McCoy Tyner: Extensions (Tone Poet Series)

Blue Note, 1970

McCoy Tyner looked towards Africa on his stunning 1970 album Extensions, a far-reaching exploration of Black identity that marked the masterful pianist's fifth recording for Blue Note Records. After leaving John Coltrane's band Tyner had moved from Impulse to Blue Note and made his enduring post-bop classic The Real McCoy in 1967. In the following years, Tyner steadily expanded his musical scope: writing for a 9-piece ensemble on Tender Moments, exploring the textures of a piano-vibes-led quartet with Bobby Hutcherson on Time for Tyner, and pushing at the boundaries of mainstream jazz on Expansions. Extensions is perhaps most notable for being the only recorded collaboration between Tyner and Alice Coltrane who plays harp on three of the album's four pieces (all composed by Tyner) along with Gary Bartz on alto saxophone, Wayne Shorter on soprano and tenor saxophone, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The expansive opener "Message from the Nile" is the centerpiece of the album with its earthy groove, washes of harp, and journeying improvisations. "The Wanderer" begins in a loping rhythm before transitioning into a galloping swing for the freewheeling solos. Side 2 opens with "Survival Blues," another extended performance that offers each soloist a wide-open expanse before the album concludes with the impressionistic closing piece "His Blessings."