Customer Reviews

Guitars (CD/DVD)

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4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I had no idea this was coming out until I saw it by chance in a store today and can now happily report that it is another excellent outing by the longstanding jazz master, McCoy Tyner in the middle of a phenomenal jazz trio with a number of distinguished guests. The trio consists of McCoy with Ron Carter on bass and Jack Dejohnette on drums. The guests are all either guitarists or in the case of Bela Fleck, a banjo player. The result is a varied, always interesting takes on a number of songs, including some Tyner standards, some classic Coltrane songs and a few of the guests' compositions for good measure.

The trio at the standard is exactly what you would expect, namely, superb. The skills of Tyner, Carter and Dejohnette have already in numerous places been praised, so I see no need to say anything other than that they live up to there reputations here. Especially Dejohnette, a personal favorite of mine, who constantly amazes with his sense of time, accent and space within the band. Only one person could have possibly done it better than him, in my opinion, and that would have been Elvin Jones. In the end, he and Ron Carter provide a very solid core over which McCoy and guests experiment. McCoy himself is continuing to go strong as he has in the past.

The guests, obviously, make this recording interesting, and there is a lot in there contributions. There are five of them (Marc Ribot, John Scofield, Bela Fleck, Derek Trucks and Bill Frisell) and each has a very distinctive style and repertoire. The result is that the album is varied, not so varied as to lack cohesion, but varied enough to remain interesting throughout. Their very specifics sorts of tones add a lot to the mix of the album. Trucks, for instance is very blues driven, while Scofield has a wider, more mellow tone. A personal favorite for me is Bela Fleck. Anyone familiar with his album with Chick Corea, 'The Enchantment', will know how versatile and talented he is. Here he plays three songs, two of his originals and 'My Favorite Things'. His compositions are probably the most interesting on the album, distinctive from the more standard sounding sorts of songs (like the Coltrane blues 'Mr PC') and they offer McCoy a different sort of space to some into musically. That being said, Bela also fits right in on 'My Favorite things' demonstrating some very healthy, sometimes Trane-like complicated licks. John Scofield is my next favorite. He really tears it up 'Mr PC', so much so, that McCoy remarks afterwards that the guitar had to have caught on fire.

Which brings me to my last point, and a great surprise for me, the Bonus DVD. The quote from Tyner cannot be found on the album itself, but on the DVD, which contains studio video of some of the songs from the album. For each song, there is a section while they warm up and discuss the way they will play the song, and then there is the song itself, followed by a brief period of conversation. The song is obviously the most interesting part, as you get to see the musicians actually performing. The best part of this arrangement, are the multiple camera angles. They had four cameras in the studio, one on each musician and there are six different viewing options. The first one is pre-edited and switches from musician to musician. The second one shows all angles simultaneously and the last four show just one specific musician (like Jack Dejohnette, all the way through the song). This was a very interesting feature, Which I had a lot of fun with, being able to watch the musicians work is incredibly impressive, to say the least.

All in All, this was a solid production. I do not think that it is the next 'A Love Supreme', but certainly worth looking into for fans of any of the musicians involved. You will not be disappointed.

Overview:
Pianist McCoy Tyner teams up with jazz legends Ron Carter (bass) and Jack Dejohnette (drums) to form a powerful foundation in his new CD guitars. This trio is joined by 5 different special guest guitarists, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Bela Fleck, Derek Trucks and Marc Ribot. While some Tyner fans might be disappointed that McCoy deviated from his typical albums, I welcome the change. This CD is a totally unique addition to McCoy's catalog and succeeds on many levels. The key to the success of this album is that they didn't go and pick the 5 best jazz guitarists. Instead they picked guitarists who have diverse styles each with their own strongly defined personality. While I'm not really a fan of Bela Fleck or Dereck Trucks, including them on this album was genious. Not only do they play great, but their unique style of playing adds great diversity to the album and provides some fascinating variations to some classic tunes. John Scofield and Bill Frisell fans will love the hearing these jazz guitar legends play for the first time with McCoy Tyner. Prior to listening to this album I was not familiar with Marc Ribot. At first listen his shredding electric style of playing seemed a little bit too much. However, on further listens I have really grown to love the versions of Passion Dance and 500 Miles. Passion Dance really is a burner of a tune and Ribot's electric assault really works. McCoy Tyner style plays with amazing dexterity and power. It is simply amazing at his age that he is still able to generate a tremendous wall of sound with his powerful left handed chords. In addition to being a great CD to listen to, a DVD is included with album that shows the group recording in the studio. It is wonderful to be able to hear the artists discuss and debate changes to the arrangements, and then to be able to see them record the music. The only knock against the DVD is at times it is hard to hear some of conversations they are having.

Song Highlights:
Mr PC - John Scofield is absolutely amazing on this classic John Coltrane tune. John plays a ripping version of the melody (usually played by a sax). McCoy has a nice piano solo as well, and when Scofield comes in towards the end of Tyner's solo with some 2 new chords on his guitar it is just magic. Ron Carter also has a nice bass solo on this one.

Contemplation - This has always been one of my favorite Tyner tunes. The title of the song is perfect for this deeply moving and reflective song. Frisell's style of play: the ability to play the same chord 10,000 different ways and his mastery of spacing fit perfectly into this tune.

Tradewinds - All of the tracks with Bela Fleck on this CD are unbelievable. This is coming from someone who is not a Bela Fleck fan. I would even go so far as to say that the Bela Fleck tracks are the best on the CD. Bela's banjo playing and McCoy's piano playing are surprisingly just the perfect fit for each. It was hard to pick the highlight of these tracks, but tradewinds was a new song to me and I love melody.

If you are a big fan of Tyner, Scofield and Frisell, like me you simply must go out and pick up this CD. Don't worry about some of the negative reviews on this site. You will not be disappointed.

You never know what you're going to get when a jazz artist brings in a series of high-profile guest artists. Some of those discs are messes, but some win you over. This one is a winner. McCoy Tyner's resume is very extensive, but he hasn't done much with guitarists. Along with an ace rhythm section of Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette, McCoy teams up with five guitarists. The five guitarists are Marc Ribot, John Scofield, Béla Fleck, Derek Trucks, and Bill Frisell. The only 'safe' choice on that list is John Scofield. The rest are most daring than I'd expect McCoy to play with - Béla Fleck is a banjo player, not even a guitarist! You also can't call it a meeting of the old guard with the young guns, since Ribot, Scofield, Fleck, and Frisell are all in their 50's. Though Trucks is in his 20's, he's a rock/blues guitarist, so he isn't a jazz young gun.

Marc Ribot starts things off with a fast and fun "Passion Dance", then a bluesier "500 Miles". Ribot and Tyner also have two improvised duets which aren't quite as good as the quartet songs. "Mr. P. C." sounds exactly like John Scofield from the first notes. Similar to "Passion Dance", it's a very good up-tempo jam. "Blues On The Corner" has a more structured melody, and Scofield again is in fine form. Béla Fleck's three songs aren't bad, and he's certainly brave to take on "My Favorite Things". Banjo is inherently a less expressive instrument than the guitar. Derek Trucks has a blues and "Greensleeves". Since Coltrane's version of "Greensleeves" isn't as classic as "My Favorite Things", it's not too risky a choice. Trucks is pretty good - he plays expressively and a tad simpler than the full-time jazz guys. Bill Frisell plays on "Contemplation", a McCoy Tyner song, then "Boubacar" and "Baba Drame" which were on Frisell's "The Intercontinentals". "Contemplation" is fine, then "Boubacar" and "Baba Drame" are hypnotic. There was no piano on "The Intercontinentals", but Tyner's chiming piano meshes with Frisell's Telecaster very well. There's a lot of focus on the guitarists, but Tyner's piano is strong, and Carter and DeJohnette are naturally excellent.

This CD comes together very well, and it's one of the better jazz CD's of 2008. The CD also has a bonus DVD, with one song by each of the guests. The DVD is neat because you can show each player individually, or all players at the same time. Somehow I find it easier to catch the subtleties of jazz drumming when I can see the drummer. This CD should appeal to just about anyone, and is recommended.

It seems to me that the bad reviews of this album come from people with narrow tastes in music. I think it is a great and inspiring record - it pushes the boundaries of what incredibly talented people can achieve.

I appreciate lots of different musics, and this showcases quite a few. I'm mainly into jazz these days, but I think the reviews that diss Ribot, Fleck and Trucks just don't get it. This is brave music that pushes the envelope - very successfully and enjoyably. I love the sheer musicality of it.

The DVD is revelatory - it sets the scene (if you want hollywood gloss, it ain't here, so go check out something more homogenised) these guys FEEL the music - they play with their hearts and fingers - there is not much thinking involved. I'd never heard of Derek Trucks before, but I searched out a copy of his 'songlines' straight after I heard this (not very jazz but very good). And I like quite a bit of Frisell's, Ribot's, and Scofield's stuff too.

This collection is about McCoy Tyner playing with 5 very different fretted string players (4 guitars, 1 banjo). It's not so much about what the guitarist do, per se. All of the guest do what it is that they do. Bill Frisell plays with an economy of notes, tossing in county and blues chords and riffs and playing in a cool understated groove. Derek Trucks played like a real good blues player. etc... All the guest are great players and if you don't like any of them, chances are you won't like thier contribution on this collection either.

One thing is for sure; John Scofield and McCoy Tyner smoke. For the other players, you could feel McCoy adaping to the groove of the guitar/banjo player. With Scofield there was no adaptation nessesary. They both just jump right in.

The DVD is fun as well. With 74:20 Minutes on the CD and a packed DVD this is a great buy and although I have my favorites, I found it all interesting and fun to listen to.

To paraphrase William Blake: "One piano fills a universe." (if McCoy Tyner is playing it.) - energy, expansiveness, intelligence, passion. This is a wonderful album, with the eminently generous Mr. Tyner hosting a group of great guitarists. (A few weeks ago a local college radio program showcased a few decades of work by some lesser-known jazz musicians...on many albums, there was hard-working McCoy, like Atlas, holding much of it up. Would it be wrong to call him a "reliable genius?")

When McCoy Tyner makes a record, you have to buy it - so just go ahead and buy this record! This is a great McCoy Tyner record. Throughout, he is stunning. He holds nothing back; at times, he's like a thunderstorm.

There are many amazing songs, but none grabbed me quite like the three with Bela Fleck. Whoa! The interplay is sublime, Bela goes way over the top, especially on Trade Winds when he turns the tune into a raga, and on My Favorite Things, when he goes "out" in a very John Coltrane sort of way. The band really pulled together on these pieces and it sounded like they were really enjoying themselves.

The Bill Frisell pieces are also noteworthy and, to my ears, have the best guitar playing on the record. These pieces are essential modern jazz and like on the Bela Fleck tunes, it sounds like a band, not just a studio date.

The reason I rate this 4 stars instead of 5 is that the sound is pretty muddy. Ron Carter sounds like he's coming through a tube, and Jack DeJohnette sounds like he's in another room (which he is, I guess). When the two rock guitar players get into distortion-land, it gets pretty irritating, in a crowded room sort of way.

One other small trifle: the producer states in the liner notes that McCoy Tyner has never recorded with guitar players before. This is not accurate. There are three previous examples that I know of: his record with Carlos Santana (Looking Out), a duets record that featured John Scofield on a couple of songs, and his recording with George Benson (Tenderly).

Buy this CD and keep supporting McCoy Tyner. He is an American treasure.

This is an excellent CD. Perhaps different listeners will have their preference as to which guitarist worked best with McCoy. I believe they all worked well. I have not yet watched the full 3 hours on the DVD, but that which I have watched was a welcome supplement to the CD. Note: The DVD is not a widescreen surround sound experience, but it is presented with skill and professionalism.

The piano, bass and drum trio is excellent. True collaboration and listening to each other. The various gueast artists have varying degrees of sucess. Folks like Frisell and Scofeild are in their element and it shows. Others such as, Fleck and Ribot do their best to create something interesting. Trucks has a ton of talent but seems to be starstruck a bit, and who can blame him. He is not making the same great music he creates with his band. I still reccomend this to anyone that really likes to hear folks making spontaneuos music together. The DVD is a nice glimpse into the recording environment, although it is not very well done.

McCoy Tyner is my favorite jazz pianist and I play jazz guitar so guess what? I like this CD. I would have made some different song choices for a few of the pieces but it is great to see a diverse group of guitarists playing with McCoy, Ron and Jack.