Jazz Story No. 1: Tyner and Timmons

Tyner and Timmons (TNT) is a jazz story based on a recollection by McCoy Tyner story about how he and Bobby Timmons both had the same piano teacher, who was Bobby’s uncle. The pair of them ended up with wildly different sounds and careers. Using the question, “what brings you here?”as a way to answer what is it that attracts us or leads us to the art forms that become our vital sources of expression, I researched the catalogs of both musicians and interwove the set list with original texts that dug into the meanings of “hear/hear.” It also became a personal story about how I found my way into tap dance.

This piece premiered on two live broadcasts by PhillyCAM in April of 2021 and was a commission for the city’s Jazz Appreciation Month celebration and PhillyCAM.

Ongoing support provided by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and project support provided by Christ Church Neighborhood House and PhillyCAM.

Choreography, text, and arrangements: Pamela Hetherington

Music: Chick Corea, Benny Golsen, McCoy Tyner, Bobby Timmons, Fred Spielman

Vocussionist: Bethlehem Roberson

Musicians: Mark Allen, Tim Brey, Anwar Marshall, Madison Rast

Transcription and music direction: Tim Brey

Virtual program (April 2021)