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.
My Funny Valentine
McCoy Tyner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweet comic valentine
You make me smile with my heart
Your looks are laughable
Unphotographable
Yet your my favorite work of art
Is your figure less than Greek?
When you open it to speak
Are you smart?
But don't change your hair for me
Not if you care for me
Stay, little Valentine, stay
Each day is Valentine's
Stay Valentine
Each day is Valentine, my Valentine
Each day is Valentine's day
"My Funny Valentine" is a jazz standard written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the 1937 musical Babes in Arms. The song shows a contrast between the way the singer sees their lover and the way the world views them. The opening lines, "My funny Valentine, sweet comic Valentine," suggest that the person is not conventionally attractive, but their lover finds them endearing nevertheless. The next line, "You make me smile with my heart," suggests that the person's inner beauty is what truly captivates their lover.
The next two lines, "Your looks are laughable, unphotographable," reinforce the idea that the person is not conventionally attractive. However, the line "Yet you're my favorite work of art" suggests that the lover values the person for who they are on the inside, not their appearance.
The next section questions whether the person is smart or physically perfect, but ultimately concludes that the lover wants them to stay just the way they are. The final lines, "Each day is Valentine's day," suggests that the singer will continue to see their lover as their special Valentine every day.
Line by Line Meaning
My funny valentine
My beloved partner who is unique and quirky
Sweet comic valentine
You are more than just a lover, you bring joy and laughter into my life
You make me smile with my heart
I feel deeply happy and content when I am with you
Your looks are laughable
Your physical appearance is not conventionally attractive, but I find it endearing nonetheless
Unphotographable
Capturing your essence in a photo is impossible, as it is something that can only be experienced
Yet your my favorite work of art
Despite not conforming to societal beauty standards, you are the most beautiful thing to me and I treasure you
Is your figure less than Greek?
Does your body not adhere to western beauty ideals?
Is your mouth a little weak?
Do you struggle to express yourself verbally?
When you open it to speak, are you smart?
Your intelligence is not defined by your ability to speak, and I value your mind over your words
But don't change your hair for me
I do not want you to alter your physical appearance to please me
Not if you care for me
If you truly love me, you do not need to change yourself
Stay, little Valentine, stay
I want you to stick around and be my Valentine
Each day is Valentine's
Every day we spend together feels like Valentine's Day
Stay Valentine
Remain my beloved partner, my Valentine
Each day is Valentine, my Valentine
Every day is special and meaningful when I am with you, my Valentine
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Grant Koeller
Mccoy was one of the greatest who ever played piano!!!
Aubrey Camacho,MD
This is a wonderful arrangement of a classic and headed by John Coltrane's favorite pianist. This is simply beautiful.
Dreamer8girl
¸.•*¨*•¸☆ Otaku-san,
A very enjoyable performance. It was an absolute pleasure to hear.
Thank you so much!!
Ro Dreamer
60otaku4
You're most welcome, Ro Dreamer-san!!
Otaku4 (^o^)/
Bernabé Fernández Touceda
this is a hard bop classic in my book
MrChetbak
oui, très beau !
ben landro
Bird Lives!