McCoy Tyner ranks as one of the most important piano stylists in post-war jazz. His recordings with the John Coltrane Quartet, such as 1964's "A Love Supreme," remain high points of musical improvisation and spirituality. The mid-'60s music created by Coltrane, Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones expanded music toward greater freedom and integrity. The Quartet's intensity is still unmatched.

As Coltrane moved deeper into his own style of free jazz before his death in 1967, Tyner stepped out on his own. On Tyner's many recordings since 1962, his harmonic clarity and spontaneity has influenced a generation of pianists, though few ever managed to attain his rich textures and rhythmic energy.

In early February, Tyner's trio played sold out shows at Tokyo's Blue Note. Many in the crowd were not yet born when Tyner and Coltrane expanded the limits of jazz, yet they seemed to hang on every note with genuine appreciation.