McCoy Tyner ‎– Fly With the Wind (1976)

Fly With the Wind is an album by American jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, released in 1976 on Milestone. Augmenting his post-bop quartet for these sessions is a 14-piece orchestra conducted by arranger/co-producer William Fischer.

The title-track leads with a chamber into of violin, cello, oboe, and flute in C♯m. During the first minute, the tone evolves from mournful to optimistic before harp strings usher an upbeat, string-laden ensemble passage. From here, the mood careens into sheer exhilaration, despite maintaining a tonal bedrock of C♯m. The rhythm section of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Billy Cobham form a frontline assault with Tyner while strings weave the main theme around a four-chord sequence.

“Salvadore de Samba” is heralded by a crisp piano figure that darts across four tonics, starting in B♭. Rattling percussion beacons the full ensemblic breakout, replete with windy, cumulus strings befitting the album’s cover art. Two minutes in, Hubert Laws takes a flute solo amidst the high-speed flurry. Tyner wrestles the band to the ground with dazzling filigree during the 4:20–6:00 marks. Carter gets a 90-second spotlight at 8:20, anchored by Cobham’s rapidfire snare/tom rolls. The windy ride recapitulates at 10:00 before dissolving into harp-laden mist.

Tracklist:
A1. “Fly With the Wind” (8:27)
A2. “Salvadore de Samba” (12:12)
B1. “Beyond the Sun” (5:31)
B2. “You Stepped Out of a Dream” (6:42)
B3. “Rolem” (5:42)

Credits:
McCoy Tyner — piano, arranger, composer
Ron Carter — acoustic bass
Billy Cobham — drums
Hubert Laws — alto flute, flute
Paul Renzi — piccolo, flute
Raymond Dusté — oboe
Linda Wood — harp
Stuart Canin — violin
Peter Schafer — violin
Daniel Kobialko — violin
Edmund Weingart — violin
Frank Foster — violin
Selwart Clarke — viola
Kermit Moore — cello
Daniel Yale — viola
Sally Kell — cello
Mark Volkert — violin
Myra Bucky — violin
Guilherme Franco — tambourine