Jazz pianist Tyner dies
McCoy Tyner, the freeflowing jazz giant who played piano alongside John Coltrane, Donald Byrd and Art Blakey, has died. He was 81 years old.
His death was announced Friday on his Facebook page.
Born Alfred McCoy Tyner right before the beginning of World War II in Philadelphia, he began playing piano at the age of 13 with the encouragement of his mother, Beatrice.
By 16, Tyler was being paid to play.
By 21, he was collaborating with one of jazz’s great saxophone players. In 1960, Tyner teamed up with his friend, John Coltrane, on a journey that would transform him into one of the iconic jazz musicians of his age. When the two joined forces, Coltrane, who was also raised in Philly, was already an established musician who had been playing with Miles Davis for five years.
Tyner’s playing quickly became integral to Coltrane’s sound and is central to Coltrane albums like “My Favorite Things,” “A Love Supreme” and “Ascension.”
As a band leader, Tyner himself recorded well over 30 albums. Those include “Expansions,” “Asante” and “Sahara.” He won five
Grammy awards and was nominated 12 times.
A convert to Islam in his teen years, Tyner later settled down with his family in Queens He was honored by the National Endowment for the Arts as a jazz master in 2002 and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music in 2005.
Tyner’s Facebook page did not detail the cause of his death.
“McCoy was an inspired musician who devoted his life to his art, his family and his spirituality,” the message said. “McCoy Tyner’s music and legacy will continue to inspire fans and future talent for generations to come.”