McCoy Tyner Introduction.
(Last updated; 19:11, 18 June 2001.)
This discography was begun on February 22, 1998. The intention behind the construction of this discography was first, personal; simply to have a ready reference handy on my computer of all of the existing recordings, official and unofficial of McCoy Tyner, who has enthralled me with his piano playing since first hearing him playing with Coltrane and a little later as a solo artist, on record and in concert; and secondly, the intention was to create a record, public record, of all the recorded work of McCoy Tyner. However, this initial approach was soon superseded by another, attempting to perceive where jazz, as a musical culture fitted within the frame of cultural developments in the 20th century.
This McCoy Tyner discography is based first on my own collection of McCoy Tyner recordings, either as leader or sideman, such as with John Coltrane. Additional information has been taken from both David Wild’s paper printed discography, the Spring 1997 edition, and from his growing internet Coltrane discography, at:
I cannot thank him enough for all the willing help and advice that he has afforded me. Also drawn on was, and deserving of equal gratitude, Rick Lopez’s internet discography, at:
http://www.velocity.net/~bb10k/WORKMAN.disc.html
and, of course, the Eric Dolphy internet discography, at:
http://farcry.neurobio.pitt.edu/Discographies/Ericdiscog.HTML
so ably maintained by Alan Saul.
Also used, and where more detailed discographical information on Coltrane can be obtained concerning the numerous issues of Coltrane material up until its publication, is the very remarkable discography by Yasuhiro Fujioka, in association with Lewis Porter and Yoh-ichi Hamada: John Coltrane: A Discography and Musical Biography, published by the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers- The State University of New Jersey, (1995). This was to be updated last year, 1997, and issued on CD-ROM, personal communication from Fujioka, 1997, now postponed, email communication from Lewis Porter in consequence of much of the information being contained in his recent very precise biography of Coltrane, John Coltrane; His Life and Music, The University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 1998. I have made full citation where information from any of these discographies has been used here.
Bibliography
Biographical Information
Born in Philadelphia, his full name is (Alfred) McCoy Tyner. He also has a Muslim name, Sulaimon Saud, having converted to Islam in. He began playing piano at the age of and to study it formally at 13, taking theory lessons at the Granoff School of Music.
Early influences include both Richie Powell, Bud Powell, Art Tatum, and Thelonious Monk, with perhaps the strongest later influence being John Coltrane. He began working professionally with the Benny Golson - Art Farmer Jazztet in 1959, with whom he worked until 1960 when he joined John Coltrane. (Coltrane had met McCoy Tyner in 1952, recorded one of Tyner’s tunes, The Believer, January 10, 1958.) McCoy Tyner made his first (official?) recording December 17, 1959, was first recorded with Coltrane, Privately, June 27, 1960 at the Jazz Gallery in New York City, officially by Atlantic, on June 28, 1960, at the Atlantic Recording Studio, New York City. His first recording as leader was made for Impulse, January 10, 1962, at the Van Gelder Studio- Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
More information to be added here.