Whether he is navigating the turbulent melodic twists in Coltrane's music or the modal trickery of his own compositions, the daring in Tyner's playing is matched by his boundless exuberance. To me, that is simply a key to peace of mind. That's why, while I am definitely not a sequel person, I like to try new things by using something familiar. It could be the personnel or the concept. But it's never the same thing.
New ideas come up.
One of the more engaging of Tyner's new ideas was to pay tribute to a host of piano stylists on his new solo recording, Jazz Roots . His two most immediate inspirations Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk are given homage, but so are such less likely influences as Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett. They added another link to the chain.''' His most lasting musical mentor, though, remains the late Coltrane. While elements of the saxophonist's harmonic intensity have long dominated Tyner's recordings, a more direct acknowledgement will surface later this year. In September, the pianist will release a concert album made up largely of Coltrane music recorded at New York's Village Vanguard, one of the regular haunts the two played together during the '60s.