RIP Chick Corea

[Canard]

Chick Corea, Jazz Pianist Who Expanded the Possibilities of the Genre, Dead at 79

Chick Corea, the groundbreaking jazz pianist, has died of cancer at the age of 79.

www.rollingstone.com

Chick Corea | 27-time GRAMMY Winner and NEA Jazz Master. "A venerated maestro." – BBC "A luminary, ebullient and eternally youthful." – New York Times "Gale force intensity, gloriously impassioned." – Jazzwise Magazine

chickcorea.com

 

[gjmalcyon]

Oh, man. That hurts my heart.

Of all the musicians I've listened to over my 60+ years, Chick Corea is the one who makes me wonder "what comes after virtuoso?" every time I listen to him.

We saw Chick in the spring of 2013 in the Friends of Chick Corea at Jazz From Lincoln Center series. I remember marveling at how effortless it seemed for him to produce thrilling and beautiful music from his piano.

 

[HeyMikey]

Very sad. Heard the news earlier today. Saw him solo and with Return to Forever. A truly amazing talent. RIP Chick.

 

[zulu]

RIP Chick. What a monster.

 

[matsickma]

Oh! That is very sad news.
First discovered him by a random visit to a record store and bought his synthesizer solo album "The Leprechaun" and it blue me away! Then lucked with front row seats at a Return to Forever concert at a local community college in the days when front row was first come first serve. Got to see Stanley Clark and Al DeMeola do they warmup prior to the show.
Saw RtF at larger venues later on.
Very sad news...
M

 

[chazmo]

RIP Chick!

 

[walrus]

RIP. Too many great artists leaving us recently...

walrus

 

[Westerly Wood]

I have heard the name but have never heard his music. Quite the innovator from this video...

 

[geoguy]

RIP, Chick. He provided my introduction to fusion jazz back in the 70's.

Didn't realize until reading a newspaper story about him this morning, that he was originally from the Boston area. Began playing at age 4, and was sitting in with his musician dad's band at age 6!

edit: here's a clip of him playing a couple years ago with his "akoustic" trio:

 

[Brad Little]

I met him, briefly, around 1970. He was playing in a small club with my saxophone teacher (Lee Konitz) and was still going by Armando. We both said hi and shook hands. I only saw him one more time, with Gary Burton, again in a small club. Very talented musician.

 

[Westerly Wood]

jazz drummers are just the best. so fast, such great syncopation and drive. he got a great drummer in his akoustic trio. thanks for posting that Geo.

 

[Westerly Wood]

lol, chick is really serious about lights...

 

[Rich Cohen]

A rare artist. May his soul rest in peace. May we enjoy his legacy. A one for the ages.

 

[Rich Cohen]

RIP, Chick. He provided my introduction to fusion jazz back in the 70's.

Didn't realize until reading a newspaper story about him this morning, that he was originally from the Boston area. Began playing at age 4, and was sitting in with his musician dad's band at age 6!

edit: here's a clip of him playing a couple years ago with his "akoustic" trio:

Wow, the opening piece is UNBELIEVABLE.

 

[Westerly Wood]

He must have been classically trained, his right hand is lightening fast.

hey Chick what key or keys are you playing?

“All of them”.

 

[walrus]

One of my favorite clips. Imagine walking into a record store, and Chick Corea and John McLaughlin are playing in the corner. They are so "together".....



walrus

 

[Canard]

I only ever got to see him live on the tour he did with Bela Fleck. It was both interesting and enjoyable but not my favorite stuff by him. When he did a solo set without Fleck, he seemed more interested in playing Bartok than Jazz. Cool. I like Bartok. But there are pianists who have spent a lifetime working on Bartok, and Chic just wasn't one of them.

I loved his early stuff and his work with Miles. The Return to Forever fusion stuff left me a bit cold, except for the first album, Light as a Feather. This said, however, I did buy most of the albums.

Anyway ...

In the beginning ...

Tones for Joan's Bones - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And later ... with the great(s) Miroslav Vitous and Roy Haynes - great all round





Killer album ...

Chick Corea, Miroslav Vitous, Roy Haynes - Trio Music

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the Vinyl release of "Trio Music" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

 

[gjmalcyon]

Chick Corea and Gary Burton in a Tiny Desk Concert from 2016:

 

[HeyMikey]

Outstanding. Saw the GB quartet decades ago. He is another National treasure. Both together ... heavenly.

 

[Canard]

my saxophone teacher (Lee Konitz)

Wow. That is not a phrase one hears very often. A great player. Also a sadly under appreciated player.

Also another loss last year. He passed away in April.