McCoy Tyner, legendary jazz pianist, dies aged 81

Legendary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, who played in John Coltrane’s quartet in the early ‘60s, has died at the age of 81.

The news was announced on his Facebook page in a statement.

Tyner was born in Philadelphia in 1938 and began playing piano at the age of 13. He featured on classic Coltrane albums My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme, among others, and toured extensively with his quartet between 1961 and 1965.

After becoming disillusioned with his role in Coltrane’s outfit, he became a bandleader in his own right and embarked on a solo career, releasing a string of albums for Blue Note.