JAZZ REVIEWS : A Sweet Set From McCoy Tyner : McCOY TYNER, “Live at Sweet Basil” (<i> Evidence</i> ) *** 1/2

There’s no mistaking the sound of pianist McCoy Tyner. Rhythmically rich, dynamically sweeping, Tyner’s intensive attack makes each performance an exhausting experience for the listener. This two-CD set, recorded at the Greenwich Village nightspot in 1989, captures the keyboardist at the peak of his form in a wide-ranging program of numbers from Thelonious Monk, one-time Tyner employer John Coltrane and standards including “Darn That Dream” and “Just in Time.”

Backed by bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Aaron Scott, Tyner re-creates each tune in his own image, bringing a lusty swagger to “Monk’s Dream,” stride touches to “Yesterdays” and a weighty, irresistible swing to “Will You Still Be Mine?” A Tyner original, “Rio,” highlights the percussive nature of his style, as drummer Scott propels the piece with insistent snare and cymbal chatter.

The pianist shows a quieter side on an unaccompanied rendition of Coltrane’s “Naima,” revolving easily through simple, expressive phrases into dense passages of deep, harmonic color. Though you’d never mistake Tyner’s play for that of the late Bill Evans, both demand the same sort of emotional involvement. “Live at Sweet Basil” is a revealing document from one of the jazz world’s living giants.

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