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Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture > Video Oral History Gallery Video Gallery Cataloging Data: McCoy TynerLocation
Schomburg-MIRS
Call #
Sc Visual VRA-192 Service copy.
Sc Visual VRB-2025 Original of: VRA-192.
Author
Tyner, McCoy, interviewee.
Title
Oral history interview with McCoy Tyner, 24 April 1995
[videorecording] / interviewer, Billy Taylor.
Imprint
1995.
Description
1 videocassette (1 hr., 28 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.
012800
Note
Title supplied; duration: 1 hr., 28 min.
Credits
Produced and directed by James Briggs Murray.
Note
Tyner performs his composition Home on piano.
Recorded on April 24, 1995, at the Schomburg Center
for Research in Black Culture, Louis Armstrong
Jazz Oral History Project.
Summary
The oral history interview with McCoy Tyner documents his
childhood in Philadelphia, his musical orientation and
development, and his career as a jazz pianist and composer.
Tyner's father sang in a church quartet, his beautician mother
adored piano; local jazz musicians held jam sessions in her
beauty salon. At 13, Tyner began piano lessons, at 14 he got
his first piano followed by theory classes at Granoff Music
School. In junior high school he formed an R & B band, played
first gig at 15. Tyner describes the music scene in Philadelphia
at that period: Bud Powell, Max Roach, Lee Morgan, et al, and
how inspiring and supportive these musicians were to him. At 17
while playing with Cal Massey, Tyner met John Coltrane, was
invited to work with Max Roach in NYC, but remained in Philly.
He later joined a jazztet with Billy Goldstein, played in
Philadelphia and briefly in San Francisco where he met Wes
Montgomery. This jazztet along with Bud Powell, Thelonius
Monk, Art Tatum, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald were early
influences. Recalls seeing Duke Ellington , meeting Count
Basie, Sonny Rollins and almost meeting Billie Holiday. Tyner
later worked closely with Coltrane; he describes how they
developed their repertoire and free style together.
Tyner elaborates on the music scene in Philadelphia in his
younger years and how it fostered musical growth without binding
younger musicians to recording contracts. This thriving music
scene offered the experience of playing with numerous musicians
which Tyner found to be very enriching and educational. Tyner
expresses his feelings on performing solo and playing his open
style (which he demonstrates by playing Home), and on his desire
to write more compositions to include lyrics. Tyner tells about
his travels to Japan and describes the Japanese' appreciation of
music, his travels to Africa, particularly Senegal, and the
similarities between African and African-American music.
Currently Tyner is travelling alot with his trio, he occasionally
works with a big band, and is also composing and arranging. He
intends to do more orchestral work and more work with vocals/
voices. Tyner concludes the interview by expressing his
gratitutde for his life's work and for having had the company
of great fellow musicians; he hopes young people will always
have opportunities to enjoy the music.
Note
Reproduction. Originally produced: New York, N.Y. :Schomburg Center
for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library, 1995.
1 videocassette (MII) ; 1/2 in. VHS.
Use terms
Permission required to site, quote and reproduce; contact
repository for information.
Biography/History
McCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist, composer and arranger. Tyner was
born in Philadelphia, began playing piano as a teen and studied at
the Granoff Music School. He began playing in his own group in
high school, with Cal Massey at age 17, later with Billy Goldstein,
Max Roach, and John Coltrane. Tyner is known for his open style
and currently performs solo, with his trio and occasionally
with a big band.
Note
Forms part of: Louis Armstrong Jazz Oral History Project.
In
Louis Armstrong Jazz Oral History Project
Subject
Tyner, McCoy -- Childhood and youth.
Tyner, McCoy -- Interviews.
Tyner, McCoy -- Journeys.
Tyner, McCoy -- Views on music industry.
Tyner, McCoy Home.
Armstrong, Louis, 1900-1971 -- Influence.
Coltrane, John, 1926-1967.
Coltrane, John, 1926-1967 -- Influence.
Goldstein, Billy.
Holiday, Billie, 1915-1959 -- Influence.
Massey, Cal.
Monk, Thelonius -- Influence.
Powell, Bud -- Influence.
Afro-American composers.
Afro-American musicians.
Composition (Music) -- Technique.
Jazz -- Pennsylvania -- History.
Jazz musicians -- United States -- Interviews.
Pianists -- United States -- Interviews.
Piano -- Methods (Jazz).
Piano Music (Jazz).
Form/genre
Interviews.
Biographies.
Additional name
Taylor, Billy, 1921- interviewer.
Tyner, McCoy Performer.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Louis Armstrong
Jazz Oral History Project.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Donor
The Louis Armstrong Jazz Oral History Project was funded by the
Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc.
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