McCoy Tyner Quartet 1
The McCoy Tyner Quartet performed at the Schwab Auditorium Thursday evening to a full house of jazz enthusiasts. The quartet includes McCoy Tyner on piano, Gary Bartz on saxophone, Gerald Cannon on bass and EricKamau Gravatt on drums.
IMAGE: Penn StateMcCoy Tyner Quartet 2
In a question-and-answer period before the concert, McCoy Tyner reflected on playing the piano in his mother's hair salon as a child.
IMAGE: Penn StateMcCoy Tyner Quartet 3
Born in 1938 in Philadelphia, McCoy Tyner became part of the jazz and R&B scene in the early 1950s. His parents supported his love for music from an early age, and his mother encouraged him to explore his musical interests through formal training.
IMAGE: Penn StateMcCoy Tyner Quartet 4
At 17, McCoy Tyner began a relationship with Miles Davis sideman saxophoneist John Coltrane. Tyner finally joined Coltrane for the classic album "My Favorite Things" in 1960 and remained at the core of what became one of the most seminal groups in jazz history, The John Coltrane Quartet.
IMAGE: Penn StateMcCoy Tyner Quartet 5
With Gerald Cannon on bass, Gary Bartz on saxophone, Eric Kamau Gavatt on drums and McCoy Tyner on piano, the quartet has sustained a level of jazz mastery for many years. Tyner has released nearly 80 albums under his name, earned four Grammy Awards and was awarded Jazz Master from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2002.
IMAGE: Penn StateMcCoy Tyner Quartet 6
McCoy Tyner continues to leave his mark on generations of improvisers.
IMAGE: Penn State