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McCoy Tyner-- amazing concert


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omg. it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO amazing, aboustely the best live show ive seen him do ever by far. oh my god. first of all it was gary bartz, bill frisell, john pattitucci and herlin riley. they played BLUES ON THE CORNER, omg. mccoy, although he looked older, frailer....when he took the mic to talk, he was way cool, he was hella lively and really funny and super- "on it", it was awesome, very good stage conversing w/ the audience and omg the opened w/ a 15 min. crazy song and then they did blues on the corner and moments notice!!!!

SO basically, this show, a few yrs ago and such when i saw mccoy a few times it was like 'coltrane power trio' style this show was more like McCoy Tyner awesome blue note sideman. you know what im talking about. oh and gary bartz was INCREDIBLE.

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I'm glad to hear it. The last couple of times I've seen McCoy it seemed as if his intensity had diminished a bit.

My first live experience with McCoy Tyner was in 1983, at a short-lived club in Oak Cliff, the Judge's Chambers--it was a quartet with Gary Bartz, plus John Lee and Wilby Fletcher. Then the same group appeared at the Caravan of Dreams a few times, adding John Blake on violin (and once substituting Gerald Veasley on bass). That was a fantastic and inspiring group.

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I saw him with Ravi Coltrane, Francisco Mela and Esperanza Spalding a bit more than a year ago. While Tyner was in fine form I was shocked at how his appearance had changed since the previous time I saw him. His hair had gone white and more concerning to me was that he appeared thin, gaunt and very frail. I've caught him perform live several times since the mid-90s. In those days his face and belly were more round and his fingers didn't seem as arthritic. But he can still play like no other.

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I've seen McCoy several times but the first was the best -- Jazz Showcase in Nov. 1985, with Louis Hayes and Avery Sharpe. Most memorable tune was the opening "Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit," with a ferocious groove and vamp and McCoy's right hand just roaring over the top of it. The power on that tune is still one of my strongest club memories. A memorable night for another reason too: Woody Shaw was at George's that same week (rhythm section: painist John Campbell, bassist Kelly Sill and drummer Joel Spencer) and they were burning. I heard both on the same night, starting with Shaw ("Moontrane,"Bemsha Swing," "Sweet Love of Mine," and two more that I've now forgotten.) Then a friend and I drove to the Showcase to hear McCoy's second set.

Edited by Mark Stryker
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I haven't heard Azar Lawrence's Mystic Journey, but both Prayer for My Ancestors and Speak the Word are very good recent quartet recordings, featuring dynamic piano from Nate Morgan.

http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-My-Ancestors-Azar-Lawrence/dp/B002ML8R0A/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1299427777&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.com/Speak-Word-Azar-Lawrence/dp/B001FBSHFS/ref=pd_sim_m_3

Edited by kh1958
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I talked to Azar a couple of weeks ago at Dizzy's in NYC.

He's looking for gigs.

Someone introduced him to me and I immediately said "Bridge into the New World!".

He kinda like that.

I haven't heard his recent recordings. though.

Edited by marcello
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Chewy: You da man! Becaue of your rave I went to see McCoy tonight and it was great! The last time I saw him he was playing with Coltrane and I haven't heard him since. I think the group was drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Gerald Cannon. and Gary Bartz. ( I say I think because they were never introduced. ) They came out burning-- so much so that people began screaming during the first number. Since I'm not familiar with his work

I can't tell you what they played except a ballad he introduced called "Aisha" (?) and In A Mellotone which he closed with. It's scary: 3 of the best concerts I've seen in the past year were by people over 70: Sonny Rollins, Ornette and now McCoy. I only wish the concert had been somewhere where you could dance instead of a concert hall.

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Mystic Journey is great.

Azar is also a guest on the new Cookers CD Cast the First Stone.

It's nice to see that Herlin Riley is with McCoy. I always thought he was a great drummer from the time I first heard him with Ahmad Jamal when I was in college. Good to see he is in a situation that can utilize all his skills.

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swwwwwwweeeeeeeT! glad u had fun. where did they play in santa barbara? wow its really nice there. awesome u liked it!, glad u went! did they open with that 23 min. long real crazy latin number that i saw him do, omg @ that

Chewy: You da man! Becaue of your rave I went to see McCoy tonight and it was great! The last time I saw him he was playing with Coltrane and I haven't heard him since. I think the group was drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Gerald Cannon. and Gary Bartz. ( I say I think because they were never introduced. ) They came out burning-- so much so that people began screaming during the first number. Since I'm not familiar with his work

I can't tell you what they played except a ballad he introduced called "Aisha" (?) and In A Mellotone which he closed with. It's scary: 3 of the best concerts I've seen in the past year were by people over 70: Sonny Rollins, Ornette and now McCoy. I only wish the concert had been somewhere where you could dance instead of a concert hall.

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swwwwwwweeeeeeeT! glad u had fun. where did they play in santa barbara? wow its really nice there. awesome u liked it!, glad u went! did they open with that 23 min. long real crazy latin number that i saw him do, omg @ that

Chewy: You da man! Becaue of your rave I went to see McCoy tonight and it was great! The last time I saw him he was playing with Coltrane and I haven't heard him since. I think the group was drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Gerald Cannon. and Gary Bartz. ( I say I think because they were never introduced. ) They came out burning-- so much so that people began screaming during the first number. Since I'm not familiar with his work

I can't tell you what they played except a ballad he introduced called "Aisha" (?) and In A Mellotone which he closed with. It's scary: 3 of the best concerts I've seen in the past year were by people over 70: Sonny Rollins, Ornette and now McCoy. I only wish the concert had been somewhere where you could dance instead of a concert hall.

The played The Lobero Theater (holds about 600 people). And sounds like the opened with the same song.

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  • 5 months later...
  • 6 months later...

i'm surprised to hear that, i've been very disappointed seeing him the last few times, i guess he had a stroke and now all he's got going for him is the left hand.. it was sorta like watching oscar near the end.. i got to see some great mccoy back in '98 at the vanguard, it was a special night, impulse was releasing the trane vanguard recordings and i was sitting right next to al foster's ride cymbal.. but the best ever show was a couple years later at yoshi's with kenny garrett and they basically recreated the whole "real mccoy" album, kenny looked as giddy as a school girl.. it was a fucking dream come true really.. the only other show that comes close would be the oakland/paramount theater gig he did with rahsaan, freddie, ron and elvin.. 'nuff said

Edited by chmochka
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