Tyner was born in Philadelphia as the oldest of three children. He was encouraged to study piano by his mother. He finally began studying the piano at age 13 and within two years, music had become the focal point in his life. His early influences included Bud Powell, a Philadelphia neighbor. Among many other things, Tyner's playing can be distinguished by a low bass left hand, in which he tends to raise his arm relatively high above the keyboard for an emphatic attack, creating at times a veritable tsunami of sound. Tyner's unique right hand soloing is recognizable for a detached, or staccato quality, and descending arpeggios, both of a triadic shape and in other patterns. His unique approach to chord voicing has influenced a wide array of contemporary jazz pianists.
Tyner's first main exposure came with Benny Golson being the first pianist in Golson's and Art Farmer's legendary Jazztet (1960). After departing the Jazztet, Tyner joined Coltrane's group in 1960. (Coltrane had known Tyner for a while, and featured one of the pianist's compositions, "The Believer", as early as 1958.) He appeared on the saxophonist's popular recording of "My Favorite Things" for Atlantic Records. The Coltrane Quartet, which consisted of Coltrane on tenor sax, Tyner, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums, toured almost non-stop between 1961 and 1965 and recorded a number of classic albums, including Live at the Village Vanguard, Ballads, Live at Birdland, Crescent, A Love Supreme, and The John Coltrane Quartet Plays ..., on the Impulse! label.
Tyner has recorded a number of highly influential albums in his own right. While in Coltrane's group, he recorded a series of relatively conservative albums (primarily in the piano trio format) for Impulse, starting with the fleet-fingered Inception (1962), which showcases Tyner's work as a composer. After leaving Coltrane's group, Tyner began a series of post-bop albums released on the Blue Note label, in the 1967–1970 time frame (The Real McCoy, 1967; Tender Moments, 1967; Expansions, 1968; Extensions, 1970). Soon thereafter he moved to the Milestone label and recorded many influential albums, including Sahara (1972), Enlightenment (1973), and Fly With The Wind (1976), which featured flautist Hubert Laws, drummer Billy Cobham, and a string orchestra. His music for Blue Note and Milestone often took the Coltrane quartet's music as a point of departure and also incorporated African and East Asian musical elements. On Sahara, for instance, Tyner plays koto, in addition to piano, flute, and percussion. These albums are often cited as examples of vital, innovative jazz from the 1970s that was neither fusion nor free jazz. Trident (1975) is notable for featuring Tyner on harpsichord (rarely heard in jazz) and celeste, in addition to his primary instrument, piano. Often cited as a major influence on younger jazz musicians, Tyner still records and tours regularly and played from the 1980s through '90s with a trio that included Avery Sharpe on bass and Aaron Scott on drums. He made a trio of mature yet vibrant solo recordings for Blue Note, starting with Revelations (1988) and culminating with Soliloquy (1991). Today Tyner records for the Telarc label and has been playing with different trios, the most recent of which includes Charnett Moffett on bass and Eric Harland on drums.
Tyner was a Sunni Muslim for a period of time beginning at the age of eighteen. His Muslim name was Sulaimon Saud. Today Tyner does not practice a specific religion.
McCoy Tyner was also married at one time and has three sons. His brother, Jarvis Tyner, is a high official in the leadership of the American Communist Party. McCoy, however, is not a pronounced advocate of any political ideology.
Autumn Leaves
McCoy Tyner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
The first two lines of McCoy Tyner's "Autumn Leaves" set the tone for the melancholy that runs through the song. The falling leaves drifting by the window represent the end of summer and the season's transition into autumn. The image of leaves in red and gold, the classic colors of autumn, emphasizes the passing of time and the idea that nothing can remain the same forever. The singer then recalls happier times, remembering the summer kisses and sun-burned hands that they used to hold. The use of visual and tactile imagery evokes a sense of nostalgia and longing for a time that has passed.
Line by Line Meaning
The falling leaves drift by the window
The leaves of autumn fall and move by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold
The leaves which fall during autumn are of a red and golden hue
I see your lips, the summer kisses
I remember your lips and the kisses we shared during summer
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
I remember holding your hands sunburned by the summer sun
Since you went away the days grow long
The days seem to be longer since you left
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
Winter is coming and its presence can be felt
But I miss you most of all my darling
Above all else, I miss you, my love
When autumn leaves start to fall
Especially when the leaves start to fall during autumn
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
It's a song that resembles us
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
You loved me and I loved you
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
We both lived together
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
You who loved me and I who loved you
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
But life separates those who love each other
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Gently, without making any noise
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
And the sea erases on the sand the footsteps of separated lovers
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Springstoff GmbH, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jacques Prevert, Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chan Gysi
A thrilling, swinging version of this jazz hit - I love it as well as the rest of the record with Thad Jones, Frank Strozier, John Gilmore, Butch Warren, Elvin Jones
tyler stoering
Love it.
Burt472
One of the greatest
Esquire Sims Jr
Rest In Power, Dr McCoy Tyner!
Robert Gee
Robertgee..what else is to say...magical....the great piano player bar none..you know his background....mozart,picasso
Hendrix,....coltrane..those greats come along once..never to be duplicated...t.mccoy..the master!!!!!
Johnny Bigoode
picasso
Derek Bunyak
This is awesome.
Mike Jenkins
RIP McCoy Tyner
Russ Kincaid
Thank you Mr Tyner. RIP
Helen Jones
Beautiful