For jazz lovers, McCoy Tyner needs no introduction. The 77-year-old pianist has been at the forefront of the genre’s biggest evolutionary steps, recording with Benny Golson during bebop’s heyday, helping John Coltrane move from the modalities of A Love Supreme into the freeform heat blasts of Ascension and Kulu Sé Mama, and introducing instruments like the harpsichord and koto into the mix as a bandleader. As he’s gotten older, Tyner has comfortably settled into his elder statesman status, releasing humble collections of solo piano recordings that allow him to explore the work of his former friends and influences like Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. McCoy Tyner is one of the few jazz giants left standing. Pay him the respect he’s owed when he arrives in town this week. ROBERT HAM