Olé Coltrane

The pianist of Coltrane's celebrated quartet didn't leave over any lack of loyalty — he left over where the music was heading. As Coltrane pushed deeper into free jazz in 1965, Tyner walked, saying he simply didn't want to play that way. The irony is that he's right there on Ascension, the very record marking that turn.

McCoy Tyner recalled that what Coltrane wanted in a bassist wasn't someone who kept strict time, but someone free enough to hear the music and step away from its form. Jimmy Garrison fit that description, anchoring records like A Love Supreme.