McCoy Tyner - Aisha

McCoy Tyner grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He took traditional classical piano lessons from a neighbor and was inspired by music by Art Tatum and Thelonius Monk, but it was the musicians in his Philadelphia neighborhood that shaped his development. He played jam sessions with Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, and Reggie Workman and was asked by John Coltrane to join him while still a student in high school. Coltrane was making plans to leave Miles Davis' band and form his own.  It was around this time that Tyner converted to Islam. This spiritual journey influences his playing as he explored who he was and in turn explored new tonal and modal  structures.

It almost seems Tyner played and recorded with all the famous musicians of his day. While Tyner was known for an energetic style that embraced African, Latin, Eastern, and bebop rhythms, he had a special love for ballads. Ballads revealed one's passion according to Tyner. Aisha was written for his wife and  is one of the few actually recorded by John Coltrane. This particular recording showcases Tyner's expressive style and features Hubert Laws on flute, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Bernie Maupin on tenor, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Stanley Clarke on Bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Bill Summers on percussion.