Yours truly had the honor and the privilege of seeing one of the giants of jazz, pianist McCoy Tyner perform at The Dakota jazz club, with his quartet, and truly enjoyed the show. I was lucky enough to catch both of the gigs that took place at The Dakota, on Thursday evening, the 7PM, and the 9PM performance. Mr. Tyner, is a man who has shaped a large portion of modern jazz influence and innovation, and is one of those artists, who in shaping what jazz would become during the 1950s and '60s, we are thankful to still have.
Not to sound colloquial, but, there is that idiom in the English language, "the real McCoy", to mean, the real deal, or the genuine article. Yes, the idiom could well be a play on his name. But, McCoy Tyner is one of those real, genuine, treasured artists within the realm of not only jazz, but also, of music. Some exuberant fans kept cheering and calling Tyner "the real McCoy" during the second show. But, that's the truth. The man has done a whole lot, to shape the way the piano is played as a jazz instrument, and created a singular, unique playing style, that influenced countless other artists to be sure.
Though Tyner is in the winter of his career, and maybe, his life, that made the performance even more moving to behold, as he and his backing band played songs from not just his solo career, but also from his time as pianist in John Coltrane's band. Tyner reflected and told stories of growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and how that experience, influences his music, and received much applause for his virtuosity on the piano. He is a true piano maestro. His playing was extremely moving and showed the raw emotion that music can convey in any form. He has recorded for five plus decades, and if you have not heard his music, I encourage you to take a closer look.
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