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McCoy Tyner Quartets: 4 x 4

LP: Milestone M-55007
CD: Milestone MCD-55007-2

Tracks & Composers
1 Inner Glimpse (Tyner)
2 Manha de Carnaval (Bonfa)
3 Paradox (McBee)
4 Backward Glance (Abercrombie)
5 Forbidden Land (Tyner)
6 Pannonica (Monk)
7 I Wanna Stand over There (Hutcherson)
8 The Seeker (Tyner)
9 Blues in the Minor (Tyner)
10 Stay as Sweet as You Are (Gordon, Revel)
11 It's You or No One (Cahn, Styne)

Hutcherson on tracks 6-8

Personnel
Freddie Hubbard (tp); Arthur Blythe (as); Bobby Hutcherson (vib); McCoy Tyner (p); John Abercrombie (el-mandolin); Cecil McBee (b); Al Foster (d)

Recording Date & Location
3 Mar 1980, 5-6 Mar 1980; 29 May 1980, Hackensack, NJ [Hutcherson tracks recorded on 6 Mar 1980.]

Commentary
4 x 4 was originally issued as a double LP; now it is available on one CD. Each of the LP four sides features a different soloist with Tyner's trio. Freddie Hubbard plays on side one, John Abercrombie on side two, Bobby on side three, and Arthur Blythe on side four. I've got to say that I think the performances with Bobby are the most compelling ones. (No surprise there, I guess.) The opening track is Monk's "Pannonica." Bobby's playing has a sort of gentle wonderment. His approach to Monk's music is quite different than the composer's; it's less angular and less opaque, but Hutcherson clearly has an affinity for Monk's music. The second track is "I Wanna Stand Over There," a fine composition by Hutcherson. Cecil McBee is a monster on this cut. His superb playing is also especially noticeable on the final track, "The Seeker." It's a typical Tyner composition: surging, volcanic, oceanic. (The nature metaphors are inevitable when describing his music!) Tyner and Hutcherson are a fantastic pairing. This track is one of their strongest collaborations, reminiscent of their work on Sama Layuca.