9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Real Tyner, May 4, 2001
This review is from: Jazz Roots (Audio CD)
This CD captures McCoy Tyner quite precisely as you might hear him today in live performance, as I did recently in LA. The essence of what Mr. Tyner is doing here, is the reinvigoration of the art of great pianists, both living and deceased. Excellent examples are the Ellington and Jarrett pieces. I've heard "Don't Get around Much Anymore" countless times, but I've never enjoyed it nearly as much as with this rendering. I actually appreciate Tyner's Jarret at least as much if not more than Jarrett's Jarrett.
McCoy's style "is what it is"--he pounds with that left hand, he is asynchronous, polyphonic, amelodic, polytonal, and arrythmic. He shifts abruptly between movements. This provides interest, and it is a contribution to these artists' works, not a detriment. He interprets the music, unabashedly, on both his own terms and on the original authors'. He therefore freshens the material without destroying or even clouding their underlying messages. He is simultaneously showing his, no, our, indebtedness and deserved respect to these great piano artists of the past and present.
The Bud Powell and Bill Evans pieces are deep, while the Fatha' Hines is pure pleasure. For me, though, St. Louis Blues re-interpreted by such a master as Tyner is worth the disc all by itself.
And it doesn't stop there. The bottom line: Buy this disc if you love jazz piano!
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11 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Could Have Been Better, November 28, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Jazz Roots (Audio CD)
The idea of a sort of loose homage to some of the greatest jazz pianists in history is a fine one, and the song selection is brilliantly diverse. Tyner can evoke a lot of different styles without falling into the imitation trap, and he plays with commitment and verve throughout. But that sledgehammer left hand of his is becoming something of an affectation. Too often the heavyweight approach to the bass lines on several songs makes it difficult to concentrate on the rest of the music. Though such effort is often rewarded, especially on the pieces dedicated to Corea and Jarrett respectively, the overall impact of the interpretations is compromised by Tyner's port-side pounding.
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