Afro Blue (album)

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Afro Blue
Compilation album by McCoy Tyner
Released	November 13, 2007
Recorded	1998-2003
Genre	Jazz, Latin Jazz
Length	54:25
Label	Telarc
Producer	Elaine Martone
Professional reviews
All About Jazz (favorable) link iTunes (favorable)
McCoy Tyner chronology
Quartet (2006) Afro Blue (2007)

Afro Blue is a jazz album by musician McCoy Tyner, released on November 13, 2007. It compiles recordings from his albums on Telarc Records, documenting his eight-year tenure with the label.

McCoy Tyner, one of the most innovative and influential jazz piano players of the last four decades, has been a recurring luminary on the Telarc roster since the release of "McCoy Tyner and the Latin Jazz All-Stars" in 1999. Since that initial Telarc offering, he has recorded four additional sets on the prestigious label: "McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster" (2000), "Jazz Roots" (2000), "Land of Giants" (2003) and "Illuminations" (2004). In groups ranging from the nine piece Latin Jazz Ensemble, a quintet, a quartet, a trio and solo piano, this collection demonstrates how Tyner has never stopped innovating and has only gotten stronger over the years. The title track is a riveting 12 and a half minute burner. Tyner's solo performance of Gershwin's "Summertime" is a harmonic revelation, and along with his reinterpretation of "If I Were a Bell" with Bobby Hutcherson demonstrates how he breathes new life into these often played standards. "Afro Blue" is a cross section of Tyner's greatness captured in eight tracks culled from his Telarc catalog. - excerpt from product description.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Afro Blue" (Mongo Santamaria) – 12:23
2. "If I Should Lose You" (Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger) – 6:24
3. "You Taught My Heart to Sing" (McCoy Tyner) – 5:39
4. "If I Were a Bell" (Frank Loesser) – 7:50
5. "Summertime" (George Gershwin) – 4:51
6. "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (Jerome Brainin) – 4:52
7. "Blue Bossa" (Kenny Dorham) – 6:51
8. "Carriba" (McCoy Tyner) – 5:38

_{1 & 7 from "McCoy Tyner and the Latin Jazz All-Stars" (1999)}

_{6 & 8 from "McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster" (2000)}

_{3 & 5 from "Jazz Roots" (2000)}

_{4 from "Land of Giants" (2003)}

_{2 from "Illuminations" (2004)}

[edit] Personnel

• McCoy Tyner - piano
• Johnny Almendra - timbales (1,7)
• Gary Bartz - saxophone (1, 2, 7)
• Ignacio Berroa - drums (1, 7)
• Giovanni Hidalgo - percussion (1, 7)
• Claudio Roditti - trumpet, flugelhorn (1, 7)
• Avery Sharpe - bass (1, 7)
• Steve Turré - trombone, shells (1, 7)
• Dave Valentin - flute (1, 7)
• Christian McBride - bass (2)
• Lewis Nash - drums (2)
• Bobby Hutcherson - vibes (4)
• Charnett Moffett - bass (4)
• Eric Harland - drums (4)
• Stanley Clarke - acoustic bass, electric bass (6, 8)
• Al Foster - drums (6, 8)