McCoy Tyner Plays John Coltrane – Live At The Village Vanguard (Impulse Records)
McCoy Tyner
Released October 16, 2001
Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Album 2003
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLj5ZYFQcM4&index=1&list=OLAK5uy_mMRUpUPEc_UxFhFq82lo7hDFWllvej3bE
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/0utLknrD4Ylp6s4r5KMoPJ?si=zu7tFRq4S_KrrVtx3BtvOA
About:
First off, for those who might assume this
record was some never-before released Tyner Impulse record from the 60s—please
calm down…it’s actually a Tyner record of the recent era when he recorded for
Impulse, evidently residue from the contract he was under before having moved
onto Telarc.
So-not the Tyner of
such memorable records as Today and Tommorrow or Inception, not
that classic 60s Impulse recorded sound, but…a good record nonetheless and
one that has its own certain value both in the Tyner discography and in the
realm of Trane tribute records.
This live set from the Village Vanguard was recorded in
1997 on John Coltrane’s 71st birthday (the fact we are now in the annum of his
75th birthday makes it all the more timely). Tyner is accompanied here by the
excellent bassist, George Mraz, and the spunky rhthymic force of Al Foster on
drums. Both players have been part of the McCoy Tyner trio in recent years as
Tyner has branched out from having only longtime associates Avery Sharpe and
Aaron Scott in his trio. Foster, in fact, was featured on a recent Telarc trio
record along with the bassist Stanley Clarke.
These trio mates serve McCoy Tyner well, indeed, better than Sharpe and Scott
do but that’s no major revelation; people have observed for years that Tyner’s
trio didn’t exactly feature musicians on his same footing. In any event, what
the gains are made are obvious in terms of musicianship. Mraz is inobtrusive
and respectful of McCoy’s own volume level, providing uncomplicated but solid
basslines, while Al Foster is simply exemplary in the way that he will
constantly stir up bluster but never overwhelm. Generally speaking then-these
musicians stay out of Tyner’s way and only do what is needed to accentuate his
playing. There’s a certain conservatism here, but Tyner’s former trio, in
contrast, often had the feeling of a rock act because the three musicians
tended to move less as a unit, more as one soloist after another.
The trio’s program of tunes and compositions made famous by Trane is well-rounded but there’s nothing faintly offbeat in terms of tune selection. “Mr Day,” also know as “Ug ‘Gainst the Wall” is the closest thing, as a rather southern-sounding blues penned by Trane.
Nevertheless, the classic Trane repertoire is well-represented here with thoughtful, stately renditions of “Naima,” “I Want to Talk About You,” and “After the Rain.” A case could be made that the set is too ballad-heavy, but then you realize one isn’t in real position to argue with how Tyner wants to honor Trane, his old boss. “Crescent” and “Afro Blue” are the two cuts which feature the McCoy Tyner many think of-driving, banging fifths in the left hand, and sideways right-hand work that sounds at somewhere around Mach 5. That said, “Afro Blue” is probably the choice cut on the record; great Mraz solo, and dramatic build-ups here. “Mr Day” aka “Up Against the Wall”-is fine for its chordal dynamism-we see here clearly why McCoy’s left hand is the envy of so many jazz pianists. Finally-“Moment’s Notice” stands as the only track that seems somewhat insubstantial.
Overall, this set is a good representative of late-period Tyner—some feel that is a qualification in itself; however to longtime Tyner fans who still appreciate his work, or to those new to this dramatic style of jazz piano, this record should provide some decent listening. It’s not essential as a Trane tribute record (as Impulse(Verve) has tried to market it)-though. There are much more important Trane tribute records out there, including several that McCoy has been involved with himself.
Track Listing:
1. Naima (John Coltrane) 12:17
2. Moment’s Notice (John Coltrane) 7:07
3. Crescent (John Coltrane) 12:27
4. After the Rain (John Coltrane) 3:46
5. Afro Blue (Mongo Santamaria) 12:18
6. I Want to Talk About You (Billy Eckstine) 11:08
7. Mr. Day (John Coltrane) 7:20
Personnel:
McCoy Tyner: piano
George Mraz: bass
Al Foster: drums
Recorded on September 23, 1997
Produced by McCoy Tyner
Produced for release by Richard Seidel and Jon Vanhala
Engineer: Jim Anderson
Mastering: Allan Tucker
Art Direction: Hollis King
Photography: Jimmy Katz
Review:
Wow, here’s a first (or so it seems) — a tribute to sax legend John Coltrane that doesn’t include his arrangement of “My Favorite Things.” Working with his trio featuring bassist George Mraz and drummer Al Foster at New York’s Village Vanguard, the pianist instead chose a mix of well-known Coltrane gems like “Naima” (which begins cool and moody, and then heats up into a booming, improvisational jam and — dare it be said when talking about traditional jazz? — funk explosion) and “Afro Blue (in a strolling, slightly melancholy take with Tyner gliding over Foster’s swift brushes). “Moment’s Notice” is wacky and wild from the start, a primer on the power of freeform and swing; Tyner’s improv ability has never been more intensely realized. After that, the 12 minutes of the mid-tempo “Crescent” come as a slight letdown despite some booming low-register chord pounding and an increasingly throbbing bassline. “After the Rain” is a somber interlude, while Billy Eckstine’s “I Want to Talk About You” is like a cheerful ray of dancing sunlight after the gloom is gone. Like many great live jazz dates these days, the music was recorded direct to two-track analog tape, with no mixing or editing. The show on September 23, 1997, was to celebrate Coltrane’s 71st birthday, and this recording brings listeners so joyfully close that they can almost blow out the candles themselves.
Jonathan Widran (Allmusic)
