Chick Corea - 2017 "The Musician" [Audio & Video]

Chick Corea first laid eyes on New York’s Greenwich Village in 1959, fresh from high school, with a head full of music that only he could have imagined. With this new release The Musician, recorded in the epicenter of Chick’s original NYC haunts and more than 50 years later, Corea finally brings all that music together at once.

The live 3-CD and Blu-ray set captures Corea’s 70th birthday celebration at the famed Blue Note Jazz Club in 2011, where he assembled a staggering lineup of musical friends and fellow-travelers – among them Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, Wynton Marsalis, John McLaughlin and Stanley Clarke – for a month-long residency featuring 10 different bands, including triumphal sets by his own Chick Corea Elektric Band and Return to Forever. All of it is captured brilliantly in the first feature-length documentary on Corea’s life, music and genius musical partners. The film takes you inside the heads and “hangs” of some of the greatest artists of our time – backstage and personal – and the CDs capture almost four hours of live recordings of every band.

Over the course of an artist's lifetime, especially one well into their fifth decade like Chick Corea, it's not uncommon to see a great musician look back and take stock of what he’s done and who he’s worked with, and that's exactly what Corea does on 2017's The Musician. To mark his 75th birthday in 2016, the lauded pianist played a six-week stint of shows at the Blue Note in New York city. During the event, he was joined by a bevy of guests including many longtime friends and collaborators like Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, Wynton Marsalis, John McLaughlin, Stanley Clarke, and others. The shows were filmed, recorded, and released in 2017 as part of The Musician four-disc album/video and documentary project. It's fascinating to hear Corea take this time-traveling odyssey through his career, and despite the epic nature of the six-week event, he never sounds anything less than engaged, always playing with his trademark intensity and playful spontaneity. His duets are particularly engaging; just listen to his enthralling interplay with singer Bobby McFerrin on "I've Got the World on a String" and "Spain" and you'll be captivated. Similarly compelling are his head-to-head sparrings with pianist Herbie Hancock on "Hot House," "Dolphin Dance," and "Cantaloupe Island." Elsewhere, Corea revisits one of his most popular ensembles, Return to Forever, with bassist Stanley Clarke, drummer Lenny White, and guitarist Frank Gambale. A pre-eminent fusion group, here they take an unexpected acoustic approach to several of their best-known tunes, "Captain Marvel" and "Light as a Feather." We also get a taste of Corea's trio with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Brian Blade, who deliver a nuanced version of "I Hear a Rhapsody." Other discs showcase equally compelling collaborations with luminaries like pianist Marcus Roberts and vibraphonist Gary Burton, and a reunion with his Elektrik Band featuring drummer Dave Weckl and bassist John Patitucci. We also get a thrilling homage to early Corea employer, jazz trumpet legend Miles Davis, with his From Miles band featuring trumpeter Wallace Roney, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and other Davis alum. Indeed, The Musician is a superb live document spotlighting Corea in settings that recall the best of his classic albums and proving how remarkably well both he and his music have aged.

Track listing/Band/Personnel:

1-1 Return To Forever– Captain Marvel

Bass – Stanley Clarke

Drums – Lenny White

Guitar – Frank Gambale

1-2 Return To Forever– Light As A Feather

Bass – Stanley Clarke

Drums – Lenny White

Guitar – Frank Gambale

1-3 Chick Corea, Gary Peacock, Brian Blade– I Hear A Rhapsody

1-4 Chick Corea, John McLauglin*, Kenny Garrett, John Patitucci, Brian Blade– Spirit Rides

1-5 Chick Corea, John McLauglin*, Kenny Garrett, John Patitucci, Brian Blade– Special Beings

1-6 Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin– I've Got The World On A String

1-7 Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin– Spain

2-1 Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Harlem String Quartet*– Overture

2-2 Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Harlem String Quartet*, Gayle Moran Corea– Your Eyes Speak To Me

2-3 Chick Corea, Wallace Roney, Gary Bartz, Eddie Gomez, Jack DeJohnette– If I Were A Bell

2-4 Chick Corea, Wallace Roney, Gary Bartz, Eddie Gomez, Jack DeJohnette– Nefertiti

2-5 Chick Corea, Concha Buika, Carles Benavent, Jorge Pardo, Niño Josele, Jeff Ballard– Zyryab

2-6 Chick Corea, Concha Buika, Carles Benavent, Jorge Pardo, Niño Josele, Jeff Ballard– Mi Nina Lola

3-1 Chick Corea, Marcus Roberts, Wynton Marsalis– CC's Birthday Blues

3-2 Chick Corea, Marcus Roberts– Caravan

3-3 Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock– Hot House

3-4 Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock– Dolphin Dance

3-5 Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock– Cantaloupe Island

3-6 The Chick Corea Elektric Band– Ritual

Bass – John Patitucci

Drums – Dave Weckl

Guitar – Frank Gambale

Saxophone – Eric Marienthal

3-7 The Chick Corea Elektric Band– Silver Temple

Bass – John Patitucci

Drums – Dave Weckl

Guitar – Frank Gambale

Saxophone – Eric Marienthal

Chick Corea & Gary Burton - 1973 "Crystal Silence"

Crystal Silence is an album by Chick Corea and Gary Burton. It was recorded in November 1972 and produced by Manfred Eicher for ECM Records. Their collaboration went further in 1979 with the albums Duet and In Concert, Zürich, October 28, 1979, also on ECM Records. Nearly 30 years later they followed up again with The New Crystal Silence in 2008, this time on Concord Records.

For Crystal Silence, the first of several partnerships between Chick Corea and vibraphonist Gary Burton in the 1970s, the two musicians selected an interesting array of material. The compositions on this record are all modern ones, either by Steve Swallow, Mike Gibbs, or Corea himself. It is a mostly downtempo affair, which allows each player to stretch out and play highly melodic solos over the often difficult changes. In keeping with most ECM releases, there is a distinct presence of European elements to the improvisations. There are few overt blues or bebop phrases, Corea and Burton opting instead for modern melodies to fuel their improvisations. Burton has managed to internalize the Spanish and modal implications of Corea's tunes with little difficulty, and solos with joyful ease through such tracks as "Señor Mouse." Corea himself is absolutely burning. His solo contribution on the same track is both fiery and introspective, combining in one statement the poles for which he is best-known. The title track is also the centerpiece of the album, a nine-minute exploration of the Corea ballad that first appeared on his Return to Forever record in 1972. In keeping with the tradition of the great masters of the ballad form, time seems to disappear as Burton and Corea lovingly caress the song's simple melody and dance effortlessly around the chords, building intensity only to let it subside once more. Crystal Silence is a sublime indication of what two master improvisers can do given quality raw material, with the first side of this record being particularly flawless. Improvised music is rarely this coherent and melodic. Essential for fans of Corea, Burton, or jazz in general.

This is the original killer collaboration between Chick Corea on grand piano and Gary Burton on vibraphone. Chillout music before it was called chillout. Make no mistake though, it's not limp, tame smooth jazz aka muzak. They play a couple of tunes from Chick's originals done by Return To Forever lineup, a couple of Gary's, some co-written, and some written by Chick with then prominent bassist Steve Swallow.

This is an essential album for any serious jazz collection.

While I have had several albums by Chick Corea for over 30 years starting with "Return to Forever", I never heard about this album until Pat Metheny mentioned it in an interview. Remarkably this album was issued the same year as "Return to Forever" (1972) which may be why it never made it to the surface for many of us.

This is a transcendent piece of music. There are many levels of melody created by enormous virtuosity of two musicians feeding off each other in an amazing interplay. The sound is excellent and the recording has plainly been remastered by someone who really knew that they were doing. Played in a dark room with good headphones it takes you places that you want to return to regularly. How I missed it all of these years I don't know but thank you Pat Metheny.

You can't do better in the new age world than 500 Miles High and the title piece. Chick can play Mozart with aplomb, and the techniques of improv on the 25th piano concerto are echoes here in post-classical harmonies and an occasional 12-tone scale. The album is a classic of its genre.

I could never say enough about this CD. When it first came out, it was never off my turntable. The songs are great... top notch Chick Corea originals. And as far as I know there has never been a piano/vibes duo that played so well together. Sometimes it almost feels like it's one instrument. Corea and Burton are just the best in the business. This might very well be in my all time greatest jazz albums list. Buy it!

I was very much surprised, to say the least, when I discovered, that this work-of-art was available, through Amamzon, and I decided, that I had to have it. I first this on vinyl, close to 31 years ago. I was already facinated, the sounds of Chick Corea, and coupled with the expertise "Vibe virtuoso," Gary Burton, I was completely sold. If you enjoy listening to the sounds of jazz/fusion music, then this CD, should be in your collection! Thank you Chick & Gary!

I was fortunate enough, many years ago to be in NYC during the Jazz festival time. We had tickets one night to a show featuring the Woody Herman Big Band, then Chick Corea with the MusicMagic line-up. Anyway, there was an hour delay in setting up Chick after Woody that had an unbelievable resolution. Gary Burton was there, and he & Chick played basically the entire Crystal Silence album on stage while they set-up Chick Corea's band.

This is an unbeleivable album, probably one of my top five all time albums of any genre. It's also an amazing album for any aspiring drumkit player to practice with.

Track listing

    "Señor Mouse" (Chick Corea) - 6:20
    "Arise, Her Eyes" (Steve Swallow) - 5:08
    "I'm Your Pal" (Steve Swallow) - 4:02
    "Desert Air" (Chick Corea) - 6:26
    "Crystal Silence" (Chick Corea) - 9:05
    "Falling Grace" (Steve Swallow) - 2:42
    "Feelings And Things" (Mike Gibbs) - 4:46
    "Children's Song" (Chick Corea) - 2:11
    "What Game Shall We Play Today" (Chick Corea) - 3:46

Personnel

    Chick Corea – piano
    Gary Burton – vibraphone      

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Joe Henderson, Lenny White - 1982 "A Very Special Concert"

This concert features Chick Corea playing with members of the "Return to Forever" band, which includes the legendary players Stanley Clarke on bass, the much celebrated Lenny White on drums plus the multi-GRAMMY® winner Joe Henderson on tenor sax. Songs include "L#s Bop," "Why Wait," "500 Miles High," "Guernica." Chick Corea#s four-decade career is the stuff of jazz legend, a blend of influential, limit-breaking musical experiences which have filled pages of 20th century music history encyclopedias. Jazz has never been the same since the birth of the samba-flavored ensemble of Return to Forever.

Lenny White's introduction of his bandmates as 'The World's Greatest Musicians' is no exaggeration - this music performance is indeed special, and as the previous reviewer mentioned is a perfect place for newcomers to begin exploring modern acoustic jazz. [there is also another, separate DVD available - released four years ago - of Corea playing acoustic music: "Chick Corea & Friends: Remembering Bud Powell" (live 1996).]

This concert was video taped at Wolf & Rissmiller's Country Club in Reseda, California [not Tokyo, Japan as the previous review states] in 1982.

as mentioned in the other review, this DVD video focuses on Return To Forever music and musicians - but without electric instruments. The Chick Corea/Stanley Clarke/Lenny White section reunites from early-mid '70s album classics such as Stanley Clarke's "Children Of Forever" and RTF's "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy".

Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson had worked with each of these musicians in various jazz contexts for many years before this 1982 reunion. Clarke and White had appeared on Henderson's own 1970-71 Milestone label albums "In Pursuit Of Blackness" and "If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem" (memorably with Lenny White and trumpeter Woody Shaw on a smoking Sept. 1970 live at The Lighthouse session). White and Henderson also famously appeared together on Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay" [CTI label, 1970] album. Corea and Henderson had worked together on recordings such as "Mirror, Mirror" [MPS label 1980, w/Ron Carter and Billy Higgins], "Relaxin' At Camarillo" [Contemporary label 1979, w/Peter Erskine and Tony Williams], and a great 1981 set "Live In Montreux" [Corea's own Stretch label, w/Gary Peacock and Roy Haynes].

Henderson is prominently featured on three of the tracks (he sits out for the trio to perform Corea's '500 Miles High'), giving a beautiful glimpse of his blues-inflected playing on Clarke's composition 'Why Wait', extended improvisation on 'Guernica' (Clarke - bowed bass), and his tour-de-force technique on the swift opener 'L's Bop' (which Lenny White - who co-produced the audio on this recording - closes with a bravura drum solo). Each musician is joyfully sensitive and alert to one another throughout the set; a display of jazz improvisational magic at its finest.

 The Corea/Clarke/Henderson/White lineup was being billed at the time as 'Echoes Of An Era', and the Musician label released a few LPs of this group featuring: Freddie Hubbard, trumpet, and Chaka Khan, vocal on one, Nancy Wilson, vocal [sans Hubbard and Khan] on another, and a third called "The Griffith Park Collection" [slyly announced by Chick in this video as their current release]. Three (or possibly four?) cameras were employed; audio was done as a digital, two-track live recording. Legon also explains those funky, casual threads worn by the musicians: an airport snow delay and their last-minute arrival to the gig.

Before the CHICK COREA AKOUSTIC BAND, Chick Corea was writing and performing acoustic music. To my knowledge this is the first concert of Chick Corea playing acoustic music on DVD. This quartet is particularly impressive seeing that it has 3/4 of the Corea led Return To Forever. RTF did perform acoustic music but this group is closer to jazz/bebop than RTF ever was. Chick Corea is joined by RTF veterans Lenny White on Drums and Stanley Clarke on bass as well as Joe Henderson on Tenor Saxophone. The result is a set of acoustic jazz that is, at times, amazing and always engaging.
The show is only about an hour long, but what an hour it is. Joe Henderson is a very good tenor sax player and is impressive at times on this disc. Lenny White shows that he can play drums in a non-electric setting. Lenny is solid throughout but doesn't do anything mind boggling like Dave Weckl does on the Akoustic Band CDs. Chick Corea shows why he is THE keyboard virtuoso/composer of the last 30 years. Stanley Clarke is Stanley Clarke. If you have never heard/seen Stanley play the acoustic bass then you are going to be blown away. The interplay between himself and Corea or White is amazing. Stanley Clarke knows how to link the melody and rhythm together and when he solos, look out. At long last, a chance to see Stanley on DVD.
The DVD is one set from the band, captured live in California in 1982. The music sounds as if the Akoustic band hired a Saxophone player to join them. The tunes are very similar to the Akoustic band in tonality/style although the saxophone adds a new dimension. The set includes only 4 songs so you know that it is heavy on improvisation. This is post-bop jazz. The band, as a whole, soars and Chick and Stanley are amazing. All of the songs are bop-influened. They also contain elements of othere jazz influences, most notably Chick Corea's '500 Miles High'. '500 Miles High' is the highlight for me. Henderson sits this song out and the trio performs another latin influeced Corea composition. The magic of RTF is revisited as all 3 are given space to do their thing. The interplay picks up from where Romantic Warrior left off. During this piece Stanley Clarke takes upright bass playing to unparalled heights. The Coltranesque technique that he plays on electric is unleashed on acoustic. Nobody plays upright like Stanley.
In conclusion, if you are familiar with Chick Corea's impressive acoustic catalog and you like what you've heard; then you'll also like this. IF you are a fusion fan and haven't yet begun to listen to bebop or straight jazz then this would be a good place to start. It has all of the elements that make acoustic jazz what it is.

Recorded live at Wolf & Rissmiller's Country Club, Reseda, California, 7 April 1982.
Playing time: 56.22 min.

Courtesy: Original uploader 

Tracklist

1. L's Bop – Lenny White
2. Why Wait – Stanley Clarke
3. 500 Miles High – Chick Corea
4. Guernica – Lenny White

Personnel:

Chick Corea - Keyboard
Stanley Clarke - Bass
Joe Henderson - Tenor Sax
Lenny White - Drums

Chick Corea-Miroslav Vitous - 1968 1972 [1999] "Tones for Joan's Bones" - "Mountain in the Clouds"

This compilation hits a bull's-eye by pulling together two key sessions: Chick Corea's first as a leader, a blazing, advanced hard bop set from 1966, and Miroslav Vitous' Mountain in the Clouds, recorded in 1969 just prior to the bassist joining the original Weather Report. Corea's writing on Tones for Joan's Bones has an affinity with McCoy Tyner's seminal hard bop structures from this period. Tenor player Joe Farrell and trumpeter Woody Shaw are ideal for this music. They deliver virtuoso performances that are both visceral and cerebral. Steve Swallow, while later focusing exclusively on electric bass, often with a melodic, impressionistic approach, is pure thunder here. In a blindfold test his acoustic bass could be mistaken for Buster Williams'. Drummer Joe Chambers is all relentless, propulsive energy, but subtle too. Corea is a torrent of harmonic and melodic imagination, couched in unerring rhythm. On Vitous' fusion classic, Herbie Hancock's electric piano and John McLaughlin's electric guitar merge in a rich, dense, colorful foundation that affords Vitous and drummer Jack DeJohnette considerable freedom. McLaughlin combines the dreamy state he evokes on Miles Davis' In a Silent Way with the juddering rhythm attack heard on his own Extrapolation. Like Chambers, who actually takes the drum chair for two tracks, DeJohnette is powerful, creative, and passionate. The superbly recorded Vitous has a sound, technique, and concept that consistently sustain interest. Tenor giant Joe Henderson is on four tracks, including an intense, open-ended exploration of Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance." Anybody with an interest in this vital and exciting period will find both of these sessions indispensable. 

Both albums are a pinnacle of achievement for Chick Corea and Miroslav Vitous. They foreshadow the direction of both artists and also reflect their influences. "Tones For Joan's Bones" is straight ahead Jazz combined with occasional Latin rhythms, outrageous melodies typical of the period and style, Chick Corea's "Tyneresque" piano voicings and fluid, crystal clear solos. This is all augmented by Joe Farrell on reeds and Woody Shaw on trumpet-two of the best. Check out Chick Corea's solo on "Tones For Joan's Bones". Other recordings from this period featuring these artists are available on Chick Corea's "Inner Space" album.
The compositions and musicians on Miroslav Vitous' "Mountain In The Clouds" are some of the most progressive and innovative ever recorded. The moods range from quiet, cerebral, and transcendental as in "Epilogue" and "Infinite Search", to unrelenting, up-tempo jams as in "Freedom Jazz Dance" and especially "I Will Tell Him On You". The latter featuring one of the best, most astonishing guitar solos by John McLaughlin, very much like his work on Tony Williams' "Emergency" cd. The rest of the musicians on the album are basically a "who's who" in the business: Joe Henderson on sax, Herbie Hancock on piano, Miroslav on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums all add their unique personalities to a timeless classic.  

 

Track Listings
1. Litha - Chick Corea
2. This Is New - Chick Corea
3. Tones For Joan's Bones - Chick Corea
4. Straight Up And Down - Chick Corea
5. Freedom Jazz Dance - Miroslav Vitous
6. Mountain In The Clouds - Miroslav Vitous
7. Epilogue - Miroslav Vitous
8. Cerecka - Miroslav Vitous
9. Infinite Search - Miroslav Vitous
10. I Will Tell Him On You - Miroslav Vitous

Credits

• Bass – Miroslav Vitous (tracks: 5 to 10), Steve Swallow (tracks: 1 to 4)
• Drums – Jack DeJohnette (tracks: 5, 6, 9, 10), Joe Chambers (tracks: 1 to 4, 7, 8)
• Electric Piano – Herbie Hancock (tracks: 5 to 10)
• Flute – Joe Farrell (tracks: 1 to 4)
• Guitar – Mahavishnu John McLaughlin* (tracks: 5 to 10)
• Piano – Chick Corea (tracks: 1 to 4)
• Producer – Herbie Mann
• Tenor Saxophone – Joe Farrell (tracks: 1 to 4), Joe Henderson (tracks: 5 to 10)
• Trumpet – Woody Shaw Jr.* (tracks: 1 to 4)

Chick Corea - 1986 "Elektric Band"

The Chick Corea Elektric Band is an album by jazz fusion keyboard player Chick Corea, released in 1986. It is the eponymous debut album of the Chick Corea Elektric Band, which at that time also featured drummer Dave Weckl, bass player John Patitucci and guitarists Scott Henderson and Carlos Rios.
This album can be described as "jazz-rock", though it is much closer to traditional jazz than the jazz-rock albums of the 1970s. The keyboard sounds on the album are typical for the mid-1980s. The drums played by Dave Weckl dominate the album's sound, with the guitar duties split between Scott Henderson and Carlos Rios.
The album features a heavy use of FM synthesis, MIDI and drum programming, expanding on Corea's previous work in later lineups of Return to Forever (band) and reflecting the technology of the time when it was conceived and recorded.

Chick has a long history of reinvention — not least of which was the stunning high-velocity jazz-rock of Return to Forever. In 1986, after a long period of high-profile, mostly acoustic collaborations, Chick assembled the Elektric Band, a plugged-in unit so tight and flawless that it reinvigorated jazz for a new generation. Their first album, The Chick Corea Elektric Band, is a stunner: from the opening flourish of “City Gate,” Chick was clearly announcing a new direction. The lineup of young masters — Scott Henderson and Carlos Rios on guitar, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl — simply inhabit Chick’s new compositions, creating instant classics out of tunes like “Got A Match?” and “Elektric City.”

Chick Corea's Elektric Band's first disc is the record which formally introduced the bass virtuoso John Patitucci and awe-inspiring drummer Dave Weckl to the world. Patitucci's six-string electric bass technique and Weckl's crystal clean drumming acrobatics would become the stuff of legend and the sparkle in the eyes of rhythm section students from this point forward. Unlike most keyboardists at the time, Corea approached the synthesizer as an individual instrument--not as an electrified piano. As a result, this group's sound was much richer and more creative than similar ensembles of the day.

On "Rumble," Corea's furious fingerings are matched note-for-note by Weckl's use of drum machines and electronic sounds to create a kaleidoscopic backdrop. In contrast, the subdued "Cool Weasel Boogie" displays a softer side to the machines and sampled sounds. The most impressive track is "Got A Match?" Blisteringly fast with jaw-dropping solos by all, this tune cemented the group's status among musicians the world over. The unique "King Cockroach" features a nice blend of Corea's nimble playing, guitarist Scott Henderson's soaring tones and the Weckl/Patitucci rhythm machine. In all, there is little wonder why this band all but defined great electric jazz in the '80s.  

Track listing

All songs by Chick Corea except where noted otherwise.

    "City Gate" – 0:54
    "Rumble" – 4:04
    "Side Walk" (Chick Corea/Dave Weckl/John Patitucci) – 3:48
    "Cool Weasel Boogie" – 6:43
    "Got a Match?" – 5:38
    "Elektric City" – 4:07
    "No Zone" – 5:29
    "King Cockroach" – 6:56
    "India Town" – 5:06
    "All Love" – 5:45
    "Silver Temple" – 8:32

(Tracks #1, #10 & #11 were not included in the original issue of the album)

Personnel: 
 Chick Corea (keyboards, synthesizer, programming) 
 Scott Henderson , Carlos Rios (guitar)
 Bo Tomlyn (voice box)
 John Patitucci (electric bass, 6-string bass)
 Dave Weckl (drums, percussion) 

Return to Forever - 1974 - 1975 [2008] "Where Have I known You Before" - "No Mystery"

2008 digitally remastered two CD set featuring a pair of albums from Jazz pianist Chick Corea and his Fusion band Return to Forever featuring Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Al di Meola. Where Have I Known You Before sas originally released in 1974 followed one year later by No Mystery.

Anyone who is into jazz, jazz/fusion, I am sure remembers these as individual records. I loved them both, but I like Chick Corea & Return To Forever. For me, I think this was some of their finer material. You can get it from Amazon as both original records on disc,so for me I was replacing 2 old LP's. I already knew what I was getting. It is great to have it on cd. Some of the material for the recent comeback on the live disc is also available from Amazon. I certainly give this 5 stars, I love both of these as individual lp's so replacing on cd especially these 2 on was disc, is a good value, & great music.

This release is far superior than the 1980's Polydor releases. There is more DETAIL, instrument seperation, fullness and finally...more BOTTOM. Yes, you can finally hear Lenny's kick drum and his toms have weight, Stanley's basses and Chick's bass synth/low-end synth playing. Also, you can hear Di Meola's comping and Chick's layers of keys/synths. This is like going from VHS to Blu-Ray and I know this music-I have been listening to these (over and over and...) since the earlier 80's on vinyl, then got the horrible CD issues around 1990 and now this.

This 2cd collection is absolutely brilliant, the first cd Where Have I Known You Before is a real electric treat with guitarist Al Dimeola & keyboardist Chic Corea trading riffs back & forth throughout the entire cd especially on tracks like Vulcan Worlds, Beyond The Seventh Galaxy & most notable Earth Juice but the most extravagant song is Song To The Pharoah Kings which really shows off the genius of Chic Corea on keyboards, also noted is the great rhythm section of Stanley Clarke & Lenny White. The 2nd cd No Mystery is a real funk fest with tracks like Dayride, Jungle Waterfall, Flight Of The Newborn & Sofistifunk. Al Dimeola trades riffs with bassist Stanley Clarke on so many occasions it's hard to keep track of, these fusionistic geniuses just pump up the jams on both of these cds with effortless ease. It's hard to believe they both were released in 1974 & 1975 because they are so far ahead of they're time respectively. It's a no brainier that these both stand the test of time & are classics in the jazz fusion world for this very reason they deserve a 5 star review.

1974 "Where Have I Known You Before"

Where Have I Known You Before is the fourth album by jazz-rock fusion band Return to Forever, the second since leader Chick Corea had "revamped" the line-up and moved towards electric instrumentation, playing jazz fusion with clear influences from progressive rock.
This is one of those albums that just seems to have been laying there forever, to be discovered by a group of talented musicians. It almost flows from the musicians on it own accord; they seem as surprised and inspired in playing as we are listening.
The whole band - Chick, Al DiMeola, Stanley Clark, Lenny White - are phenoms. Their skill is stratospheric. To me, as a drummer, Lenny's performance here is magical.
Remember, this album came out in the same period as John McLaughlin's most famous works - BIRDS OF FIRE and INNER MOUNTING FLAME - so these guys were feeding off of each other (much like Paul McCartney and Brian Williams were).
This album is one of the Fusion pioneer albums. The genre didn't exist before RTF and McLaughlin. It quickly sunk under its own weight with all the copycat bands, while the founding fathers moved on to better things.
I saw RTF on tour for this album; third row front; right in front of Lenny (I could see his kick drum foot working - he had on these platform shoes, playing heel-down). It was a fabulous show, even better than the album (I remember Stanley turning to Lenny and giving him the "easy, dude" hand sign: Lenny was just a monster, in his own world!).
If you buy only ONE Corea album, or even only ONE Fusion album, this is the one!

How can I describe a record that changed my life forever? I was sitting in a friend's car in Buffalo while he was getting something in the dorm. Unbeknownst to me his radio was tuned to a French station from Quebec. The final track of this record, "Song to the Pharaoh Kings" came on and I had never heard anything like it. "Blown away" hardly describes the effect. At the end I prepared to memorize the artist and record, and the DJ announced it - in French! I couldn't even figure out which part of the announcement was the artist's name.
It took me two years to figure out that that song was on this album. In the intervening 30 years I've listened to the record over and over again and I never tire of it. This is the record that turned me away from rock and into the more sophisticated world of jazz forever. "Pharaoh Kings" is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant pieces of music written, ever.
On a scale of 1 to 5, this one is 100.

 Track listing

1. "Vulcan Worlds" (Clarke) – 7:51
2. "Where Have I Loved You Before" (Corea) – 1:02
3. "The Shadow of Lo" (White) – 7:32
4. "Where Have I Danced with You Before" (Corea) – 1:14
5. "Beyond the Seventh Galaxy" (Corea) – 3:13
6. "Earth Juice" (Corea, Clarke, White, Di Meola) – 3:46
7. "Where Have I Known You Before" (Corea) – 2:20
8. "Song to the Pharoah Kings" (Corea) – 14:21

Personnel

• Al Di Meola – electric guitar, acoustic twelve-string guitar
• Chick Corea – electric piano, acoustic piano, Yamaha organ, synthesizers, percussion
• Stanley Clarke – electric bass, Yamaha organ, bell tree, chimes
• Lenny White – drums, percussion, congas & bongos

1975 "No Mystery" 

No Mystery (1975) is the fifth studio album by jazz-rock fusion band Return to Forever.
All members of the group contributed compositions to this album. Side A contains heavily funk-influenced material composed by each member of the group, whereas Side B is filled by Chick Corea compositions. Chick Corea won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Individual or Group Grammy Award in 1975 for this album.^[4] "Flight of the Newborn" is Di Meola's first recorded composition. Di Meola's solos are an early example of shredding.
Stanley Clarke would later re-record "Dayride" with background vocals for his solo album, Modern Man, released in 1978. Likewise, Al Di Meola re-recorded a longer version of "No Mystery" for his solo album World Sinfonia in 1991.

This album along with RTF Romantic Warrior is among the best of 70's fusion, all the players are incredible,Chick Corea on keyboard, Al Dimeola on guitar, Stanley Clarke on bass and Lenny White on drums, it doesn't get much better than this. I love the sound of Chick's Fender Rhodes electric piano, it sounds like a powerful percussive bells and the sounds he get from the ARP and MOOG synthesizers are classic and of course his piano playing is incredible, the piano intro to Excerpt f.t.f.m.o.heavy metal is amazing, like a fusion of classic,ragtime and rock. This CD is full of great compositions, Stanley Clarke's Dayride is one of his better pieces a mix of funk,latin and jazz, Corea's No Mystery is so beautiful and the Spanish flavored Celebration Suite is such fun to listen to and Lenny White's drum solo intro to the suite is great.
All the pieces on this album are an example of a high level of virtuoso playing, the guys were young, full of fire and technique which of course they wanted to show off, but that's not all they had to offer there is a lot of thoughtfull passion going on, well crafted compositions and lively enthusiasm in the playing that is so much fun to listen to. The first fusion album I listened to was Dimeola's Casino and I fell in love with this music so I naturally looked for other albums with him and this was it, and the other three guys impressed me just as much, I just wish they had stayed together longer than they did, still most of the solo albums they did are great too.

Wow. This is a timeless recording by Return To Forever.
The acoustic and electric guitar work of Al Di Meola (only 21 years of age when this classic was released) sends chills up my spine each time I hear it. Chick Corea, the consummate musician, is once again virtuous on the synthesizer, organ, and piano. The drums of Lenny White are tight, and the bass work of Stanley Clarke is immensely complex, yet very sonorous.
This disc is a gem. To give it any less than a five-star rating is criminal. It's good to know music like this exists at an affordable price, especially in our world of hackneyed, superficial pop-music. With each listen of "No Mystery," a new level of music appreciation is procured.
Brilliant stuff. 

 Track listing

1. "Dayride" (Clarke) – 3:25
2. "Jungle Waterfall" (Corea, Clarke) – 3:03
3. "Flight of the Newborn" (Di Meola) – 7:23
4. "Sofistifunk" (White) – 3:51
5. "Excerpt from the First Movement of Heavy Metal" (Corea, Clarke, White, Di Meola) – 2:45
6. "No Mystery" (Corea) – 6:10
7. "Interplay" (Corea, Clarke) – 2:15
8. "Celebration Suite part I" (Corea) – 8:27
9. "Celebration Suite part II" (Corea) – 5:32

Personnel

• Al Di Meola – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
• Chick Corea – acoustic piano, electric piano, clavinet, Yamaha organ, synthesizers, snare drum, marimba, vocals
• Stanley Clarke – electric bass, acoustic bass, Yamaha organ, synthesizer, vocals
• Lenny White – drums, percussion, congas, marimba

Chick Corea Elektric Band 1988 [1994] "Eye Of The Beholder"

Eye of the Beholder is a 1988 album by the Chick Corea Elektric Band. It features Chick Corea with guitarist Frank Gambale, saxophonist Eric Marienthal, drummer Dave Weckl and bassist John Patitucci.

During an era when the word "fusion" was applied to any mixture of jazz with pop or funk, Chick Corea's Elektric Band reinforced the word's original meaning: a combination of jazz improvisations with the power, rhythms and sound of rock. Eye of the Beholder, which found guitarist Frank Gambale, saxophonist Eric Marienthal and bassist John Patitucci displaying increasingly original solo voices, is one of this group's finest recordings and ranks with the best fusion of the latter half of the 1980s. 

After a highly impressive debut album and a stylistically simpler sophomore release, the Chick Corea Elektric Band proceeded to produce an album that was musically more advanced than anything they had accomplished before. The result, EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, is arguably the best record the band produced in their seven-year existence. With saxophonist Eric Marienthal and guitarist Frank Gambale on board to enhance the core trio of Corea, Dave Weckl (drums) and John Patitucci (bass), EYE is the perfect balance of the group's stunning technical chops, musical artistry and technological wizardry.

The most obvious difference on this record is the incorporation of more natural, acoustic sounds into the "electric" format. Corea's use of acoustic piano (enhanced by synthesizers), Weckl's natural drum and percussion sounds, Marienthal's sax and even Gambale's use of some acoustic guitar lend a much warmer vibe to EYE than previous efforts. What's more, many compositions, including "Home Universe," "Eternal Child," "Beauty" and "Ezinda" have a very chamber-ensemble feel with many varied textures and dynamics. Finally, the title track is a spectacular Spanish-flavored barnburner in the style of Corea's "Spain" that showcases each member's strengths to the fullest.

“Eye of the Beholder” - An appropriate title for a work that that may not appeal to all, but for those who can see past the surface and identify with Chick Corea's unique sound and creative genius, this is an absolute gem.

The third release of the Electrik Band, the album follows the original self-titled "Electrik Band" and "Light Years". One notes a clear departure from the original hard electric fusion of the first record to a more acoustic sound, a trend that continued with the release of the band's fourth album - "Inside Out".
In my opinion, "Eye of the Beholder" was undoubtedly the height of the Electric Band's existence.
The impressive thing about some of the Electric Band's earlier work is how the absolute best can be brought out of uncomplicated compositions, simply by great musicianship and improvisation. I am not a student of music, so the technical terms elude me, but my perception is that most of these works use a basic core, which gets repeated several times with small, but perceivable changes on each cycle. It is a slow but deliberate build up to the ultimate climax. I wonder if the term “Stretch” Corea used in the naming of his record company refers to this concept?

"Eye of the Beholder” is no different in this regard, but the compositions are meatier than the earlier releases. Each track has an originality of its own and takes the listener on an emotional excursion.

Of the Electrik Band releases, this record is the most timeless and sounds as good today as when I purchased it in 1991.
It is an absolute must for any respectable Fusion collection. 

I am a musician and a HUGE fan of the Elektric Band. I must say, this album has probably shaped my keyboard styles more than any other. My brother is a drummer and used to have these tapes, when he was away I would sneak in his bag and listen to his tapes (remember those!); this album blew my mind, it was unlike anything I'd ever heard. Once I got into jazz I found out where Chick draws his style from, and about the Elektric Band concept, this album stands out among the series as the most epic; to this day it contains some of the most beautiful and intricately woven counter-melodies and harmonies that I've heard, and to think: the first time I heard this album I wasn't even a teenager yet, and it was over 12 years ago. No pianist alive today matches Chick's unique combination of skill, technique, artistry, and overall musicality, and this album shines. I love all of the E. Band albums, but this one stands out because of its overall 'acoustic' feel and intertwined themes. Listen to the album straight through, and you'll hear recurring passages and themes throughout - and it will make you smile.
This album is a must have, for any fan of Chick Corea.

If you are looking for great synth sounds from the 80's, great compositions, and the best musicians, "Eye of the Beholder" won't dissapoint you. It has the well known progressive jazz of Chick Corea along with his friends: John Patitucci (basses), Dave Weckl (drums and percussion), Eric Marienthal (sax), Frank Gambale (guitar).
"Home Universe", the first song, starts with great percussion and "strings" in a march-like rhythm full of mystery. "Eternal Child" is a beautiful ballad in piano. "Cascade" has an intro which uses a synth sound that makes you feel as if you were in front of a cascade.
The album is an excellent recording with great mixing by Bernie Kirsh and Chick Corea.
Personally, this is my favorite album by Chick and his band. I have never lost the sense of satisfaction I feel each time I listen to the album. I highly recommend it, especially to Chick fans. 

Wow...I can't believe anyone would say this release was anything but perfect. This CD is what turned me on to jazz in the first place...I was 16 and a metal head at the time. Here it is, about 15 years later, and I still listen to this CD constantly. The actual music is beautiful, the transitions are genius, and the musicians...well, in my opinion there couldn't have been a better blend of members. This album completely changed me as a musician.

Track listing:

01. Home Universe (2:44)
02. Eternal Child (4:52)
03. Forgotten Past (2:58)
04. Passage (4:56)
05. Beauty (7:56)
06. Cascade, Pt. 1 (1:54)
07. Cascade, Pt. 2 (5:19)
08. Trance Dance (5:50)
09. Eye of the Beholder (6:39)
10. Ezinda (6:54)
11. Amnesia (3:28)

Vinyl Version has only tracks 1-9 (GRP-A-91053)

Personnel:

    Chick Corea – synthesizer, piano, arranger, keyboards, producer, engineer, liner notes, mixing
    Frank Gambale – guitar
    Eric Marienthal – saxophone
    John Novello – synthesizer (track 2 only)
    John Patitucci – bass
    Dave Weckl – drums

John Mclaughlin, Chick Corea - 2009 "Five Peace Band" [Live]

Five Peace Band Live is a 2009 post bop/jazz fusion album from musicians Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride and Vinnie Colaiuta.

They toured Europe between the 22 October and 23 November 2008, subsequently touring North America, and went on to Asia in spring 2009 with Brian Blade on drums

Chick Corea and John McLaughlin share one of the great pedigrees in the music of the 20th century: they were both key sidemen on Miles Davis' seminal albums In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. They have played together since those heady days, as a duo or as sit-in guests. Five Peace Band was Corea's idea of putting together a dream band to play all kinds of jazz, and he approached McLaughlin. Corea chose the other members in saxophonist Kenny Garrett, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and bassist Christian McBride. The group toured for nearly a year following Corea's Return to Forever reunion tour, and this double CD was compiled from that jaunt. It's true that on paper supergroups are suspicious offerings. Not so here. This band includes three younger -- yet veteran -- musicians who team wonderfully with the two legends on this set. Of the eight pieces included here, five are originals -- three by McLaughlin and a pair by Corea -- along with Davis' "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time" (with Herbie Hancock guesting), Jackie McLean's "Dr. Jackle," and a reading of the standard "Someday My Prince Will Come" (a duet between pianist and guitarist that elegantly closes disc two). McLaughlin's compositions are fairly recent; they were recorded with his 4th Dimension group on his excellent Floating Point and Industrial Zen albums. As one can imagine, this material is played here the way it was there -- only more so -- as extremely engaging 21st century electric fusion. His other piece, "Señor C.S.," is reimagined from the studio version on Industrial Zen. Here it is played harder and faster yet gives away none of its Latin groove, and instead comes off as a new, much more technically ambitious mutation of samba.
It should be noted that the rhythm section here is nothing less than startling. McBride is equally at home on an electric bass, and his sense of fire, funkiness, and dynamic range is in every note. Colaiuta is simply one of the most talented and exciting drummers out there, and creates an art form of dressing his timekeeping in impeccable and imaginative ways. Corea's tunes are closer to something resembling mainstream jazz -- though the gorgeous and lengthy (it clocks in at over 27 minutes) "Hymn to Andromeda" moves gradually and beautifully to the outside, with beautiful playing by Garrett and McLaughlin, who can still handle non-fusion material with invention, restraint, and taste. Disc two begins with an odd, idiosyncratic reading of McLean's "Dr. Jackle" as an attempt to stretch hard bop toward something (via Corea's arrangement) -- but what it is, isn't quite clear. The version of "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time" with Hancock is the album's high point. He plays an electric piano and creates the necessary incantatory vibe in the ethereal, soft, speculative beginning for Corea to simply caress into being. McLaughlin just floats about as an accompanist to the keys, and when he does play single lines, they become hesitant, soft, direction-pointing exercises toward what is to come. When the tune splits and becomes more aggressive in the latter half, the band gels and he finds himself in the maelstrom as the two keyboardists vie for dominance and the rhythm section creates a sense of pulse and excitement. His solo is brief and to the point yet full of knots and turns -- his trading lines with Garrett is especially tantalizing. Five Peace Band re-creates an extremely ambitious and beautifully executed gig, where all players were firing on all cylinders.

Superstar collaborations often look good on paper but don't pan out in reality, so it's a real pleasure to see that the pairing of two modern legends—keyboardist Chick Corea and guitarist John McLaughlin—is far more than some marketing representative's wet dream. Teaming with three younger players who add their own cachet—saxophonist Kenny Garrett, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta—Five Peace Band Live captures the group on the first leg of a nearly year-long tour, hot on the heels of Corea's much-lauded Return to Forever reunion, documented on Returns (Eagle Records, 2009). While FPB Live isn't as pedal-to-the metal fusion as Returns, there's no shortage of high-octane playing, as the quintet works through a number of originals, a couple of standards and a fine tribute to Miles Davis, who brought Corea and McLaughlin together for the first time 30 years ago on In a Silent Way (Columbia, 1969).

Comparing FPB with McLaughlin's 4th Dimension group, the two tracks covered by both bands yield significant differences. The fiery "Raju" doesn't change much, though Garrett nearly blows the roof off whatever venue it was recorded in, lending considerably more weight to the song. Colaiuta and McBride are equally powerful, while Corea's personality gives the tune some additional harmonic movement.

"Senor C.S.," on the other hand, is reimagined as a high velocity samba, beginning with a Corea/McLaughlin duet that demonstrates the simpatico bond that makes this pairing long overdue. Despite McLaughlin's lightning-fast yet always lyrical delivery, it recalls Corea's early, Latin-esque Return to Forever—although the late Joe Farrell never played with as much unbridled passion as Garrett, who comes close to stealing the show from Corea and McLaughlin on more than one occasion. Meanwhile, "New Bruise, Old Blues," from Industrial Zen (Verve, 2006), is as funky as FPB gets, with one of Corea's most visceral synth solos of the set.

If McLaughlin's tunes are more fusion-centric, Corea's two contributions take FPB closer to the modern mainstream, with "The Disguise" more down-the-middle, but proof- -as if any was needed—that McLaughlin can still work that turf with ease. "Hymn to Andromeda" begins freely, Corea working in and out of the piano box as McBride enters to deliver a poignant arco solo before the rest of the group joins to gradually move into modal territory, with Garrett delivering another set highlight, gradually building his solo as the band coalesces and intensifies behind him.

Alongside a quirky rearrangement of Jackie McLean's "Dr. Jackle" and a closing Corea/McLaughlin duet on "Someday My Prince Will Come," the group pays tribute to Miles on a lengthy, more open-ended rework of "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time," with Herbie Hancock guesting to create an ethereal electric piano cushion before the band enters in the more propulsive second half, with McLaughlin proving himself as able an accompanist as he is an evocative soloist.

Track listing
Disc one

    "Raju" (John McLaughlin) – 12:29
    "The Disguise" (Chick Corea) – 13:32
    "New Blues, Old Bruise" (John McLaughlin) – 14:06
    "Hymn to Andromeda" (Chick Corea) – 27:45

Disc two

    "Dr. Jackle" (Jackie McLean) – 22:53
    "Senor C.S." (John McLaughlin) – 20:15
    "In a Silent Way / It's About That Time" (Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul) – 20:06
    "Someday My Prince Will Come" (Frank Churchill, Larry Morey) – 7:42

Personnel

    Chick Corea - acoustic piano, electric piano, synthesizer
    Kenny Garrett - alto saxophone
    John McLaughlin - electric guitar
    Christian McBride - acoustic bass, electric bass
    Vinnie Colaiuta - drums, percussion

Chick Corea & Gary Burton - 2008 "The New Crystal Silence"

The New Crystal Silence is a 2008 live Jazz album by Chick Corea and Gary Burton. It was released in a 2-disc set. The first disc was recorded May 10 & 12, 2007 at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. The second disc was recorded on July 7, 2007 at Bjornsonhuset in Molde, Norway, except for the track "Señor Mouse", which was recorded July 13, 2007 at the Auditorio de Tenerife in Canary Island, Spain.

The album peaked number eleven in the Billboard Top Jazz album charts and also won the Grammy awards for the Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group.

When Crystal Silence first appeared in 1972 on the ECM label, its cover photograph depicted a stellar shot of the sun, which appeared to be setting. That duet album featured two already-seasoned jazz veterans who were in their thirties, and had been part of many of the developments in the music for a decade. Corea's credits included Miles Davis, his own Return to Forever, the "Is" sessions, Circle, and many others; Burton's included tenures with George Shearing and Stan Getz as well as Larry Coryell. But the duet album they recorded for ECM was so utterly striking and arresting because it highlighted not only an entirely new way of playing duets between piano and vibes -- which had been done previously and well by others -- but a new way of hearing them as well.
After 35 years, five duet records, and countless tours together, the pair revisit the notion of the duet in two different contexts on this delightful, compelling double-disc package from Concord. The first disc finds the pair playing live in Sydney with that city's symphony orchestra conducted by Jonathan Stockhammer and arranged by Tim Garland. The program includes five tunes, all of them composed by Corea. While it is disconcerting on first thought as to how an orchestra could add to the special intuitive communication this duo has developed since its first accidental performance at a festival in 1971, those fears disappear quickly after the orchestra's intro, when Corea's piano makes its entrance and Burton responds. It's striking there was so little rehearsal time, and that Garland's arrangements are so spot-on and attuned to the intricacy of what happens harmonically between these two. "Duende" opens the set with an enormous introductory sweep that feels more like a crescendo, but it gives way within two minutes to the exploration of extrapolated minors when Corea plays a single note that initiates his speaking voice on the piano. Burton answers and moves them into another direction, painting from the inside and pulling on certain notes as he quotes a melody that feels strangely like "The Shadow of Your Smile." Then the pair are off, the orchestra brooding and shimmering behind them, opening up spaces where there would be tension in such a focused space of minor keys that sweep this way and that way, and then they engage fully with the orchestra. This continues through "Love Castle" and the speculative intro to "Brasilia," which feels like a question. The rhythmic interplay is built layer upon layer, however sparely by the harmonic striations of vibes and piano as strings hover and cautiously seem to follow into a much more romantic and exotic flight of fancy. Of course, the title track, while seemingly an entirely new piece when played with this symphony, is no less limpid than its predecessor. The compositional notion is simply eased into more tentatively, but the interpolations between Burton and Corea are even cannier than one might expect. Everything begins in shade and shadow and is revealed in the full light of day. The set ends with a driving rendition of "La Fiesta," begun with an intensely intricate series of counterpoint exchanges between the pair.
Disc two contains a live performance from the Molde Festival in Norway, with one cut, "Señor Mouse" (also from the Crystal Silence debut), recorded in the Canary Islands. Far more breezy but perhaps more taut and far less tentative, the set starts off with Corea's "Bud Powell," and Burton shines with his solo, moving through the lyric phrases as Corea punches in spaces with tough, jaunty chord masses. It swings like crazy before giving way to a stellar reading of Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debby." The melody, instantly recognizable in Corea's hands, is nonetheless a bit heavier in touch, but that's what makes it sound new as well. The solo he opens with carries the basic lyric frame in his two-handed chords and runs before Burton slides the melody in solo, as expressive and intimate as one could ever hope for before it opens wide and sings. This happens on the other standards here as well, the deeply emotive reading of "I Loves You, Porgy," with Burton's solo as tender as a singer emoting the words, and "Sweet and Lovely," where the pair just dig in and let the tune guide them on a wonderfully engaging, swinging ride through its harmonic possibilities. The other four Corea tunes here include a very different version of "La Fiesta" as a set closer; "No Mystery," which is more mysterious in some ways because of its use of arpeggios, space, and counterpoint; and the all-too-brief rhythmic invention of "Alegria." The bottom line, of course, is that this set, as different as its two mirroring discs are, is nearly magical in both its intensity and creativity, and in its wonderfully relaxed manner of walking through the deep passageways of improvisation. Anyone who is a fan of the duet recordings between these two should own this. Anyone not familiar should check out the ECM disc first, and then move straight here, filling in the gaps later. They are wonderful counterparts to one another and immensely satisfying listens.

The circumstances that led to pianist Chick Corea and vibraphonist Gary Burton collaborating on Crystal Silence (ECM, 1973) are the definition of serendipitous happenstance. Neither thought the record would have wide appeal, yet it's gone on to become not only a classic for the label, but for both artists, who have since built large discographies with plenty of individual milestones. Recording infrequently as a duo, they've played together every year since that first meeting, with some significant globe-trotting in 2007 to commemorate their thirty-fifth anniversary together. The double-disc The New Crystal Silence documents that celebration with performances culled from dates in Australia, Norway and the Canary Islands.

The duo revisits material from Crystal Silence through to their most recent and fifth recording, Native Sense (Stretch, 1997), in addition to a new Corea tune and three standards. The second disc, from the Norway and Canary Island shows, finds the duet on their own and in top form. Anyone who caught a 2007 show knows—as their Portland Jazz Festival performance amply demonstrated—that amidst the stunning virtuosity, empathic interaction and subtle nuances is an almost mischievous playfulness. Some of this may be serious music, but Corea and Burton are clearly having fun.

The "new" comes with the first disc, where Corea and Burton have a silent third partner in British woodwind multi-instrumentalist/composer/bandleader Tim Garland. Garland doesn't perform, but was recruited by Corea to arrange five tunes from the duo's repertoire for the pianist, Burton and symphony orchestra—in this case, the Australian Sydney Symphony. This isn't the first time Garland has scored Corea material for orchestra—his "Fantasy on Crystal Silence" was a highlight of his own The Mystery (Audio-B, 2007), and also featured Corea as a guest. Here, his orchestration of "Crystal Silence" is more reverential, although there are moments of unexpected power during a tune that has always been more of a tranquil tone poem.

It's to Garland's credit that he finds the perfect blend of orchestration and improvisation. While there are open-ended sections that allow Burton and Corea to go where they will, Garland has turned Corea's compositions into miniature concertos, where the symphony weaves in and around solo and duet sections. Just how different the approach can be is clear with the two versions of Corea's Spanish-tinged "La Fiesta" included—a more form-based version with the orchestra on disc one and a looser, more fully extemporaneous duet version on disc two.

That Corea and Burton are in-tandem improvisers capable of taking great risks while consistently delivering near-perfect performances is what made their first recording a classic. It's hard to live up to Crystal Silence's iconic stature. Still, The New Crystal Silence proves that, as with any committed relationship, these two are never at a loss for fresh and relevant dialogue. The addition of Garland's orchestral arrangements only provides an even more expansive context around which Corea and Burton can continue to build and strengthen a pairing that's destined to last a lifetime.

When they teamed up in 1972 to play in a piano-vibraphone setting, little did Chick Corea and Gary Burton realize that 35 years later their duo would continue to expand its modern chamber music approach to jazz with full introspection and exhilaration. Even though their serendipitous debut, Crystal Silence, was released on Germany-based ECM Records, which at the time did not have a distribution deal in the U.S., the album not only forged the alchemic partnership, but also brought to renown the deep and insightful collaboration of the two virtuosic improvisers. After their premiere outing, they recorded four more albums and have never skipped a year performing together.
In celebration of the Corea-Burton duo’s 35th anniversary, they released The New Crystal Silence, a double CD featuring the pair performing with the Sydney Symphony and as a duet captured in a sublime performance at the Molde Jazz Festival in Molde, Norway. The orchestral concert bears the fruit of an invitation from two symphonies in Australia, in Perth and Sydney, which offered the twosome the opportunity to perform and record their repertoire in an orchestral setting. As for the duo disc, Corea and Burton marked their long relationship onstage of anticipating each other’s musical ideas by embarking on a worldwide tour and then chose one of their best performances to document.
Writing in The New Crystal Silence liner notes, Burton reflects:

I’ve always held the theory that all musical collaborations, particularly among jazz musicians, eventually run their course as players evolve and everyone moves on to new ventures. But, I’ve come to believe that what Chick and I have together is going to break that rule. The performing we have done over the past year has been our best in 35 years, and we are very pleased to make it available on these CDs.” He adds, “We both feel that our music has evolved in the last 10 years more than it did before. We play the tunes very differently, with fresh concepts and new inspiration.Gary Burton

Corea agrees:

The way we were approaching the music during our 35th anniversary concert tour was so different that I thought it warranted documentation. Gary’s playing continues to amaze and inspire me. The tours we’ve done over this past year are my favorites of all that we’ve done. There’s more to come, but here is a slice of what we’re into these days.Chick Corea.

 Track listing

Disc one

    "Duende" (Corea) – 10:54
    "Love Castle" (Corea) – 12:41
    "Brasilia" (Corea) – 9:38
    "Crystal Silence" (Corea) – 14:09
    "La Fiesta" (Corea) – 13:35

Disc two

    "Bud Powell" (Corea) – 7:55
    "Waltz for Debby" (Bill Evans) – 8:03
    "Alegria" (Corea) – 5:49
    "No Mystery" (Corea) – 9:12
    "Señor Mouse" (Corea) – 9:10
    "Sweet and Lovely" (Gus Arnheim, Charles Daniels, Harry Tobias) – 6:56
    "I Love Porgy" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin & DuBose Heyward) – 4:09
    "La Fiesta" (Corea) – 10:41

Personnel

    Chick Corea – piano
    Gary Burton – vibraphone
    Sydney Symphony Orchestra
    Jonathan Stockhammer – conductor

Chick Corea - 2006 "The Ultimate Adventure"

The Ultimate Adventure is an album recorded by Chick Corea and released in 2006.

For the second time in two years, Chick Corea has assembled a band to give aural illustration to the fantasy writings of L. Ron Hubbard. For those who have trouble with Hubbard and his teachings, this may be a red flag to avoid the record altogether. The Ultimate Adventure is a tale that draws on characters from the Arabian Nights -- there is an ad for the book in the back of the CD booklet. With that out of the way, one has to deal with the music entirely on its own terms. Corea has spent decades playing both electric and acoustic jazz. This is the first time since 1976's My Spanish Heart that he has woven his love of both so completely into a single album. There are more than a few echoes here that call upon the ghosts of the earliest Return to Forever band -- primarily in the gorgeous flute playing of Hubert Laws and Jorge Pardo, in the saxophone artistry of Tim Garland, the drumming of Steve Gadd, and the percussion wizardry of not only Airto Moreira, but also of Hossam Ramzy -- just to name a few of this album's players. But as always, it's Corea's compositions and playing that make or break any of his outings. This one is complex, knotty, and contains nuevo flamenco sketches and exotic melodic grooves and rhythms from "North Africa" and the Middle East. The second part of the opening suite "Three Ghouls" -- which makes it ghoul number two, apparently -- showcases Corea on the electric piano and electronic percussion with Laws playing soulful and slightly funky. His flute gets double-tracked as it floats above Moreira and bassist Carles Benavent. It's spacey, airy groove is intoxicating. It morphs into the knotty percussive and slightly "out" part three, where palmas -- handclapped rhythms -- by Corea, Gadd, and Benavent are contrasted to the dissonant acoustic piano and funky Rhodes woven side by side in counterpoint. This stands in contrast to the electric, short, fused-out, three-part suite entitled "Moseb the Executioner." The first part is a tangled mix up of Garland and Corea's Rhodes. It ends in a percussion orgy by Moreira and Ruben Dantas with palmas by the entire band. There are gorgeous melodic interludes in "North Africa" courtesy of Pardo and Corea. "Flight from Karoof" is simply a fusion gem. Ultimately, Ultimate Adventure works extremely well; it's inspired, takes chances, and is compositionally a small wonder. Above all, it sounds like Corea and his band had a ball making it. Recommended for fusion-heads.

Like his 2004 album To the Stars, The Ultimate Adventure is a musical tribute to the work of science fiction author and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The album draws heavily upon the rhythmic and melodic traditions of African, Spanish, and Arabian music.

The Ultimate Adventure peaked number 7 in the Billboard Top Jazz albums and also won two Grammy awards in 2007 for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance (Individual or Group) and Best Instrumental Arrangement.

Some artists find it enough to find their niche and work it over the course of their entire career, refining it in ways that keep it fresh but still inherently focused. But there are also others whose voracious musical appetites compel them to explore a wider musical world, all the while evolving an instantly recognizable voice. Over a lifetime, they continue to find new sources of inspiration and fresh ways to broaden their viewpoint, still managing to remain consistent and focused within their already established oeuvre.

Now in his sixties, pianist Chick Corea shows no signs of either slowing down or settling into any kind of comfort zone. Individual projects have demonstrated very specific focuses—the acoustic chamber music post bop of his Origin sextet, the free explorations of Circle, the elegant interplay of his duet with vibraphonist Gary Burton, the pedal-to-the-metal fusion of his middle-period Return to Forever group with guitarist Al DiMeola. Others have been reflective of grander designs. Concept albums like The Leprechaun (Polydor, 1976) and The Mad Hatter (Polydor, 1978) blended lessons learned from his fusion outings and the organic nature of his acoustic work with more ambitious writing. The most consistent of such recordings was My Spanish Heart (Polydor, 1976), where Corea brought his own distinctive narrative voice to material informed by the music of Spain.

His latest release, The Ultimate Adventure—like last year's Elektric Band reunion album To the Stars (Stretch)—draws its inspiration from the fiction of L. Ron Hubbard, Corea's Scientology mentor for the past 35 years. But here Corea brings together a larger cast of players, reuniting him with old friends like drummer Steve Gadd and flautist Hubert Laws, as well as more recent acquaintances, like woodwind multi-instrumentalist Tim Garland and the group that accompanied him on the recent Rhumba Flamenco.

Like his '70s concept albums, The Ultimate Adventure aspires to find the nexus point of Corea's many musical worlds, but while some of the textures on those earlier releases have ultimately become dated, Corea's use of technology here is integrated more seamlessly. When blended with acoustic piano, woodwinds and a host of percussion, the synthesizers, Fender Rhodes and electronic percussion blend naturally, completely devoid of the excesses that Corea has sometimes been accused of in the past.

While many of Corea's past interests are in evidence, The Ultimate Adventure also moves forward as he explores the music of North Africa, filtered through his own distinctive lens. It's more heavily percussion-oriented than anything he's done before—with as many as three percussionists and five pairs of hands clapping. The result is completely captivating: challenging yet accessible, a perfect combination of head and heart.

Consolidating his career, bringing together musical friends past and present, and making significant steps forward in its blend of detailed composition and improvisational prowess, The Ultimate Adventure proves that it's possible to continuously broaden one's musical horizons without losing one's voice in the process. A career-defining release from an artist who has already shaped and reshaped the course of modern music more often than most.

Adventure has been an operative word during the innovative keyboardist-composer Chick Corea’s four decades in jazz’s major leagues. Leading an assortment of ensembles of varying size, Corea has explored virtually every sonic landscape and unearthed a wealth of musical treasures.

The Ultimate Adventure is at once a recapitulation and a revelation. Drawing on an exceptional supporting cast with whom he’s previously collaborated productively (Hubert Laws, Airto Moreira, Steve Gadd, Frank Gambale) or with whom he’s more recently forged empathic relationships (Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent, Vinnie Colaiuta), Adventure again displays that Corea is among our most inventive melodists who masterfully avails himself of multiple global sources, from Middle Eastern and flamenco harmonies and tonalities to several African rhythmic styles.

The Ultimate Adventure is an epic from beginning to end.

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Track listing:

01 "Three Ghouls, Pt. 1" – 1:38
02 "Three Ghouls, Pt. 2" - 4:02
03 "Three Ghouls, Pt. 3" - 3:11
04 "City of Brass" - 6:38
05 "Queen Tedmur" - 5:15
06 "El Stephen, Pt. 1" - 6:39
07 "El Stephen, Pt. 2" - 1:47
08 "King & Queen" - 6:06
09 "Moseb the Executioner, Pt. 1" - 1:39
10 "Moseb the Executioner, Pt. 2" - 2:20
11 "Moseb the Executioner, Pt. 3" - 1:54
12 "North Africa" - 6:24
13 "Flight from Karoof, Pt. 1" - 6:11
14 "Flight from Karoof, Pt. 2" - 1:36
15 "Planes of Existence, Pt. 1" - 5:25
16 "Arabian Nights, Pt. 1" - 4:30
17 "Arabian Nights, Pt. 2" - 2:38
18 "Gods & Devils" - 2:15
19 "Planes of Existence, Pt. 2" - 2:50

Personnel:

Chick Corea – Piano, Rhodes piano, acoustic and electronic percussion, synthesizers
Steve Gadd – Drums, palmas (on "Three Ghouls", "El Stephen", "Flight From Karoof")
Airto Moreira – Vocals, percussion (on "Three Ghouls", "Moseb The Executioner", "North Africa")
Carles Benavent – Electric bass, palmas
Hubert Laws – Flute (on "Three Ghouls", "Queen Tedmur")
Hossam Ramzy – Percussion (on "City Of Brass", "Flight From Karoof")
Jorge Pardo – Flute, saxophone, palmas (all tracks except "Three Ghouls", "Queen Tedmur", "Moseb The Executioner", "Arabian Nights")
Vinnie Colaiuta – Drums (on "Queen Tedmur", "Moseb The Executioner", "North Africa", "Arabian Nights")
Tim Garland – Bass Clarinet (on "Queen Tedmur"), tenor saxophone (on "Moseb The Executioner")
Rubem Dantas (in Spanish) – Percussion, palmas (on "King & Queen", "Moseb The Executioner", "North Africa", "Planes Of Existence", "Arabian Nights", "Gods & Devils")
Tom Brechtlein – Drums, palmas (on "King & Queen", "Planes Of Existence")
Frank Gambale – Acoustic guitar (on "Arabian Nights")