Recorded on April 24 - 25, 1979
McCoy Tyner made an enormous splash with his Milestone albums during the first half of the 1970s. Records like Sahara (1972), Enlightenment (1973), and Atlantis (1974), offered listeners explosive "acoustic" jazz that was as forceful and volcanic as any electric alternative, rock or otherwise. While these albums built on the legacy of his former employer, John Coltrane, Tyner also forged an identity distinct from Trane that solidified his position as one of the most important figures in jazz.
As much as I enjoy these albums from the early-70s, I think Horizon is more musically satisfying. John Blake's violin adds new colors to the ensemble's palette. Plus, there's a pleasing ebb and flow to the music. For this listener, Tyner's unremitting and relentless drive, which is undeniably thrilling at first, can become exhausting over time. Horizon is more balanced.
More McCoy Tyner
Arguably, Tyner's most important recordings (as a leader) were made during the 1970s. Listeners owe it to themselves to dive deeply into his discography. Along with the albums listed above, I recommend:
- Extensions (Blue Note, 1970)
- Asante (Blue Note, 1970)
- Song for My Lady (Milestone, 1972)
- Echoes of a Friend (Milestone, 1972)
- Song of the New World (Milestone, 1973)
- Sama Layuca (Milestone, 1974)
- Trident (Milestone, 1975)
- Fly with the Wind (Milestone, 1975)
- Supertrios (Milestone, 1977)
- The Greeting (Milestone, 1978)
- Passion Dance (Milestone, 1978)
- Counterpoints: Live in Tokyo (Milestone, 1978 [2004])
- Together (Milestone, 1979)
Another bias: I loved Tyner's trio albums on Impulse while he was with Coltrane, and of course his work in the classic Coltrane quartet is unsurpassable. I also got into Asante, Extensions, and Echoes of a Friend. Those are great albums that document a progression into long-form composition and multi-instrumental arrangements. I didn't really warm up to Sahara, Passion Dance, and the large band groups McCoy put together in the 1970s. I don't think I even heard about Horizon until reading this blog 5 days ago.
ReplyDeleteI decided to download the album and give it a listen, as part of my program to unplug my biases (and ears). Wow! Was I surprised. This is truly a great album and gets me past the preconceptions of late 1970s Tyner. I will spend more time with it, but for now just am happy with the discovery. And of course I will try to challenge my remaining preconceptions moving forward.
I appreciated the analysis by Scott, which aligns with another review written by Michael G. Nastos. Thanks!