Search - McCoy Tyner :: Today & Tomorrow: Originals (Dig)

A Third of the Time for Tyner

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 07/08/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Today and Tomorrow" is McCoy's best album for Impulse. The first third of the album is simply incredible, and ranks up there with anything recorded in 1964 (and in hindsight that was no easy task). The first three songs are played by a sextet comprised of Thad Jones, Frank Strozier, John Gilmore (making a rare appearance outside of the Sun Ra band), McCoy, Butch Warren and Elvin. This sextet can hold its own with The Jazz Messengers edition of that year, or any group for that matter. McCoy's two originals recorded by the sextet "Contemporary Focus" and "Three Flowers" are the albums standouts. Unfortunately, the remaining six songs that make up "Today and Tomorrow" are mediocre trio recordings that don't quite measure up to those on McCoy's previous trio recording, "Inception." It's too bad the album couldn't have been all music by that great sextet, but it's worth it all the same."