McCoy Tyner: Search for Peace

On his first Blue Note album, the pianist who is forever linked to John Coltrane had a chance to present his own originals. From the opening phrase of this sober ballad, Tyner's love of music shines. As a soloist, Tyner is well-schooled in the tasteful and hard-swinging styles of Wynton Kelly and Red Garland, but inserts his own radical flourishes and hammering touch. Elvin Joness brushwork, though, is somewhat tight, and the phrasing between Hendersons sax and the piano is a little loose.