THE MEN arrived on the day of the concert. Raleigh was indifferent to their presence. The town was pre-occupied with its internal strife. All of these great men arriving at one time, and not one word in the daily papers. We had arrived a day earlier and were very familiar with local custom as it pertains to out-of-town "Blacks." From the moment we set foot on Raleigh soil it was very apparent that we were being watched. By the time we got to the motel it was obvious that we were persona non grata. White southerners have a way of affecting a very methodical and "accommodating" attitude whenever there are Black people they "have" to accommodate. I couldn't help but think about the early days (1959) of the "Sit-In" movement when the south was full of marches and demonstrations. It was hard to believe that this was America '69. Raleigh was alive with smoldering racial bitterness, policemen and I'm told FBI agents. On the evening of the concert, while this furious and dated collage of sight, sound and fury developed, Raleigh was to allow one of its few real chances for redemption, or at least understanding, pass almost without notice. Those of us inside the huge airy auditorium washed ourselves freely in the sound of hope and love created by Sonny Red and his men; the warm and holy waters of Yusef Lateef that lapped at our shores like gentle breakers along the Caribbean. McCoy and Freddie Waits sat in the Wings and listened intently to the Yusef Lateef Quartet. McCoy's trio had preceded Yusef's group on the program, and they had caused the audience to react from a region deep within. McCoy, his music, and the men he chooses to interpret his ideas always concert With the power and mastery of purpose of obeah.
The authority always emanates from McCoy, his musical environment is of such high calibre that wherever he takes it, there is always a quick and positive response. This man's music addresses itself to nerve ends, rather than the nervous system. that is why he can appeal to our emotional responses deep within. McCoy's presence made it a John Coltrane Memorial. Throughout McCoy's portion of the program one's ears could discern Trane's presence.
I learned some time ago not to try to recognize every tune McCoy plays during the course of a set or a concert. He possesses a wide range of original music, much of which is yet to be heard. We had all come to Raleigh at the invitation Of the brothers and sisters at Shaw University, to take part in their Black Arts Festival. It was really beautiful. As we moved about the large, clean lovely campus, there was an outpouring of easy kindness and warmth. This was such a natural setting for McCoy and his music. There's something about a college campus in spring, and on Shaw's campus where the overwhelming majority of the students are Black and are hard at work seeking truth through knowledge and its practical application, McCoy's music should be a ten credit course. I'm sure that if it were offered as such. no one would fail, mainly because of its relevance. Much of the music offered in those "music appreciation" courses are about as desired or appealing as a draft notice.
There is nothing sterile or mechanical about McCoy Tyner's music or his playing. McCoy has created his own musical vernacular and it is one that speaks on all levels. He eschews the cold technical, "'music for music's sake" approach for a more "real" and consequently more appealing type of development. In Africa, music is am integral and functioning part of everyday life. There are songs and dances for just about every occasion.
McCoy feels that music is a tool and should be used accordingly. Often, in the past, McCoy has reflected on aspects of his own life through his music. "Mode To John", "Man From Tanganyika", and "Blues on the Corner" are all songs that grew out of real life experiences for him. The years that McCoy spent with Trane were filled with love, truth, compassion, and learning. Those days are now very tender moments of his yesterdays. He recalls them with wistful and appropriate reverence. He speaks of many things, especially the affinity that existed among John, Elvin, Jimmy and himself. Weaker men would buckle over and spend a lifetime of regret after the passing Of such a monumental beacon in the darkness of our days. Weaker men would perhaps make the dreadful mistake of trying to "take up where John left Off," as it were. Few among us are able to know better than McCoy (Jimmy or Elvin) how futile (foolish) that could turn out to be.
McCoy Tyner has made his choice, and in view of the enormous ca city of the man, I say his choice has been correct. Which way could he go except his Own? Says he had to do it this way, in searching his broadly based and deep foundation for even more of himself, he is trying things. Make no mistake though, "trying things" does not mean idle experimentation. All of his yesterdays, todays and tomorrows are going into that search.
Each album bears the responsibility Of charting the chronology of his musical events and development. There is still a gap between each new release and the man. I guess it's impossible to determine his true apogee. Because his albums are not released in greater frequency, a musical bottleneck has developed. There was a time when one or two releases a year for an artist would be sufficient. In recent years though, the entire record industry has become embroiled in a kind of revolution of its own. For this reason, it has become necessary in most cases, to release albums on a more frequent basis. The heat of competition is intense in 'hot" or very "big" artists get the industry, consequently only very big artists get their music thrust into the inner circle. McCoy represents an area outside the "ring of fire" and his efforts simply do not receive the same type of urgent handling that many other artists do. Ironically. it's the artist outside the "ring of fire" Whose albums, for the most part, have the greater degree Of longevity. None of this excuses the fact that some artists should be heard from at more frequent intervals. McCoy and Wayne Shorter are the two candidates that I will nominate to get things started. (Blue Note, please note.)
Freddie Waits is one of the most beautiful souls I've met. He's honest, sincere, he has a Sense of humor and he is committed. You can hear a great part Of the same commitment in his playing. Freddie knows the importance of making a musical contribution whenever he plays. He swings freely from Johnny Hodges (with whom he recently and proudly recorded) to McCoy.
Herbie Lewis, is a paradox in that he too sounds so good, is so strong and seasoned on his instrument, yet his years belie his mastery. (The same is true for everyone on this date.) Herbie's commitment to life is manifest in his playing. I'm always impressed by his ability to "make sense" musically and verbally. Herbie Lewis can get long with anybody, anywhere, and he more than demonstrated that in Raleigh.
Bobby Hutcherson really does understand his instrument. He also loves it. Love and Understanding are the foundation on which this young brother creates. There is another very important aspect involved that is all too often overlooked. Bobby is not afraid to honestly acknowledge the "Reverend", Milt Jackson. Let's face it, if you're gonna play the vibes, you gotta go by Milt. Milt Jackson is the anchor man. Bobby is hip enough to appreciate Milt's prodigious contributions. He understands the history Of his instrument. In short, Bobby is a thinker, player, writer and innovator.
McCoy loves the vibes, he says he loves the sound Of the instrument. He has recorded with "Bags" and With Bobby. Little Madimba is about an African instrument found in the congo region. It is roughly similar to the xylophone in appearance. The Madimba, unlike the phone, has no metal parts in its construction. (McCoy has recorded on the Madimba.)
May Street and Blues on the Corner are related. McCoy was raised on what used to be May Street. (Urban renewal removed it.) African Village is, and Herbie, Freddie, Bobby and McCoy are living proof of that. They romp through it with all the spirit and fervor that one finds in an African Village. For the listener, they transform a state of mind into a statement of fact.
I once heard McCoy, Herbie and Freddie play Surrey at a concert and I've remembered the version till now. I really dig what they did with it here. They hijacked this Hammerstein-Rodgers vehicle With the fringe and steered it into new territory.
In his public appearances, McCoy usually does at least one solo piece. That is always very welcome. McCoy's approach to "standards" always bears a crisp lyrical freshness like the beads of dew on the petals of a rose at dawn.
I'm sure all who experienced the powers of McCoy in concert at Shaw University's John Coltrane Memorial will never forget the universality of the vast and bountiful world of the vast and beautiful bountiful world of McCoy Tyner. He plays healing music.
• Mode To John and Man from Tanganyika are from BST 84275
• Blues on the Corner is from BST 84264
• McCoy recorded with Bobby Hutcherson on BST 84244
ED WILLIAMS Maiden Voyage WLIB/FM
Civic Auditorium: Raleigh, N.C„ April 18, 1969
John Coltrane Memorial Concert
Shaw University's Black Arts Festival
PRODUCED BY DUKE PEARSON
Recording by RUDY VAN GELDER
Cover Photo by FRANK GAUNA
Recorded May 17, 1968
RVG CD Reissue Liner Notes
A NEW LOOK AT TIME FOR TYNER
"You never know what the situation will be," McCoy Tyner explained during a 1998 discussion about musical encounters with his peers. "Some ideas are good, some not so good." Since the occasion for our conversation was one of Tyner's periodic reunions with Bobby Hutcherson, it was clear that the idea of creating the partnership heard on the present recording (cut 30 years earlier) was very good indeed.
Hutcherson, who was also on hand when we spoke, got the collaboration rolling when he featured Tyner on the 1966 album Stick Up!, though as he noted his admiration for the pianist began even earlier. "I used to hear McCoy with John [Coltrane] at Birdland. In fact, I remember being there the night John hired Jimmy Garrison. When I finally started making sessions with him, McCoy probably recognized me as that guy in the audience."
"I knew who you were before then," Tyner corrected his friend. "I saw you playing with Gerald Wilson's big band in L.A., before you even came to New York."
Both musicians credited the fertile scene of the 1960s for nurturing their individual careers. "The whole environment was at one of its peaks, " the pianist stressed, "not just musically, but in literature and the theater, too. It was just normal then to look for new avenues...Every day you'd run into someone and say, 'Did you hear so-and-so?' or 'What are you writing?"'
"Everyone was exploring," Hutcherson concurred. "People who were waiting to get their cabaret cards would play in lofts, you could always find an after-hours session, and everyone was writing. It was just wonderful to be alive."
Such was the environment that produced Time for Tyner. As Ed Williams indicates in his original liner notes, it was a period of artistic and political struggle, of tragic losses, and newly discovered horizons. Tyner and Hutcherson were among the leading voices of the period, sharing a technical wizardry, harmonic and rhythmic sophistication, deep lyricism, and sense of proportion that made their partnership seem preordained. Their compatibility, so evident on these tracks, was instantaneous.
"Bobby's wife Rosemary has said that 'You two sound like one guy,"' Tyner noted, "and we do phrase together and know how to complement each other." Hutcherson added, "We don't make adjustments when we play together. For my part, I just let myself be swept away."
The approach has worked frequently over a span of nearly four decades, but never better than on this album, where Hutcherson was added to Tyner's working trio of the period. The program is similar to the music they have served up since then in its mix of original compositions and standards. Tyner's tunes and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" are by the full quartet; "Surrey" is a trio track and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" a piano solo. While Tyner's three outstanding contributions have rarely been heard in subsequent years, they have not been forgotten, and by coincidence the pair performed "May Street" on the evening of our conversation. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" is the lone title to have reappeared in either man's discography. Tyner returned to it in duo with Stéphane Grappelli in 1980 and with his then-new trio in 1985.
Tyner and Hutcherson, in contrast, have managed to reunite in the recording studio quite frequently, generally under the pianist's name. Several of these ventures have reprised the quartet format heard here — Tyner's 4x4 (1980) and Land of Giants (2002) and Hutcherson's So/o/Quartet (1982) — but the pianist has also included Hutcherson on the larger ensemble projects Sama Layuca (1974), Together (1978), and La Leyenda de la Hora (1982). As co-leaders, they recorded the beautiful duo album Manhattan Moods for Blue Note in 1993.
Credit is also due Herbie Lewis and Freddie Waits for their contribution to the present music. Lewis, who also appears on Stick Up! and So/o/Quartet, was an associate of the vibist's since their California days (they first recorded together with Les McCann in 1960) and was a member of the quintet Hutcherson led with Harold Land. Waits, who died in 1988, may currently be best known as the father of drummer Nasheet Waits but was an inspired accompanist throughout his own career. Lewis and Waits were Tyner's rhythm section of choice in the late-'60s, and can also be heard in support of the pianist on Tyner's Blue Note albums Expansions and Cosmos.
— Bob Blumenthal, 2005
