Chick Corea, the virtuoso keyboardist who expanded the scope of jazz over a career spanning more than five decades, died Tuesday of a rare form of cancer. A post on his Facebook page confirms the news. Corea was 79.
In the early 1960s, Corea established himself as an A-list pianist, working with Stan Getz, Herbie Mann, and others. Later in the decade, he joined Miles Davis’ orchestra and played a key role in helping the trumpeter make the transition to a more contemporary, plugged-in sound on albums such as Tewe Brew. Following his work with Davis, he formed his own groundbreaking electric orchestra, Return to Forever, which played some of the most vibrant and dynamic music of the fusion era. In the ensuing decades, Corea devoted himself to countless projects and showed off his unlimited range – from a duo with vibraphonist Gary Burton to his leading Electric Band. His most recent album, the live solo disc in 2020 Play, showed off his very diverse skills and influences, classic pieces, bebop, and more.
“I want to thank everyone on the trip who helped keep the music fires burning brightly,” reads a message from the pianist on Facebook. ‘I hope those who have the idea to play, write, perform or otherwise, should do so. If it’s not for yourself, then for the rest of us. It’s not only that the world needs more artists, but also a lot of fun.
‘And to my incredible musician friends who were like family to me as long as I knew you: it was a blessing and an honor to play and play with everyone. My mission has always been to create the joy of creating everywhere, and to do so with all the artists I so love to admire – that was the richness of my life. ”
Corea was born in 1941 and grew up near Boston. His father, a Dixieland-style jazz trumpeter, introduced himself to piano. Corea also played drums at an early age. He goes on to briefly study at both Columbia and Juilliard, but he leaves school and starts with established orchestra leaders such as Getz, Mann and Blue Mitchell. By the end of the 1960s, he had already made strong statements as a band leader, including the 1968s. Now he sings, now he sighs, an album featuring bassist Miroslav Vitous and drummer Roy Haynes, setting a new benchmark for the modern jazz piano trio.
His work with Davis began with a transition group known as the Lost Quintet, as it never made a proper studio album. “It was really a bad asshole,” Davis once said of the group, bridging the daring postbop of the previous Davis orchestra and the bold abstract free improvisation with Corea on electric piano, an instrument he was initially skeptical about. . Corea would appear on fundamental Davis albums such as Quietly, Bitches Brew, a tribute to Jack Johnson, and On the corner.
Corea formed Return to Forever in 1972, and the second version of the group – with bassist Stanley Clarke, drummer Lenny White and guitarist Bill Connors, later replaced by Al Di Meola – became a leading group in the then jazz-rock movement. , with John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report. The group will not only have a huge impact on the jazz world, but also among rock artists, including members of Bad Brains and Vernon Reid of Living Color.
“The hair was on my arm,” Corea recalled writing a piece for Return to Forever’s classic 1973. Song of the Seventh Milky Way. ‘It was so exciting and it worked so wonderfully and everyone was so enthusiastic about it. It really took a new direction and developed from there. The venues we played were larger and the audience took in the atmosphere. There was a synergy going on between what we created and how the public is digging it. ‘
Although he established himself early in his career as a virtuoso player, Corea was also a restless inventive composer orchestra leader who never shyed away from new ideas. He explores avant-garde jazz with the collective group Circle; Latin-inspired upbeat material on the album My Spanish Heart; the Thelonious Monk songbook with the Now He Sings trio; and danceable, pop-informed sounds with the Electric Band; along with tributes to his musical heroes ranging from Mozart to the legendary Bud Powell.
“What I make for people, I noticed, stimulates what is natural in all of us,” Corea said. Jazz Times in 2020. ‘It naturally makes sense for every person. You do not have to be a professional – you just have to be a living person and be open to the imagination. ‘