Jazz pianist McCoy Tyner was born on December 11, 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Inspired by the music of Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk, he took piano lessons and participated in neighborhood jam sessions with Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons and Reggie Workman. After graduating from West Philadelphia High School in 1956, Tyner was recruited by John Coltrane. Tyner can be heard on Coltrane's albums: Africa Brass, A Love Supreme, My Favorite Things and Kulu Se' Mama. Tyner's albums include: Asante, 1970, Sahara, 1972, Inner Voices, 1990 and Infinity, 1995. Tyner performed with strings on 1976's Fly With The Wind and with a big band on The Turning Point, 1991. With over eighty albums to his credit and five Grammy Awards, Tyner was awarded the National Endowment of the Arts' Jazz Master Award in 2002 and the 2003 Heroes Award from the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy.
Alternative title
History Makers video oral history with McCoy Tyner