McCoy Tyner on Milestone

[Big Al]

Rather than ressurect a four-year-old thread, I figured I would just start a new thread. I more or less stumbled upon McCoy's Milestone recordings when I picked up a couple of his LPs at a library book sale, Fly with the Wind and Trident. I liked these a lot more than I thought I would, because they sound nice without losing any adventurous edge. Also picked up Sama Layuca in a recent trade, and I think I like that one best of all! Smokin' hot & all that!

Now before anyone tells me to rush out and get it, don't bother recommending Sahara to me. I know that one is a lot of people's favorite; I could never get into it, especially the side-long title track. Too meandering to me.

I haven't seen anyone mention the recent release of Horizons in the Keepnews Series; is it not that good? Seems like other titles would've been better candidates for re-release, but then I know next to nothing about McCoy's Milestone albums. I do know that I prefer this era of Tyner's solo career over his Blue Note and Impulse albums. He just seemed to find his own voice in this decade.

[Hot Ptah]

McCoy's Milestone albums were very important to me when I was first getting into jazz. They satisfied my rock fan ears' need for some volume and excitement. I still think that they are very worthy jazz albums.

I really love Trident, Focal Point, Supertrios, 4x4, and Echoes of a Friend.

I think that Fly With The Wind, Enlightenment, The Greeting, and Passion Dance, are also excellent,

I like all of the rest of them too, to varying degrees. To me, there is not a clunker in the lot.

[sidewinder]

I haven't seen anyone mention the recent release of Horizons in the Keepnews Series;

'Horizon' gets a big from me. It is the album that for me seems to capture best the sound/intensity of the lineup with Joe Ford and John Blake. That particular group was the best Tyner lineup I ever saw.

'Supertrios' has a very loud Tony Williams but is a great listen once you get into it. 'Sama Layuca' is also a favourite on the vinyl - quite pastoral in parts and much more like his Blue Note material.

Edited October 25, 2007 by sidewinder

[Kyo]

I haven't seen anyone mention the recent release of Horizons in the Keepnews Series; is it not that good? Seems like other titles would've been better candidates for re-release

It's not really a re-release, it's the first time it's released on CD. So it was an excellent choice by Keepnews.

I like all of McCoy's Milestone albums. Those with the large ensembles/strings are probably my favorites, very powerful.

[sal]

I haven't seen anyone mention the recent release of Horizons in the Keepnews Series;

'Horizon' gets a big from me.

Me too! Love it.

[randyhersom]

Horizon! Finally!!!

Edited October 25, 2007 by randyhersom

[JSngry]

Slightly dissenting voice here re: Horizon. I find it "good", but not "great". Sparks don't really fly for me, here, they....just waft in the air. Same with Focal Point.

I did see the same lineup w/Gary Bartz instead of Ford, and that was more like it.

I would recommend the live stuff w/Azar Lawrence (on vinyl, so as to be spared some editing), but if Al's not into Sahara, I don't know...

[DMP]

I caught the "Sahara" band at a small club a couple of months before that album's release - one of the most powerful musical experiences I've had in my 40 years of so of listening to jazz. No one moved for an hour! Don't think anyone was prepared for how powerful that band was - it was pretty much under the radar screen at the point, just a little before what would be a "comeback" for Tyner. Alphonse Mouzon told me to look for an the album soon, and I got it as soon as it came out. Unfortunately a little disappointing - much of the same material, but poorly recorded, and not quite as strong as what I'd heard. Anyway, I like all the "milestone" stuff, some of which is essential.

[JSngry]

check out "the greeting", which is maybe the sleeper in the lot. the underheard sonship is on drums and though he is a basher too, he has his own thing going on with a large palatte of sounds. the tracklisting for this live show has some good tunes from other albums-they do a good "fly like the wind" for instance.

YES!!!

It's got George Adams too, and in very good form at that.

[Kyo]

Oh yeah, that live version of Fly with the Wind on The Greeting is awesome!

[felser]

Slightly dissenting voice here re: Horizon. I find it "good", but not "great". Sparks don't really fly for me, here, they....just waft in the air. Same with Focal Point.

I did see the same lineup w/Gary Bartz instead of Ford, and that was more like it.

I would recommend the live stuff w/Azar Lawrence (on vinyl, so as to be spared some editing), but if Al's not into Sahara, I don't know...

With you. To me, Tyner started overwhelming horn players (even strong ones, like Bartz and Adams) once Lawrence left. I saw Joe Ford live with Tyner at the Bijou Cafe, and heard him on the albums (which I have on CD where available), and to me he just gets swallowed whole in the music, makes no particular impression at all. But everything Tyner released in that era is well worth having, even the occasional ones with some commercial concessions like 'Fly With the Wind'. His playing is just breathtaking, and the title track is a beautiful composition. But with my buddy Al having dismissed both Tyner's Blue Note era (and therefore the mighty 'Expansions' and 'Extensions') and 'Sahara', I have no idea what to suggest next. If he thinks the title cut on 'Sahara' rambles, what's he gonna make of 'Enlightenment'? One last thought, I would love to see Lawrence's 'Bridge Into the New Age' out on CD. Also would be willing to lay down my $ for his 'Summer Solstice' on CD. When the Keepnews Collection starts putting out titles like that, they'll be onto something, though I'm thankful indeed for 'Horizon'.

[Hot Ptah]

I wanted to say something nice about Joe Ford here. I saw Tyner with Ford more than five times in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Sometimes he was only an adequate craftsman, but a few times he took it to another level. I remember a show at the Bottom Line in New York in late August, 1979, when Ford blew the roof off of the place, and outdid George Adams, which was hard to do. (Elvin Jones was the opening act, with David Liebman one of Elvin's sidemen--those were the days).

Ford also played lovely, compelling flute in almost every Tyner concert I witnessed.

[mikeweil]

I loved that 3-saxes front line on Focal Point a lot - Joe Ford was on that one, too. He's great - very underrated, IMO. He can be heard to great advantage on Andy McCloud's 2000 session on Mapleshade, " Blues For Bighead".

Blues For Bighead

[Big Al]

"time for tyner"? could be the best of the blue note bunch. you don't enjoy this one, big A?

'fraid not. But then, I've been giving props to Fly Like the Wind, which, when you think about it, sounds like it wants to be a CTI album.

Yeah, don't mean to be so dismissive of Tyner's Blue Note years, but nothing of his on that label ever grabbed me. Not Real McCoy, not Expansions, nothing. As for Sahara, the public library has a copy. Every now and then, I'll give it another chance, and every time it doesn't grab me and I find nothing to latch onto.

But if I ever find it (or any of the others, regardless of spaciness) on vinyl, I'll snap it up in a heartbeat!

[BFrank]

I've always had a soft spot for both "Enlightenment" and "Atlantis". Yes, they're made up of extended pieces, but great examples McCoy at his most intense.

"Supertrios" is truly that - 2 sets of super trios and both are in top form. It doesn't get much better - McCoy-wise.

[relyles]

I loved that 3-saxes front line on Focal Point a lot - Joe Ford was on that one, too. He's great - very underrated, IMO. He can be heard to great advantage on Andy McCloud's 2000 session on Mapleshade, " Blues For Bighead".

Blues For Bighead

That is a nice recording. Steve Nelson also sounds good on that one.

[randyhersom]

Enlightenment is probably the peak of the Milestone years, and any worries about meandering should fade in the face of the catchy, funky, driving Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit. I'm betting Big Al will love it, best to start with that track first. Repeat as necessary.

I didn't mean to tout Horizon as the first place to go to hear McCoy, it's just that I have almost everything else thanks to eMusic and have been wanting to have it in some CD/mp3 form for some time. John Blake plays wonderfully and it's a different group sound.

Count me among the Fly With the Wind fans.

The Greeting should have come out with George Adams and McCoy's duet on My One and Only Love in the first place instead of making us wait for ten years for a shortened studio version. I actually had to leave the Bijou in Philly after the first set on that tour to do a show on WRTI and heard incessant raves about My One and Only Love which was played after I left.

McCoy Tyner had an immense effect as a composer on seventies jazz, primarily due to the late Blue Note and Milestone period.

[Big Al]

i do think time for tyner stands out.

I may have to reconsider that one; I forgot that was the quartet album with Hutch. They always make a nice team.

[Big Al]

I was just over at the Concord site. I didn't realize how much music McCoy recorded for Milestone; am glad to see it appears that it's all in print.

Ah well, I didn't need that money anyway.....

[BFrank]

Enlightenment is probably the peak of the Milestone years, and any worries about meandering should fade in the face of the catchy, funky, driving Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit.

You got THAT right, Randy!