1. Alfred McCoy Tyner was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards.
23 Facts About McCoy Tyner
1. 2.
McCoy Tyner was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Grammy Award winner.
3.
McCoy Tyner was born on December 11,1938, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the eldest of Jarvis and Beatrice McCoy Tyner's three children.
4.
McCoy Tyner was encouraged to study piano by his mother, who had installed a piano at her beauty salon.
5.
When he was 13, McCoy Tyner began piano lessons at Granoff School of Music, where he studied music theory and harmony.
6.
When he was 17, McCoy Tyner converted to Ahmadiyya and changed his name to Suleiman Saud.
7.
McCoy Tyner played professionally in Philadelphia, becoming part of its modern jazz scene.
8.
McCoy Tyner worked with the band during its extended run at the Jazz Gallery, replacing Steve Kuhn.
9.
In late 1962 and the first half of 1963, McCoy Tyner was asked by producer Bob Thiele to record more straightforward jazz albums as a leader.
10.
McCoy Tyner's playing is exciting and exceptional on all of the tracks.
11.
In 1966, McCoy Tyner rehearsed with a new trio and embarked on a career as a bandleader.
12.
McCoy Tyner produced a series of post-bop albums released by Blue Note between 1967 and 1970.
13.
McCoy Tyner signed with Milestone Records and recorded such albums as Sahara and Echoes of a Friend, Enlightenment, and Fly with the Wind, which included flutist Hubert Laws, drummer Billy Cobham, and a string orchestra.
14.
On Trident McCoy Tyner played the harpsichord and celesta, instruments rarely heard in jazz.
15.
Unlike many jazz keyboardists of his generation, McCoy Tyner rarely used electronic keyboards or synthesizers.
16.
McCoy Tyner recorded some solo albums for Blue Note, beginning with Revelations and culminating in Soliloquy.
17.
McCoy Tyner died at his home in Bergenfield, New Jersey, on March 6,2020.
18.
McCoy Tyner is considered one of the most influential jazz pianists of the late 20th century, an honor he earned during and after his time with Coltrane.
19.
McCoy Tyner, who was left-handed, played with a low bass left hand and raised his arm high above the keyboard for an emphatic attack.
20.
McCoy Tyner was named a 2002 NEA Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts.
21.
McCoy Tyner won five Grammy Awards: for The Turning Point and Journey and best instrumental jazz album for Illuminations, Infinity, and Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane.
22.
McCoy Tyner was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music at the Sala dei Notari during the Umbria Jazz Festival.
23.
McCoy Tyner was a judge for the 6th, 10th and 11th annual Independent Music Awards.