Maybe my expectations were too high. After all, this is McCoy Tyner, the former Coltrane sideman whose oceanic grace and surging rhythmic drive on the piano is legendary, whose touring trio remains a force in jazz, and whose last release, McCoy Tyner and the Latin All-Stars, was one of the best of 1999. This time around, he’s teamed up with veteran heavyweights, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Al Foster, featuring mostly new material in a trio format.

But the result is less than thrilling. It’s not that the 61 year-old Tyner has lost his chops, or his songwriting ability. Most of his compositions, including “Trane-Like,” “Once Upon A Time,” “Going ’Way Blues,” and “Carriba,” possess pleasant melodies and spicy changes. Clarke’s “In the Tradition Of” also has a few nice twists and curves, and it’s somewhat interesting to hear this first-generation fusion cat play mostly acoustic straight-ahead, then switch to electric for the funk-inspired “I Want to Tell You ’Bout That.”

But except for “Trane-Like,” the one standout track, the playing lacks fire. There’s too much tasteful restraint, leading to a tame, predictable vibe. Most of the solos dwell in familiar landscapes, rather than stretching into exciting, fresh territory. Maybe these veterans respect each other too much, and hold back for fear of stepping on toes?

Whatever the reason, Tyner would have been better served had he relied on his regular trio-mates, drummer Aaron Scott and bassist Avery Sharpe, who know how push the envelope with Tyner, and taken a cue from the exciting ensemble interplay on Marcus Roberts’ recent trio tour-de-force, In Honor of Duke (which featured local bassist Roland Guerin and Jason Marsalis).