The (Really) Real McCoy
Sean MurphyAn absolute giant, musical genius, and the rarest of human beings has departed from a planet that could scarcely contain him. McCoy Tyner is, without question, one of the most…
Beauty is a Rare Thing: Celebrating International Jazz Day (Revisited)
All hope is not lost. At least enough people are still making –and listening to– jazz that we can even attempt to initiate what hopefully becomes an ongoing occasion. In…
Coltrane: Ascent
First there's the solo by Jimmy Garrison; actually it's a soliloquy, as eloquent and convincing --urgent yet calm in its confidence-- as any extended statement on bass by anyone in…
Beauty is a Rare Thing: Celebrating International Jazz Day (Revisited)
All hope is not lost. At least enough people are still making --and listening to-- jazz that we can even attempt to initiate what hopefully becomes an ongoing occasion. In…
7 + 1 From McCoy Tyner For His 76th
McCoy Tyner turns 76 years young today. In a saner and more soulful world, Tyner would be a household name. As it is, he remains an American treasure, a remarkable…
No One Has Ever Done Anything as Well as John Coltrane Played the Saxophone
9/23/14: Today would have been the great one's 88th birthday. Respect. *** 5/1/2010: The question isn’t, really, about who might be interested in this documentary; it is about who might…
Wayne Shorter: JuJu at 50
Fifty years ago, today, this masterpiece dropped on an unworthy world. Borrowing Coltrane's band, Wayne Shorter proved he could bring the ruckus like the best of them. This, in fact,…
Beauty is a Rare Thing: Celebrating International Jazz Day (Revisited)
All hope is not lost. At least enough people are still making --and listening to-- jazz that we can even attempt to initiate what hopefully becomes an ongoing occasion. In…
7 From McCoy Tyner For His 75th
McCoy Tyner turns 75 years young today. In a saner and more soulful world, Tyner would be a household name. As it is, he remains an American treasure, a remarkable…
What’s It All About, Then? Part Four: Jazz, Featuring McCoy Tyner (Revisited)
It occurs to me that I've said little, on the record, about McCoy Tyner. This is a shame, since he is one of my all-time favorite musicians and a case…