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Three things I like most about pianist McCoy Tyner: his combination of elegance and strength; his ambiguous quartal voicings; and the integrity of his playing. Tyner’s energy can be traced to his tenure with John Coltrane, and it continued through something like Enlightenment (1973), not reviewed below but a powerful live record. Whether he’s in, out, or somewhere between, Tyner always feels connected to a sturdy personal core. I don’t have a lot of his own records listed, but of course he can be heard with Coltrane and also as a sideman on various Blue Note ‘60s dates. Reaching Fourth Nov. 1962 / Impulse Extracted from Coltrane’s quartet, Tyner relaxes a bit on this trio effort with bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Roy Haynes. The catchy original “Reaching Fourth” showcases the pianist’s trademark harmonies (ambiguity within modes) and it’s the most valuable number on the disc. The moody vamp treatment of “Old Devil Moon” isn’t shabby either. Elsewhere are a tender “Goodbye” (can’t help thinking of Evans’ “Peace Piece” when I hear it), the lazy original “Blues Back”, and a rabbit run through “Have You Met Miss Jones” with Haynes on brushes.
Most of McCoy’s playing comes from his internal wellspring of traditional knowledge and feeling, doused with special voicings. Grimes and Haynes play a straight support role, and they’re quite weighty in the mix. (I’m not thrilled with the slightly fuzzy piano sound, though.) The performances are fine, and the album (a scant 34 minutes) is good, not great. More of a brief holiday than a major statement.
Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, and Elvin Jones join pianist Tyner for a strong quartet date that features five sterling compositions by the leader. “Passion Dance” delivers exactly what you would want from these players in an upbeat modal jam, with McCoy hammering fourths and sideslipping around the tonic. When Joe steps up to solo, the pot boils over. Hints of classic Coltrane are unavoidable in this track, but Henderson has his own tenor voice, and his own rapport with Tyner. The two sound very good together, and the bass/drum team is complimentary, needless to say. “Four By Five” mixes meters and swings hard, while the ballads “Contemplation” and “Search for Peace” come cloaked in solemnity and gentleness. “Blues on the Corner” avoids 12-bar status quo by altering a couple of chords early in the form, the sort of surprising harmonic substitution Tyner would usually insert spontaneously into any other blues. Here it becomes part of the tune.
The album’s consistency is due to the full quartet treatment of all five tracks (no extended spotlights on the leader) and Tyner’s solid artistry. He takes jazz seriously, and maybe he picked that up from Coltrane, maybe he had it all along. Yet as substantial as it is, the album is just plain fun as well, especially in the three faster pieces. The two slower tracks are enriched but not overburdened by mood. Henderson gets a lot of air time, and he earns every bar of it.
With support from Bobby Hutcherson (vibes), Herbie Lewis (bass), and Freddie Waits (drums), Tyner drenches three originals and three standards in impressive piano. The invigorating “May Street” is the best track, and the irresistible opening groove of “African Village” forecasts a lot of boogie rhythms of the 1990s. “Little Madimba” is good as well. The standards don’t have the same appeal but McCoy doesn’t hold back on them either. “Surrey with the Fringe” is given an anxious ride, while an off-center bass vamp shakes up “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was”. McCoy flows busily through the solo rendition of “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”. It may not be the most essential Tyner document in the world, but he delivers the good stuff on every track.
The only problem with the disc is the weird mix, where piano and vibes are sometimes buried beneath the bass (!), which actually takes up a wider stereo position than anything else. The drums are off to the side, and some of the cymbal overtones come and go depending on whether Hutch’s mike is turned on or off. It’s as if Rudy ran errands and let his parents record the session. But you don’t really notice the weirdness unless you’ve got headphones on.
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