Enjoyed this long and substantial offering from The New York Times, “5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Jazz Piano.” All the music here is GREAT, but this is also one of the most uncompromising "gateway drug" lists I've ever seen. Herbie Hancock's "The Egg," for example, is probably almost off-putting to a civilian. (Of course
FWIW, my gateway into jazz piano was a McCoy Tyner concert at Blues Alley in DC, Thelonious Monk Straight No Chaser (film and soundtrack), and Sonny Rollins, Vol 2 (with Monk and Horace Silver). My advice to people would be to find a couple things they like, start exploring, and let the process take you wherever...
Mar 6, 2023·edited Mar 6, 2023Liked by ETHAN IVERSON
Those NYT Five Minutes articles are problematic, speaking as a journalist here. The listicle format suggests they're meant to reach a broad audience, but the content is all over the map. For crowd-pleasing piano, maybe Geri Allen playing Feed the Fire.
As far as McCoy goes (which is very very far) it’s impossible to pick a single track (which is why these NYT lists are frustrating to connoisseurs), I’d raise my hand for two solo albums: Echoes of a Friend (1974) and the live Revelations (1988). I can never get enough of his level of mastery.
Nice to see the mention of Stanley Cowell there. My own McCoy Tyner choice would be something from "Supertrios" (1977), maybe "I Mean You". You have to know your audience though. 😉
“Passion Dance” from “The Real McCoy”; or “Ebony Queen” from “Sahara”. Or, and I know this is from left field, “Song of the New World” from album of the same name. I fell so hard for that when I was 19!
This does remind me of an interview with Miles Davis that was in Downbeat in 1988 (I think). It was when the autobiography was published. The interviewer asked him his opinion of the Coltrane Quartet. Miles said he didn’t listen to it because he didn’t like “that piano player”. He said, “He played so loud!”. The interviewer responded, “You mean McCoy?!!!”. I could imagine his jaw hitting the floor!
FWIW, my gateway into jazz piano was a McCoy Tyner concert at Blues Alley in DC, Thelonious Monk Straight No Chaser (film and soundtrack), and Sonny Rollins, Vol 2 (with Monk and Horace Silver). My advice to people would be to find a couple things they like, start exploring, and let the process take you wherever...
Those NYT Five Minutes articles are problematic, speaking as a journalist here. The listicle format suggests they're meant to reach a broad audience, but the content is all over the map. For crowd-pleasing piano, maybe Geri Allen playing Feed the Fire.
As far as McCoy goes (which is very very far) it’s impossible to pick a single track (which is why these NYT lists are frustrating to connoisseurs), I’d raise my hand for two solo albums: Echoes of a Friend (1974) and the live Revelations (1988). I can never get enough of his level of mastery.
Am I nuts to suggest McCoy on “My Favorite Things”? His solo certainly qualifies as a ‘gateway drug’. It was for me. The first listen’s free, kid!
I taught my heart t.o sing ; crossing the channel
Nice to see the mention of Stanley Cowell there. My own McCoy Tyner choice would be something from "Supertrios" (1977), maybe "I Mean You". You have to know your audience though. 😉
“Passion Dance” from “The Real McCoy”; or “Ebony Queen” from “Sahara”. Or, and I know this is from left field, “Song of the New World” from album of the same name. I fell so hard for that when I was 19!
This does remind me of an interview with Miles Davis that was in Downbeat in 1988 (I think). It was when the autobiography was published. The interviewer asked him his opinion of the Coltrane Quartet. Miles said he didn’t listen to it because he didn’t like “that piano player”. He said, “He played so loud!”. The interviewer responded, “You mean McCoy?!!!”. I could imagine his jaw hitting the floor!