McCoy Tyner at the Blue Note Club

During a recent trip to New York City, a friend of mine was reading through the New Yorker and casually noted that McCoy Tyner would be playing at the Blue Note Club the following night. After skipping a couple heartbeats, I expressed to my friend that this was something we should see.

For several years McCoy Tyner had been at the top of my list of performers to see live. I had nearly gotten to see him on a couple of occasions, but had been unable to attend for one reason or another. Anyway, I had always imagined that if I did get to see him, it would be in some giant hall like the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto, where I saw Dave Brubeck in 2007. But the Blue Note Club is a small, intimate venue, and there was McCoy Tyner, sitting at his piano less than ten feet from me. It was an almost surreal experience.

But it was indeed real. The show itself, of course, was wonderful. Tyner was joined by saxophonist Gary Bartz, who he had recorded with in the late '60s and early '70s, and who played beautifully; bassist Gerald Cannon; and a young Cuban drummer, Francisco Mela, who threatened to steal the show. But of course, no one was stealing this show from the man of the hour. Tyner's presence in itself was special, and his playing was as powerful as ever, his left hand a driving force behind the music. It was one of those rare shows where you realize in the moment that you're witnessing something extraordinary.

[Listen to "Blues on the Corner" at Grooveshark]