Published April 1, 2001

There are several reasons to watch McCoy Tyner live on stage. First, and the most significant reason, is of course due to McCoy's reputation as John Coltrane's designated pianist during his Classic Quartet years with the Impulse label in the 60's. As a veteran pianist from the Coltrane group, McCoy has developed his own brand of jazz over the years. Second, McCoy is one of the finest (if not the finest) jazz pianists of our time, let alone of any decade. At the golden age of 63, McCoy is at the height of his creativity and virtuosity. Last but not least, hearing one of the most prominent jazz survivors in Washington DC's top jazz club is not merely a passable event. Case in point: McCoy Tyner Trio's tour-de-force performance at Blues Alley was the best jazz show I have ever been to.

I want to talk a little but about Blues Alley. Blues Alley is a cozy little jazz club, not unlike a cave, located in a back alley on Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown. Jazz lovers will immediately identify with this club and fall in love with its surroundings. The size of the club is neither as tiny as The Smalls nor as large as The Blue Note or Village Vanguard. It is of mid-size and can hold as many as 150 people. Therefore, advance booking of tickets is a necessity. Also, you have to be there a little early just to guarantee a good spot. My friend and I arrived at the show at 7:30 p.m., only 30 minutes before it started, and the house was already full. Luckily, (due to my connection with the club), we got front row seats, literally two inches away from Avery Sharpe's bass, which makes the whole jazz experience all the more worthwhile. As you already know, I prefer listening to jazz in a small club than at a concert hall. That way, and only that way, one can truly experience the soul and spontaneity of jazz musicians.

I first saw McCoy Tyner some four years ago at Cornell University. That time, he was playing with the Cornell Jazz Ensemble in our concert hall. Due to the bad acoustics of the premise and the mediocre backup of the Ensemble (it could hardly keep up with McCoy's rapid pace), McCoy's true colors were not adequately showcased. At Blues Alley, however, McCoy rendered a magical performance (it was more like a magic show) and demonstrated what it means by being a true jazz survivor. McCoy looks thinner and older from the last time I saw him, but his music remains the same: fluid, poetic and dynamic. That evening, the Queen Bee stung the audience with beautiful notes and well-thought-out ideas - we bathed in a sea of musicality.

After the MC announced the band, McCoy slowly and calmly walked towards the Steinway on the left of the stage, while his bassist and drummer were already settled at their spots. Without precaution, McCoy started "My Romance" by hitting fast notes. He led the first verse with solo piano and the bass and drums join in the second. McCoy's piano style is fast-paced and he often increases the tempo as the tune progresses. With the skills that Avery Sharpe and Aaron Scott possess, they could easily keep up with McCoy's hurried rhythms. Sharpe's talent on the bass was already showcased on the first tune; his first bass solo already placed the audience in utter speechlessness. The second song on McCoy's agenda was "Will You Still Be Mine," a rapidly executed ballad that pays tribute to its songwriters, Tom Adair and Matt Dennis. McCoy talked very little during the performance, but when he did, he provided us with a wry sense of humor (E.g. "Will You Still Be Mine?" Of course the obvious answer is "No."). The third song "For All We Know" features McCoy on solo piano, placing many spectators in a dreamlike ecstacy.

After three covers, McCoy invited his band members back on stage and started playing some of his originals. He first played "Flying High," a tune that celebrates his own traveling around the world as a musician. As McCoy described, "This song takes off, gets you where you want to go, and brings you back home safely." Indeed, McCoy did exactly that with the song, giving the audience a grand tour of heavenly peace. Aaron Scott was featured in a drum solo in "Flying High," even though there were few drum solos that evening.

"Let's slow things down a bit," says McCoy, as he introduced the next tune. "Happy Days," not necessarily a slow song, was played with extreme enthusiasm by the trio, including a much-inspired bass solo from Avery Sharpe. This song, which has an "Afro-Gospel" spice, reflected the days McCoy spent in Senegal, West Africa. The 90-minute gem ended with a 15-minute plus breathtaking blues standard, in which McCoy brought us back to the roots of all music. McCoy delivered the blues in a uniquely tranquil and moving manner, while Sharpe once again shined in an unforgettable walking blues scale solo. After the song was over, the audience burst into a heartfelt applause (which lasted for at least 12 minutes) and I saw tears in McCoy's eyes. Yes, he was moved by his own playing!!

McCoy left the stage while the applause was still lingering in the air. Not only did he leave us with an emotionally challenged evening, but he also made us ponder why we listen to jazz in the first place. The answer is different for everybody, but there's a reason why we all came out to that crowded room and listen to the maestro that night. McCoy spread the gospel of "human soul-bonding" with his notes and feelings in a fruitful 90-minute session. Only a master can fulfill such a task so effectively, and with such panache.