You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians - McCoy Tyner Tribute - Part 1

Episode Date: April 29, 2020

Peter and Adam are back together in this episode as they pay tribute to a jazz great we lost earlier this year: McCoy Tyner.McCoy Tyner Tunes (Part 1)"Passion Dance""Reaching Forth""Crescent""Acknowledgement"Every weekday for the foreseeable future, Open Studio members can tune in to live Guided Practice Sessions at 1:00 EDT (12:00 CDT) with Adam Maness. For more info and this week's full live event schedule, follow this link.In light of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, we understand that money is tight for a lot of people right now. That's why we've decided that for the duration of this crisis, we'll be running a Choose What You Pay campaign at Open Studio. Choose whichever course you want and then let us know how much you're willing to pay - that's it. For more info, click this link.Interested in more music advice? Go here to browse our catalog of jazz lessons and courses available for purchase. And be sure to check out our All Access Pass - every course from Open Studio on every instrument.Let us know what you think by leaving a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review, or head over to our YouTube channel.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hey, Peter. Hey, Adam. You ready to go on a bit of a dive for one of the greats? It'd be my pleasure. I'm Adam Anus. And I'm Peter Martin. And you're listening to the You'll Hear Podcast. Daily Music Advice, coming at you. Coming at you today, we are sponsored by Open StudioJazz.com.

Go to OpenStudiojazz.com for all of your piano chorus needs. We also have courses by a lot of other instrumentalists, including Christian McBride, Sean Jones, Diane Reeves, Gregory Hutchinson, Ulysses, Ulysses-Owitchison, Ulysses-Owinson, Ulysses-Ow, Jr., who just did a live for us, by the way, this past week. I feel like everybody just did a live for us in the past week. Dude, we are live and out. It's lit and it's live. Yeah, that's right.

So today, this came out of, speaking alive, this came out of a live thing we were doing the other day. That's right. On Saturdays, we've been doing, are we going to keep doing that? Let's keep doing a little Saturday session. That's fun. Yeah, it's fun. It really is, yeah. Saturdays we do, we go live on the IG, as the children are saying, which is Instagram.

for what we say and go on the Open Studio Instagram and we do some live you'll hear at episodes and we bring on some different listeners on the actual video to ask questions and yeah we just do it up sometimes I'm sitting in my backyard if the weather's nice sometimes you're sitting in your hammock if you're feeling particularly lazy but we just do it it's like a weekend vibe it's to remind us what the weekend is during the quarantine's period can I just defend my hammock no you may not anyway so no go ahead no you know I'm living here with, you know, my lovely wife, Heather and our two beautiful children who I wouldn't trade for much of anything. Well, that's good because it's illegal because they're already to trade

your children. We've already established that. But we don't live in a huge house and sometimes there's no quiet seat in my house besides my hammock. Right. But no, but just the fact that you've got a hammock is, I love that. As one of your choices, like, wow, so many places to sit, none of them quiet except for my hammock. Even sometimes I'll be out in my hammock. And even sometimes I'll be out in my hammock. and like one of them will sneak up on me and I'll be like ah right this is my peaceful hammock leave me alone also I'm having a Zoom meeting if you haven't noticed I'm live on IG man how Zoom meetings have have invaded our lives that's crazy they're everywhere well today we are paying tribute to a gentleman that we lost a little over

a month ago mr. McCoy Tyner and you know to say well you know we often say such and such was a giant of the music. She was a giant of the music. He was a giant of the music. But we have to say this, you know, we could put a lot of those aside when we talk about McCoy Tyner

because truly a giant of so many different areas of the music. And, you know, as we prepared for this, I was reminded what an influence McCoy Tyner was on our generation of musicians. Basically on everybody who came up with him. So we're talking about, you know, John Coltrane, you know, Herbie Hancock,

all the musicians that were around to be in his contemporaries all the way through today. through today. And, you know, his music runs so deep. We're going to be, you know, at least two parts, two days on this. We really could go weeks, you know, just. And we talk about McCoy all the time, but this is really our humble little just, just tribute to McCoy-Tiner.

You know, the old saying is that, you know, the masters, you can tell by their playing after a few seconds. I think that's actually the one of the most challenging on the piano because of you're kind of, you're beholden to the instrument that you're on at that time. and so there are only, I would say, less than, for me, less than 10 pianists with when, which just a few seconds, I can immediately tell who they are and McCoy is one of them. I don't know how he got that, you know, even just comping, right? We put on Blue Bossa for an episode the other day, Joe Henderson's Blue Bossa, and just the

first few chords, I was like, that's McCoy's sound on Blue Bossa. How did he get, like, how is that possible that you could immediately recognize him, so perfectly, just by a few well-placed chords, I think that really is a testament to what a strong and original voice he was in the music. And I mean, his influence is, it's hard to understate, or hard to, sorry, hard to overstate how influential he was on all of us, not just pianists, but all musicians. I know so many saxophonists who beg me to comp like McCoy. Yes, I know. Well, and then, you know, we're looking at a situation where he was hugely and is and will be hugely influential on generations of pianists, musicians. But then also, even on musicians that don't realize that they're being influenced and how they're being influenced by McCoy, because he had such a reach, you know, within among his contemporaries and stuff.

And then he was such a, you know, a humble guy. But, wow. Well, let's get to some of his music because that's what speaks. best form. But I was also, it was fun for this when we were looking up some of the dates because it's always fun to kind of put that together. You know, McCoy was playing his McCoy stuff from a very young age. He learned his McCoy stuff way earlier than I learned my McCoy stuff. He really had it together. He really had his McCoy stuff together. Well, so we started off and we kind of debated about what we should start with, but Passion Dance, I think, is the perfect choice

because it's from the real McCoy, which is arguably his most well-known solo endeavor. his own, under his own name, and it's the opening track, and he's just playing just so beautifully throughout that whole track. So check out Passion Dance. If you're new to McCoy-Tiner and you want to know, like, what is the quintessential work? I think that entire album, The Real McCoy, start to finish, is amazing. But then, so we're going to go back a little bit to his debut under his own name with his trio, the McCoy-Tiner Trio is the name that this album's under, and it's reaching forth.

Yes. It's so good and I hate to even cut it off but do you think that like listening to that I was just thinking like do you think the reason why he had so much influence is one of the many reasons probably is that for pianists like when you hear that there's so much joy in that and it seems so fun to be able to play like that. You know what I mean? It seems like he's just had like like you feel like you're flying you know when you're playing like that in that way. I get that sense. I remember being a young pianist and wishing I could do that. Yeah. You know what I mean? Just like that. I mean, still kind of wish I could do that just like that. But as you start to learn, you know, how to play like that, it just is a really freeing thing.

It's very cool. Yeah. I mean, he had that, that especially, you know, even early on, he had that bounce with the lines. And like here you're hearing him a lot more connected with the bebob vocabulary. But he's already got that very strong, you know, left hand, the octaves, the fists in the left hand, that power. that power. I mean, I don't think there's been any other pianist in any style of music that's pulled the kind of sound out of the instrument that McCoy did. But then again, at this, I mean, he was young here. He was like early, what was he, you know, 24 years old, 23 years old, but he made

his record. And, you know, he, because he was so wrapped up with the Van Gelder sound, these were, you know, all these records on impulse, I think all of them, I know this one was, were made of Van Gelder's studio, which was a very, you know, a very, you know, I mean, a lot of people recorded there and it was such a particular sound, especially like for the piano, you know, the way that he miced the piano and stuff. And there was almost like a little bit of a thinness to it.

I mean, I hate to say thinness because it was a great sound, but almost like a narrow kind of piano sound, I would say, and very separated left and right and stuff with the different instruments. But there was that clarity there. But McCoy, you know, both had that bounce and that power coming out and then was so wrapped around that impulse sound, you know, I think probably more than anybody. And you talk about, you know, we listened to Real McCoy earlier.

That was the first record that I really liked. I remember buying that LP. That was my first McCoy. And I'd heard him like on Wayne shorter because I was so into Herbie. And then this was all in a couple months. And then I got a record like a Wayne Shorter record by accident that had McCoy Tyner. I was like, who's this? That's not Herbie that I heard.

I was like, what? And so I just went and tried to find the first record I could, which was Real McCoy. Man. Yeah, I remember I also Real McCoy was my first McCoy's McCoy album under his name. just listening to that passion dance and being like, what is going on? Yeah. But now this reaching forth,

I'm actually, I always thought a lot of people know about this. This was kind of under the radar for a long time. And I believe it was his first one on impulse, his first solo record on impulse. But I think it's an incredible record. And we've got to say it's featuring Henry Grimes at the base, who we just lost a few weeks ago,

very tragic, another musician, great musician during this pandemic that we lost. But amazing bass player. And he was kind of off the scene. Kind of nobody knew where he was for years. years and then he resurfaced like 20 years ago, 15 years ago and had a great resurgence, another great Philadelphia musician, and of course the great Roy Haynes, who's still, you know,

doing his thing. And I mean, to me, reaching forth is one of the great trio records, and it's not talked about a lot. Yeah, I also, I just love it so much. Have you met with Joseph's kill it all that. Yeah. I love hearing McCoy do standards as well. We're going to get into more of that in part two tomorrow. Yeah, cool. But let's move on. So, so obviously one of the biggest parts of McCoy's career was playing in the John Coltrane Quartet with Elvin Jones. And you ever heard of John Coltrane? Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner rounded out that quartet and just incredible musicians all the way around, all four of them.

And I think for me, I mean, there are so many defining moments that you could pick from. We're going to pick a couple here in a row. We're going to pick three, actually, in a row. But the first one that we have on this list, I think, is. For me, it was the most important in unlocking a bunch of ideas for music of this era and the sound of this quartet. And this is Crescent off of the album Crescent from the John Colcheng Quartet. And sound, sound, sound, sound. As you play, you let that play all the way up.

That whole, you know, Rubato introduction, introductory section. I mean, there's so much there just comping-wise and musical-wise from a core. I mean, of course, we're here at all the great soul. but on this one it's all about just to support it and the locking in with that and I mean already just a couple years later like one year later, a couple years later I guess from Real McCoy

you know that totally different sound but still McCoy. That's pretty awesome and I think if there are any young pianists out there that want to know how to handle Roboto sections you know these records with Coltrane are I think the definitive

textbook on how to do that you know and we'll actually let's keep it rolling here because just the very next record from this album from this quartet was the Love Supreme album and just it opens with another Robato section and it's just one of the most gorgeous moments I think in 20th century music. I just want to pause there just and listen to it again because it intuitively it seems like if something like that has happened you're going to make you're going to do something

similar to what someone else in the band is doing, right? That's called fitting the vibe, quote-unquote. Yeah. But listen to what he's playing and how it fits in with everybody else. Like, and just to pause briefly again before it gets into the groove, but to think about, you know, I'm going to lay out some fairly punchy thick chords as all this like shiny shimmering things. Yeah. And it's a contrast that I think is maybe wouldn't be all of our first. instincts but it's such a beautiful artistic choice it's like pulling out you know like you're going to

prom senior prom you got you know everybody's wearing their shiny shimmery gowns and you bust out a little a little blue ruffle tucks but coming in coming in you know coming in confident and beautiful but but it doesn't it's not in a standout hey look at me way no but in a this is what this needs yeah yeah yeah you guys have this part covered i mean i mean i think with this i mean you know we we could do 30 episodes just on the john coltrane corks and how those four pieces go together. But it's very much, you know, McCoy's contribution to the sign. You can't pull anybody's away.

I mean, it's the John Coltrane quartet. But I think this is one of the only, you know, sort of groups trio quartet. Well, I guess you could look at like the Oscar Peterson trio, you know, with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpan. These groups where it's named after one person, but everybody's contribution, you know, although it ebbs and flows, of course, depending on the music, but can be so innovative, so personal. yet so complimentary with each other. I mean, you talk about, you know, Elvin Jones and, like, I mean, with the gong at the beginning and then, you know, the way he plays the symbol

so distinctive and personalized. But what McCoy is playing there is so confident and so, but also so complimentary and so McCoy and so forward-thinking at the same time. It's pretty amazing, man. Yeah, the whole band, and like you said, like, you know, obviously John Coulterine played with other musicians

throughout his career under his name, but when people talk about the John Coltrane Quartet, they mean this band particularly. Right, absolutely. Everybody had a voice. I just want to listen to just a little bit more just to where, right up to where Coltrane comes in. Dude, I want to listen to a lot more.

And we get listened to this whole track. It's only eight minutes. Again, some contrast there to what Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones are doing. Did you hear what he did right before Trane came in when that interaction, that rhythmic inter... Oh, my God. Like Elvin kind of did one to another kind of little bounce, and McCoy just played like the perfect.

kind of compliment without parroting and throwing it back in it's a very subtle a lot of great without winking at him at all it was very much just like this goes here with this it's just amazing man it really is just amazing well so we'll do one more today and we'll do a part two tomorrow does it sound good i think no why we leave everything till tomorrow because i'm looking at this oh no yeah let's do one more and then because tomorrow's cool we have some surprises they're not necessarily surprises but they're ones that we really think that folks might have slept on some of these recordings and compositions that we're excited to highlight. So tonight we'll go out in this same era with this same band, and this is back from Crescent. So we played Crescent before, and this is the second track on Crescent, right?

Right, right, Lonnie's Lament. Is there any way to start right on his solo? Let's fight it. Yeah, I mean, not that there's anything wrong with what happens before then, or even a little before then. I love her. Again, again with the robotos. Yeah, long robotob. Beautiful.

A little before that. A little before. Hey, we can start where we were. There it is. James in the groove on this one, man. That's my jam right there. Man, the patience of that. And then he breaks out that long.

Yeah. It's a very patience. I mean, like, you know, all the cordal, beautiful cordal and melodial. and melodic chordal movement at the beginning of the solo really sets it up and I mean it's so much it's all C minor

you know although he does kind of take it to some other places but it's a C minor vibe and so he's certainly hitting it at like two fiveness in there yeah yeah and then he goes to a big

big A flat kind of you know pedal point thing that's great lot of lament to me I mean you know we're gonna tomorrow we're gonna hear some great stuff so please come back

you guys excited about tomorrow but and I mean stuff on on real McCoy of course and so many things but to me if you if someone were to say what is his greatest solo. You couldn't go wrong with saying Lonnie's Lemaid for sure. Well, until tomorrow. You'll hear it. McCoy Tyner.