By Michael Katz
McCoy Tyner, one of the last giants of the post-bop era, had the audience on its feet Thursday night in a stirring performance at Royce Hall, presented by UCLA Live. Though not the dominating physical presence he was before an illness several years ago, Tyner, at 71, retains his 
driving, percussive approach to the piano, his left hand flying over the lower chords of the keyboard, his right still able to articulate delicate riffs. His quartet featured Gary Bartz on tenor and soprano sax, Gerald Cannon on bass and Eric Kamau Gravatt on drums.
Tyner opened with his composition “Fly With The Wind”, originally written for an ensemble with strings, but missing nothing with this rendition. He began with a flourish, presenting the opening line, yielding to Bartz on tenor for the first of many extended solos. Bartz, looking resplendent with his graying mane and a gold tie that matched his horn, has a clear, natural sound – one almost had to visually search for the mic cord to ascertain that he was being amplified at all. Cannon, taking the baton next, displayed a resonant and robust style that stood up to Tyner’s still-thunderous piano. The same could be said for Gravatt – his stick work was crisp, his solos enunciated with precise dynamics. The quartet as a whole seized attention from the start, grabbing the crowd by the lapels and not letting go.
Tyner spoke sparingly to the audience, introducing only the second number, Duke Ellington’s “In A Mellow Tone.” Her took this bouncy Ellington standby and molded it to his own full-bodied style, churning out counter melodies while Bartz, playing soprano now on the small, curved version of the instrument, wended his way around the main theme.
Aside from his quartet work, Tyner has had a notable presence as both a big band leader and a pure soloist. He demonstrated the latter when he took over the stage for a gorgeous version of “I Should Care.” Starting with a lush, chordal presentation, he melted into the main theme, altering tones, visiting the upper registers of the instrument, filling the hall with its lyricism. Even if one was unaware of the title or lyrics, as I suspect much of the audience was, Tyner communicated the aching beauty of the song.
Throughout the length of the set — a full evening by Royce Hall standards, lasting until nearly 11 – the Tyner quartet played with a rollicking drive. Bartz was smoking on his riffs through two blues-based pieces, Cannon providing steady support on bass. And the usual early departures missed a terrific finish, as Tyner recalled his groundbreaking work with John Coltrane’s 60’s quartets by striking the familiar opening of “Moments Notice.” Bartz, surging over the full force of the quartet, his tone fiery, drove the theme home, with closing solos by Cannon and Gravatt. The audience, clearly appreciative of the Coltrane inspiration, responded with a thunderous ovation.
The show opened with an hour long set by Build An Ark, a large choral and instrumental ensemble patterned after the Sun Ra Arkestra. Led by composer Carlos Nino and viola/violinist Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, the group put on an engaging program of mostly original compositions, based on a theme of global peace and harmony, with various choral members and instrumental soloists shuttling on and off the stage. Vocalist Dwight Trible, whose firm, spiritual voice recalls Leon Thomas, helped anchor the choral pieces, and violinist John White and trombonist Phil Ranelin added expressive solos.
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