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.
Sweet And Lovely
McCoy Tyner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweet and lovely heaven must have sent her my way
Skies above me never were as blue as her eyes
And she loves me, who would want a sweeter surprise
When she nestles in my arms so tenderly
There's a thrill that words cannot express
In my heart a song of love is taunting me, melody, haunting me
And she loves me, there is nothing more I can say
Sweet and lovely sweeter than the roses in May
Sweet and lovely heaven must have sent her my way
Skies above me never were as blue as her eyes
And she loves me, who would want a sweeter surprise
When she nestles in my arms so tenderly
There's a thrill that words cannot express
In my heart a song of love is taunting me, melody, haunting me
Sweet and lovely sweeter than the roses in May
And she loves me, there is nothing more I can say
The lyrics of McCoy Tyner's song "Sweet and Lovely" express a deep appreciation and love for a woman who is portrayed as being sweeter and more beautiful than anything else in the world. The imagery of the lyrics is very vivid and romantic, with references to flowers, the sky, and the emotions felt when she is close.
The first verse describes how the woman is both sweet and lovely, surpassing even the beauty of flowers in May. The following line suggests that her arrival in the singer's life was not a coincidence but rather was sent from heaven. The next line refers to the blue of her eyes, which are more striking than the skies above. Finally, the verse ends by expressing the happiness felt by the singer because the woman loves him and is his.
In the second verse, the singer continues to describe the feeling of being near the woman. He references the physical sensation of holding her in his arms, describing a thrill that cannot be put into words. However, he also acknowledges that there is an emotional aspect to his love for her, as there exists a song of love within his heart which haunts him. The verse ends on a repetition of the opening lines, with the singer again expressing his adoration for the woman and the fact that she loves him back.
Overall, the lyrics of "Sweet and Lovely" are straightforward and sentimental, expressing the deep love and admiration one person can feel for another.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet and lovely sweeter than the roses in May
She is exceptionally sweet and lovely; her beauty is even sweeter than that of flowers in the month of May.
Sweet and lovely heaven must have sent her my way
Her beauty is so divine and perfect, it must be a gift from heaven.
Skies above me never were as blue as her eyes
Her eyes are incredibly blue, so much so that they surpass the blueness of the skies above.
And she loves me, who would want a sweeter surprise
The joy of being loved by someone so sweet and lovely is the ultimate surprise.
When she nestles in my arms so tenderly
The feeling of having her in his arms, holding her gently, is beyond words.
There's a thrill that words cannot express
It’s impossible to capture the joy and excitement of having her in his arms using words alone.
In my heart a song of love is taunting me, melody, haunting me
His heart is filled with a sweet melody of love, which in turn, is haunting him with affection.
And she loves me, there is nothing more I can say
The fact that she loves him, speaks for itself. There are no words to describe the extent of his happiness.
Lyrics © Freibank Musikverlags und vermarktungs GmbH, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing, HARRY TOBIAS MUSIC COMPANY, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles N. Daniels, Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
pianojazz66
Thanks for posting!
xLauux
♥ great