Chick Corea (1941—2021)

Chick Corea has left us, I learned yesterday. I know, 79 is a respectable age. Yet it is too early, for Chick anyway.

I was lucky enough to see him live in 2017, performing with Béla Fleck. It was one of those concerts that will stay with me — excuse the cliché but Chick was very fond of this word — forever.

Here’s my Corea playlist. It is by no means representative; on the contrary, it’s very personal and biased. I’m not a big fan of Chick’s earlier free-jazz output but I absolutely love his Latin and jazz-rock fusion work of 1970s and ’80s. This is the music that influenced and continues to influence me. Hasta siempre, maestro.

1. The first ever Corea’s composition that I heard was 500 Miles High (as На высоте 500 миль), performed by Aleksey Kuznetsov and Nikolay Gromin, from their amazing Джанго (Django) LP (1978).

   На высоте 500 миль / 500 Miles High Николай Громин, гитара / Nikolay Gromin: guitar Алексей Кузнецов, гитара / Aleksey Kuznetsov: guitar

2. La Fiesta by Maynard Ferguson, from Chameleon (1974). I first encountered it on a Bulgarian compilation Знаменити тромпетисти в джаза (Famous Jazz Trumpet Players; Балкантон, 1976) without even knowing that it was Corea’s composition.

   La Fiesta Joe Beck: guitar Dan D’Imperio: drums Maynard Ferguson: leader, trumpet, baritone horn, superbone Jerry Johnson, Randy Purcell: trombones Bruce Johnstone: baritone sax, flute, vibraslap Andy Mackintosh: alto sax, flute, soprano, cowbell Stan Mark, Dennis Noday, Lynn Nicholson, Bob Summers: trumpets, flugelhorn, Latin American instruments Rick Petrone: bass Brian Smith: tenor sax, flute, tambourine Allan Zavod: piano, electric piano

3. Two to Tango by Al Di Meola, from his 1980 Splendido Hotel. The first Di Meola’s album, as well as the first example of Chick Corea’s playing, I ever heard.

   Two to Tango Chick Corea: piano Al Di Meola: guitar

4. Spain (I Can Recall) by Al Jarreau, with lyrics by Artie Maren. For me, this was the first version of Spain; it appears on This Time (1980), probably my all-time favourite Jarreau’s album.

   Spain (I Can Recall) Steve Gadd: drums Al Jarreau: vocals Abe Laboriel: bass Larry Williams: Fender Rhodes, synthesizers

5. The majestic Song to the Pharoah Kings from Where Have I Known You Before (1974) by Return to Forever. As it was mentioned sometime ago, I first heard it in the 1980s on The Jazz Rock Album compilation. It blew my mind.

   Song to the Pharoah Kings Stanley Clarke: bass Chick Corea: keyboards Al Di Meola: guitar Lenny White: drums, percussion

6. My Spanish Heart from the album of the same name (1976), which also appeared on The Jazz Rock Album. Short and beautiful.

   My Spanish Heart Chick Corea: piano

7. Armando’s Rhumba, also from My Spanish Heart, is one of Corea’s “standards”. I love the version from the 2011 Corea, Clarke & White album Forever featuring Jean-Luc Ponty but, as it happens, without White.

   Armando’s Rhumba Stanley Clarke: bass Chick Corea: piano Jean-Luc Ponty: violin

8. Almonte by Paco de Lucía and Chick Corea, from Zyryab (1990).

   Almonte (Fandangos de Huelva) Carles Benavent: mandola, bass Chick Corea: piano Rubem Dantas: percussion, cajón Paco de Lucía: flamenco guitar Jorge Pardo: flute Potito: vocals Manolo Sanlúcar: flamenco guitar

9. Short Tales of the Black Forest, a theme by Corea (but watch out for that Pink Panther quote!) as performed by John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola on Friday Night in San Francisco (1981).

   Short Tales of the Black Forest John McLaughlin: guitar (left channel) Al Di Meola: guitar (right channel)

10. Folk Song, a bonus track from Three Quartets sessions (1981), featuring the late, great Michael Brecker. One of the rare cases when the bonus tracks are better than the main dish.

    Folk Song Michael Brecker: tenor sax Chick Corea: piano Steve Gadd: drums Eddie Gómez: bass

11. And now for something completely different: Samba L.A., with lyrics by Tony Cohan, from Tap Step (1980).

    Samba L.A. Chick Corea: Hohner clavinet, Oberheim OB-X, Moog 55 Gayle Moran, Flora Purim, Shelby Flint, Nani Villa Brunel: vocals Airto Moreira: drums, snare drums, whistle, tamborim, pandero Laudir de Oliveira: surdo bass drum, ganza shaker, tamborim, agogô

12. Sometime Ago, with lyrics by Neville Potter. Of course the epic Sometime Ago/La Fiesta version from the RTF’s eponymous debut album is the best known, but I also love this take by Flora Purim, from her 1976 solo album Open Your Eyes You Can Fly.

    Sometime Ago David Amaro: electric guitar Leon “Ndugu” Chancler: drums George Duke: keyboards Alphonso Johnson: electric bass Airto Moreira: percussion Laudir de Oliveira: conga drums Hermeto Pascoal: flute Flora Purim: vocals

13. Ditto Crystal Silence (Corea/Potter). I still regard the 1972 instrumental version from Return to Forever as definitive, yet Flora Purim on Perpetual Emotion (2001) manages to do something even more magical: make it singable.

    Crystal Silence Oscar Castro-Neves: acoustic guitar Trey Henry: acoustic bass Christian Jacob: piano Gary Meek: saxophone, bass, clarinet, flute Airto Moreira: percussion Flora Purim: vocals

14. No Mystery: the classic version from the 1975 album of the same name by Return to Forever as well as the one from Al Di Meola’s World Sinfonia (1991).

    No Mystery Chris Carrington: guitar Al Di Meola: guitars, percussion Gumbi Oritz: congas, percussion Dino Saluzzi: bandoneon Arto Tunçboyacı: percussion, vocals

15. Captain Señor Mouse: again, there are many great versions but I prefer the original from the RTF’s 1973 album Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. The effortless transition from powerful jazz-rock beat to syncopated salsa (and back) never fails to surprise.

    Captain Señor Mouse Stanley Clarke: electric bass, bell tree Bill Connors: electric guitar, acoustic guitar Chick Corea: acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, harpsichord, Yamaha electric organ, gongs Lenny White: drums, percussion, congas, bongos

16. Dedication by Leonid Chizhik, from his 1981 double LP Реминисценции (Reminiscences). When I first heard it some 40 years ago, I knew nothing of Chick Corea and thought this piece was just one of spontaneous piano improvisations Chizhik is so famous for. Listening to it again now I can clearly hear that it was Corea all along. One of the best dedications to the great master then as it is now.

    Посвящение / Dedication Леонид Чижик, фортепиано / Leonid Chizhik: piano