McCoy Tyner, in full Alfred McCoy Tyner, also

called Sulaimon Saud, (born December 11,

1938, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. —died March 6, 2020, New
Jersey ), American jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer, noted
for his technical virtuosity and dazzling improvisations.
Tyner began performing with local jazz ensembles while in his
mid-teens. He met saxophonist John Coltrane in 1955 and, after a
brief stint (1959) with a group led by Art Farmer and Benny
Golson, helped Coltrane form his renowned quartet in 1960. Tyner
developed his signature strong pentatonic chord-playing style and
lightning-fast runs during his years with Coltrane. In addition, the
group began incorporating elements of African and other
musical genres into their playing style.
Striking out on his own in 1965, Tyner led a variety of ensembles
(for many years including bassist Ron Carter) and also worked
solo and extensively as a sideman. From the mid-1980s he
performed largely in a trio, but he also formed a big band that
made occasional appearances. Tyner made dozens of recordings in
his own name and contributed to dozens more. Notable among his
own albums are The Real McCoy (1967), Sahara (1972), 4 ×
4 (1980), and Infinity (1995) and, with his big
band, Uptown/Downtown (1988). Tyner converted to Islam in the
mid-1950s and adopted the name Sulaimon Saud.