released: march 26th-28th 1974

genre: modal jazz

from: philadelphia, usa

label: milestone

a few thoughts: oh man, when i let that needle go and it started playing, i was transfixed. legendary jazz pianist mccoy tyner is one of my absolute favourite jazz artists, with incredible albums such as his 1976 classic fly with the wind and this one right here, and was an instant buy for me when i found it. along with legendary jazz musicians john stubblefield on oboe and flute, gary bartz on on alto saxophone, azar lawrence on tenor saxophone, bobby hutcherson, buster williams on bass billy hart on on drums, guilherme franco and mtume on percussion, this is an extroardinary project, full of hypnotic moments from all artists, but especially mccoy tyner, who just took me to a different place. transfixed, i tell you. his solo on the title track and “desert cry” are extraordinary. gary bartz and azar lawrence kill it throughout the album, but highlights include the vibrant 16-minute closer “paradox”, as its cathartic energy brought by their insane melodies, while mccoy tyner takes over with subdued yet emphatic polyrhythms, while bobby hutcherson kills it on vibraphone too. “above the rainbow” is an immersive and stunning track, as mccoy’s euphoric and stunning keys are just…. speechless. the fast-paced energy latin-inspired energy of “la cubana” is fantastic too. buster williams’ drums are the highlight for me as he’s able to match mccoy’s dynamic arrangements. mccoy tyner’s incredible piano rhythms throughout are just so immersive. his emotions translate to piano so effortlessly, as his ability to communicate feeling through his playing is just stunning. his music is incredible, so if you ever find his vinyl in record shops or markets, cop, i recommend!

the album: https://music.apple.com/us/album/sama-layuca/1443238394

discogs link