MCCOY TYNER — Extensions (review)

MCCOY TYNER — Extensions album cover Album · 1972 · Post Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
As Tyner was slowly building his solo career, he was still intent on remaining close to the Coltrane galaxy during his Blue Note period, but was gradually exploring his own world. With Elvin still around, the inevitable Carter on contrabass and Shorter on sax, we also find Bartz tooting his horn as well, and Alice pops by with her harp for a few track. Recorded in one session in RVG’s studio in early 70, Extension is widely known for its wonderful National Geographic artwork; even it may a tad mislead you into thinking we’re heavily into African music with the present.

The opening 12-mins Message From The Nile is a very esoteric/mystic piece, especially when Alice’s harp enters midway though. The shorter but much faster Wanderer is strolling at breakneck speed, but Tyner’s ever-so-great piano helps greatly in smoothing out the hard edges of the track. The 13-mins+ Survival Blues is a more meditative piece, where Alice’s harp intervenes sporadically and in homeopathic doses. Carter’s lengthy bass solo might be superfluous, but when Tyner’s pîano comes to end it, the very communicative joy is at its fullest. As for the closing His Blessing, it’s mostly lice’s harp with Tyner adding his piano and Carter’s bowed contrabass, and if a Tyner composition, it would find a space in most of Alice’s then-contemporary albums.

Easily Tyner’s best Blue Note label album, Extensions must be considered as one of Tyner’s apex in a career that is filled with peaks nearing the Everest’s height in jazz’s history. Extensions is clearly the foreword and jays the grounds for the absolutely perfect Sahara album to come in a year or two.
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

For the Love Makers Vocal Jazz
HANNAH GILL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Spooky Jazz Vol. 2 Vocal Jazz
HANNAH GILL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Música Imaginaria 21st Century Modern
BALDO MARTINEZ
Buy this album from MMA partners
Alberto Nemo, Claudio Milano (with borda), Niccolò Clemente : Frattura, Comparsa, Dissolvenza Jazz Related Improv/Composition
CLAUDIO MILANO (NICHELODEON)
Buy this album from MMA partners
Shapes of Silence (live) World Fusion
ALEPH QUINTET
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Let's Move
ALEPH QUINTET
js· 2 hours ago
Música Imaginaria
BALDO MARTINEZ
snobb· 3 hours ago
Puttin' On The Ritz
THE NEW WONDERS
js· 16 hours ago
Wet Weather Wet
THE WRONG OBJECT
js· 1 day ago
Michael Kiwanuka - Lowdown (parts i and ii)
MICHAEL KIWANUKA
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us