On September 23, 2008
Jazz Legend MCCOY TYNER
Unveils GUITARS, A Star-Studded CD+DVD
Featuring The Robust Rhythm Section Of
RON CARTER & JACK DEJOHNETTE
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DEREK TRUCKS, BELA FLECK, BILL FRISELL,
JOHN SCOFIELD & MARC RIBOT
Legendary producer John Snyder oversaw the project along with executive producers Jeff Levenson, VP of McCoy Tyner Muisc/Half Note Records, and Steve Bensusan, President of the Blue Note Jazz Club. Said Levenson, "What impressed me about the project was how seamless the integration was. We have guys with disparate styles. You have guys who approach their instruments differently. The beauty of this project is how they all found common ground with McCoy."
The CD is accompanied by a state-of-the-art multiple-angle DVD featuring songs with each special guest guitarist and bonus footage. The DVD has 3 hours of multiple-angle viewing capability. By clicking the "ANGLE" button on the remote or the player on a computer, one can watch the Editor's Cut on Angle 1, all four musicians at once with Angle 2 (separately in four quadrants), or isolate any of the musicians and watch them exclusively with Angles 3 through 6.
JOHN SCOFIELD
Among the guitarists, there was a distinct feeling in the studio of excitement, awe, and apprehension. "Guitar is a little bit the odd man out in McCoy's kind of jazz," said Scofield, who chose to record McCoy Tyner classics "Mr. P.C." and "Blues On The Corner." "For me, just to get to play with McCoy is a really, really special, and to play with Jack DeJohnette and Ron Carter - these are really the greats, the gods of jazz - and I walk in that room that day, I couldn't believe I was playing with them, you know. I was very nervous, to tell you the truth, to play with my idols, but I was thrilled too."
DEREK TRUCKS
Derek Trucks perceived the chance to play with Tyner as a major opportunity. "My daughter's middle name is 'Naima,' and my son's named Charlie after Charlie Parker and Charlie Christiansen, so the influence is there. I don't proclaim to be a jazz player - it wasn't what I grew up doing - but it's heavily influenced what I do and it's definitely an element of it." By staying true to his own style, Trucks brought a new sound and concept to "Greensleeves" and "Slapback Blues," embodying the spirit of what jazz and improvisation is all about.
MARC RIBOT
Most of the guitarists were surprised by the call to play on the record. Marc Ribot was definitely the most surprised, commenting that he had no idea how he got the call. "You'll have to ask McCoy, really. I mean, maybe he was listening to those back Lounge Lizard's records and he decided he needed that. But it was a nice surprise." Ribot's nonchalant attitude about playing on the record is misleading. The only parameters were 'tonal' or 'atonal.' And so McCoy and Marc got into it - three short, discrete, unique duets that unfolded one after the other. It was exciting to see it happen, to hear it happen, to watch it materialize. And they might be McCoy's most aggressive and focused performances on the album." (The viewer can watch the full segment in its entirety on the DVD in the bonus footage section.)
BILL FRISELL / BELA FLECK
Rounding out the record are guitarist Bill Frisell and banjoist Bela Fleck who provide most of the original compositions on the record. Frisell, coined "The Phillip Glass of jazz" by Synder and "the most unassuming guitar player on this or any other planet," chose to play Tyner's "Contemplation" in addition to his own charts "Boubacar" and "Baba Drame." Equally at home was banjoist Fleck, who brought his furious picking to "My Favorite Things" and his originals "Amberjack" and "Trade Winds." "It was nice," said Tyner of playing with Fleck. "I've never recorded with banjo before, so that was an interesting thing right away, I could feel it, you know it just was great."
When asked about his recording future, Tyner thought for a time and spoke candidly. "I think there is always something to do that you haven't done exactly. There's always that - the idea of what else can I do, and something always comes up. No two days are the same. So we look forward to tomorrow cause that's going to be different from yesterday and today. Hopefully it's a good one!"
Tyner, who will turn 70 on December 11, is looking forward to a week-long celebration at The Blue Note Jazz Club in Manhattan that ends on his birthday.
