TT 48: McCoy Tyner, Hands and Feet
RIP McCoy Tyner, a giant of American music.
A major DTM essay from two years ago: “McCoy Tyner’s Revolution.”
Two important publications have quoted this bit from the above piece: "No one — not Art Tatum, not Powell, not Monk, not Bill Evans — dropped a bomb on jazz pianists quite like McCoy Tyner. There was pre-McCoy and post-McCoy, and that was all she rote."
"She rote" is obviously incorrect. Both Rolling Stone and Philadelphia Inquirer changed "rote" to "wrote."
However, my misspelling was intentional — perhaps it was a questionable choice, but I was referencing the Charlie Parker tune, “She Rote.” I was trying to be hip...not sure if it worked, especially since "she wrote" is not that good without the Bird.
Anyway, I never get these kind of things past an editor at a magazine -- with good reason, I guess -- and of course DTM is riddled with typos anyway. For me this is a (minor) teachable moment.
More on McCoy shortly, I definitely have more to say. For now: After I heard the news I did a lite transcription of “Surrey With the Fringe on Top.” With Herbie Lewis and Freddie Waits, from Time for Tyner, 1968. If you want the PDF, reply to this email and I’ll send it to you. (Eventually it will also be part of the next Tyner DTM entry.)
—-
The Threepenny Review offers the occasional symposium on a topic chosen by editor Wendy Lesser. This month the topic is “Hands and Feet.” My contribution is, of course, about the drum set.