Search - McCoy Tyner :: Counterpoints: Live in Tokyo

One of McCoy Tyner's underappreciated gems

Nobody important | 06/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of my favorite McCoy Tyner albums. It is a perfect example of his 70's style. The recording is from 1978, and it consists of a trio with Ron Carter and Tony Williams. McCoy has never sounded more forceful and aggressive than on these recordings. In the 70's, pianists like Keith Jarrett were working in the Bill Evans mold of quiet, mellow and classical-influenced playing. Howevever, McCoy Tyner was contemporaneously moving in the opposite direction and pounding away on the piano like a madman, but always with perfect precision. His playing here makes his 60's Blue Note and Impulse recordings sound restrained. That may put some fans off, and recently, he has been using more dynamics in his approach, moving between placid and aggressive within the context of the same piece. However, this recording is full-steam-ahead throughout, and Ron Carter and Tony Williams support him like few others could."