McCoy Tyner
With Stanley Clark and Al Foster
review = A

McCoy Tyner’s place in jazz history has been a lock since his days playing piano with the John Coltrane Quartet back in the mid ‘60s. Face it, the guy is a legend. And rightly so - he is an innovator of both technique and approach who influenced virtually every other major jazz pianist to follow him. But Tyner isn’t basking in past achievements. There’s no time - he’s too busy making music. Tyner’s trios, quartets and big bands have released more than 65 albums over his forty plus year career. Amazingly, that doesn’t even include this new release.

The new lineup is a jazz buff’s dream. Al Foster on drums has worked with all the biggies- Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and Horace Silver, to name a few, and Stanley Clarke’s monster bass chops have been nothing short of phenomenal since he rocked the jazz world with the 70’s fusion supergroup, Return To Forever. The combination is stunning. Seven of the self titled album’s eleven tunes were penned by Tyner, and Clarke also contributes an original composition. From easy swing, thinking man’s funk and melodic ballads to Afro-Cuban influenced post bop, there’s a delightful assortment of moods on this record, as well as an obvious chemistry among the players. Even the cover art is outstanding!