a part of Coltrane’s My Favorite Things For Atlantic. The band recorded the collection Live!, and visited almost incessantly anywhere between 1961 and 1965. at the Village Vanguard. Ballads, Live At Birdland, Crescent and A Love Supreme were recorded. He also recorded recordings as a pianist trio pioneer while Coltrane was there. In spite of being credited with “and so forth.” on these Blue Note collections in the 1960s, he also appeared as a sideman. Records. 1965 saw the culmination of his contribution to Coltrane’s music. Coltrane’s music was becoming more free and atonal; he also had four additional percussion players, who were able to overwhelm Tyner and Jones. “I didn’t see myself making any commitment… All I could hear was a lot of clamor.” I had no inclination to the music and I don’t play when I don’t feel emotions. Tyner began practicing with another trio in 1966 and started his career as a bandleader. After leaving Coltrane’s group, Tyner began a series of post-bop albums that were released by Blue Note between 1967 and 1970. These included Tender Moments (1967), The Real McCoy (1967), Time for Tyner (1998), Expansions (1968), and Extensions (1970). He recorded Sahara (1972), Enlightenment ( 1973), and Fly with the Wind (1976), with Milestone. This album featured flute player Hubert Laws and drummer Billy Cobham. Blue Note and Milestone often used the music of the Coltrane quartet of four as a starting stage for his music. Tyner also incorporated East Asian and African elements into his music. He played koto on Sahara, in addition to piano, woodwind and percussion. These are examples of imaginative jazz, which were neither free nor combination jazz. Tyner was a musician on Trident (1975), playing the celeste and harpsichord, which are instruments that you only hear once in a while during jazz. In the 1980s and 1990s Tyner was part of a trio with Avery Sharpe and Louis Hayes. At that time, Aaron Scott was on drums. Blue Note released his own collections, starting with Revelations (1988), and ending with Soliloquy (1991). After his experience with Telarc, he began recording with several trios that featured Charnett Moffett (bass) and Al Foster (drums). He visited the studio with four musicians: Gerald L. Gun (Gary Bartz), Eric Kamau Gravatt (Eric Kamau Gravatt), and Al Foster (drums). McCoy Tyner was one of several craftsmen who were apparently pulverized by the 2008 Universal fire. Tyner, 81, died at his northern New Jersey home on March 6, 2020. Tyner, who was regarded as one of jazz’s most important pianists of the 20th century because of the respect he gained during and after his time working with Coltrane, is widely respected. He was a member of Coltrane’s group, but he wasn’t dominated by Coltrane. Coltrane’s open approach was praised by him. Coltrane’s maximalist style is almost identical to Tyner’s piano playing. Coltrane and Tyner used similar scales, chordal structures and melodic phrasings. Tyner, left-handed, used a low bass left turn and raised his arm above the console to attack with determination. His right-hand soloing consisted of staccato and isolates. His melodic jargon ranged from simple blues to unpredictable superimposed pentatonic scales. His way of dealing with harmony voicing (most commonly by fourths), had a profound impact on contemporary jazz musicians like Chick Corea. The original notification was received by Mr. Tyner as an individual in John Coltrane’s notable group of four. He subsequently impacted all jazz musicians. McCoy Tyner was a founding member of John Coltrane’s 1960s group of four, and one of jazz’s most captivating musicians, died on Friday at his northern New Jersey home. He was 81. Colby Tyner, his nephew, confirmed the death. There were no other subtleties. Apart from Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock (and Bill Evans), Mr. Tyner was a key interstate of jazz piano today. Every jazz pianist who has played since Mr. Tyner’s time with Coltrane must have been familiar with his exercises regardless of whether or not they have disposed of them. His approach was subtle and unobtrusive but his sound was rich and percussive. His expressive spontaneous creations were centered by left-hand harmony that denoted the primary beat of each bar and the musical focal point. This sound evoked Coltrane’s music, and, in a small way, jazz from the 1960s. You might think of the sound of Mr. Tyner almost as similar to that of Coltrane when you hear him playing “My Favorite Things”, or “A Love Supreme”. He was a defining power for Coltrane, all things considered. Coltrane said that McCoy Tyner was his current musician and allows him to ignore them in a 1961 meeting. This was 18 months after Mr. Tyner had been hired. “He’s kind of the person that gives me wings and allows me to take off from time-to-time,” Mr. Tyner said after he left Coltrane in 1965. Within ten years, his distinction had made his mark and he was still one of jazz’s most revered musicians. from https://virgiwiki.com
