McCoy Tyner & Pharoah Sanders at Yoshi's

[RainyDay]

Every year, McCoy Tyner does a two-week "residency" at Yoshi's in January/February. One week he plays with a trio and the other week he plays with a quartet or quintet.

Last week he played with Jeff "Tain" Watts and Christian McBride. If was an inspired and very satisfying hour of music. Watts is a mutha on drums. A friend went to see this trio and the night he went, Watts sort of went "out." He started playing a solo and McCoy couldn't get him to come back. It was apparently a very long, very wonderful solo. At some point Watts "came to," and they finished the tune. At the beginning of the next song, McBride walked over to Watts and whispered something in his ear. My friend said Watts looked all over sheepish.

As nice as that was, seeing McCoy this week with Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, Charnett Moffett, and Eric Harland was just breathtaking. First off, I've been going to the "residency for the past four or five years. This run is as inspired as I think I've seen McCoy play in a while. Pharoah with McCoy is simply pure magic. Coltrane is a very fine player, but whenever Sanders would play, it was just on a whole other level. Sanders went "out" during the middle of one song and the further out he went, the better it got.

They played one sentimental tune "Say It (Over and Over Again," which he had previosuly recorded with John Coltrane and one of my favorite Coltrane ballads, and the first few notes brought sighs of "ahhhh" and "ohhhhh" from the crowd. A crowd, I might add, that sat in rapt silence for the 75+ minutes they played. Typically McCoy plays a tight hour set but the crowd really connected with him and he just kept playing.

They played one down and funky blues tune with Sanders doing his usual cut-up when he plays the blues. He'd blow one long note then bend over and scream, blow a note, scream, pretty cool.

I see Pharoah just about every time he comes to Yoshi's and I'm amazed at his strength and control even after all these years. He is really amazing. Sanders plays more in this run than he does when he's playing with his own band. McCoy lets the others take the time to do long and intricate solos. McCoy's own playing is masterful. He is quick, powerful and soulful in his playing.

My friend saw him on another night and we both agreed that we were incredibly lucky to see these two giants play together. McCoy remarked about how special it was to be playing with old friends and the offspring of old friends. It was a very touching moment.

The other treat for me was Moffett. That man made the bass, walk, talk, cry and do the funky chicken. I appreciate McBride (and yes, it is really unfair to compare) but he's never moved me as a stand out player. Moffett is, again, on a whole other level. Moffett and Harland engaged in a dialogue on one tune that had everybody clapping and shouting.

Man, what a night.

[kh1958]

Three of my favorites, whom I'm only seen separately, together at once, sounds great.

(You might want to search for recordings by the Moffett Family Jazz Band. What a band that was.)

[RainyDay]

Thanks for the tip. I'll add that to my buy list.

[BFrank]

I should have gone. I think it was a once-in-a-lifetime shot. Won't happen again. Oh, well ...