This CD has an interesting combination of players. It may be the only recording to include both pianist McCoy Tyner and his successor with the John Coltrane Quartet, Alice Coltrane (who adds atmosphere with her harp). This set also matches the young altoist Gary Bartz with Wayne Shorter (doubling…

This is a particularly well-rounded McCoy Tyner solo set. The masterful pianist performs four Coltrane tunes (including “After The Rain” and two versions of “Crescent”), five of his own originals (highlighted by “Tribute To Lady Day” and “Effendi”), Bud Powell’s classic “Bouncin’ With Bud,” Dexter Gordon’s “Tivoli” and three…

Time for Tyner is the ninth album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner and his third released on the Blue Note label. It was recorded in May 1968 and features performances by Tyner with Bobby Hutcherson,Herbie Lewis and Freddie Waits.

On this excellent set (reissued on CD by Blue Note), McCoy Tyner had the opportunity for the first time to head a larger group. His nonet is an all-star aggregation comprised of trumpeter Lee Morgan, trombonist Julian Priester, altoist James Spaulding, Bennie Maupin on tenor, the French horn of…

The pairing of pianist McCoy Tyner and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson had them teamed up with firebrands of modern jazz in the ’60s, but some 20 years later they made this recording in duet performance with their minds focused on the mellow side. That’s not to say their progressive ideas…

For this Blue Note project, pianist McCoy Tyner is heard solo on eight numbers and also has two duets with tenor-saxophonist George Adams and three with guitarist John Scofield; Tyner dominates throughout. A standards-oriented set (there are only four songs by the leader including “Blues On The Corner” and…

The second of two Blue Note CDs (which differ in their content from the similarly titled LPs) contains two complete sessions that showcase trombonist J.J. Johnson. The first six titles (highlighted by “Old Devil Moon” and “Too Marvelous for Words”) feature Johnson in a quintet with pianist Wynton Kelly,…

The CD reissue of the two volumes titled The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson straighten out his three Blue Note sessions of 1953-55 and add alternate takes. This particular CD concentrates exclusively on the trombonist’s 1953 sextet date with the great trumpeter Clifford Brown, Jimmy Heath (who doubles on tenor…

Sabu Martinez‘s debut as a leader mostly features percussionists (other than bassist Evaristo Baro), including the leader, Arsenio Rodriguez (who doubles on the tres), Cesar Travieso, Quique Travieso, andRay “Mosquito” Romero. Martinez, Rodriguez, and Travieso also join Willie Capo and Sarah Baro in singing and chanting. Six of the eight songs are Martinez‘s originals, although the most memorable cut is the…

It seems strange that Blue Note, a label generally associated with bop, hard bop, and the early avant-garde, would have released an album like African High Life. It didn’t really fit in with Blue Note’s back catalog and — perhaps as a result — the label didn’t tread these…