|
Tyner gives jazz series fine debut
Tyner gives jazz series fine debut
By Kevin Lynch
The recent concert by pianist McCoy Tyner provided an auspicious debut for the Isthmus jazz concert series, an outgrowth of the annual Isthmus Jazz Festival that has relocated to the Wisconsin Union.
Now that the great drummer Elvin Jones is dead, Tyner is the last living link to the original and immeasurably historic John Coltrane Quartet.
So an emotional weight hung in the air from the opening moments. My feelings for Tyner remain strong and respectful.
If only they remain as joyous. For this reason I've paused until now to comment. Tyner's artistic integrity and graciousness are as vibrant as ever. He played with a lyrical vigor and the full-bodied chording one has grown to expect.
Milestone
McCoy Tyner's 1972 album "Sahara."
Yet it was sobering to sense, with each passing piece, the fading of this prodigious pianist's powers. The astonishing right-hand dexterity, grace and explosiveness, which he worked so hard to achieve, have apparently passed. Tyner played few substantial solos even as the primary soloist in a trio setting.
I suspected his diminished capabilities several years ago at the Chicago Jazz Festival. Tyner reportedly has suffered recently from unspecified medical problems, from which we only hope he will recover.
If not, this concert may serve as a final in-person farewell to the Coltrane quartet legacy, at least in terms of Madison's experience.
Bassist Charnett Moffett provided creative and youthful vitality with his soloing, especially with a remarkable, nimble-wristed strumming technique that had the crowd buzzing. Drummer Eric Gravatt seemed somewhat restrained, perhaps to avoid the appearance of pushing Tyner.
I record these thoughts in tribute to a musician I respect as much as any. As a music journalist, I rarely have ever requested a musician's autograph, preferring to remain in a position of critical reserve. Many years ago, I made an exception with Tyner, who cordially signed his "Sahara" album with the bold script I expected of this artist at the height of his powers.
Tyner's concert also underscored the importance of acknowledging and supporting the great jazz artists of the pre-fusion era who are fading all too quickly into history. This was the first of three concerts in the Isthmus series.
For the second, pianist Eddie Palmieri will perform his first-ever Madison concert at 8 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Union Theater. "The king of Latin jazz" remains, by most accounts, at the height of his powers. Palmieri, who recently won his eighth Grammy award, has just released a spitfire of a CD. "Simpatico," by the Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project, features trumpeter Lynch, the Milwaukee native who has worked with Palmieri for the years, along with numerous jazz greats.
|
Linear Mode
