McCoy Tyner Trio & Michael Brecker - North Sea Jazz Festival 1996 - Full Concert

Recorded Live: 13 July 1996 - North Sea Jazz Festival 1996 - Jan Steen Zaal

McCoy Tyner: Piano
Michael Brecker: Tenor saxophone
Avery Sharpe: Bass
Aaron Scott: Drums

Setlist:
0:00:11 - Changes
0:14:31 - Mellow Minor
0:27:30 - Where is Love
0:39:28 - Have You Met Miss Jones
0:45:17 - Impressions

We have to keep the music alive! I’m happy to share this full concert recording only broadcasted once on Dutch television. This was my first McCoy Tyner concert to attend live and I was completely blown away by it. Recorded on S-VHS tape so I happily spent a few days restoring and optimizing the audio :-)

I think this entire concert is genius, but please note this version of Where is Love. Just after McCoy started his intro (27:30) for some reason Michael Brecker walks from stage. McCoy, not fully aware of this, suddenly finds that Michael is no longer there to play the melody (29:04). At this moment I'm completely caught up in how this will go on and a little surprised McCoy extends his intro.

Of course the intro has to come to an end now, the surprise for McCoy remains and he asks Avery if he wants to go solo, but he says “no”. The melody starts and what McCoy plays at 30:54 is in my opinion like an unconscious reflex of one of the greatest pianist of all time. For McCoy, playing the piano is like walking, largely subconscious. This allows him to be focused unimpeded on his feeling and expression thereof without technical limitations.

Then Michael returns (31:12) and McCoy smoothly switches back to accompanying, just as easy but refined. Having seen McCoy Tyner live, will remain incredible memories.

Enjoy!