Chick Corea - 1972 [1993] "Sundance"

Sundance is an album recorded by Chick Corea and originally released on the Groove Merchant label in 1972. In 2002, Blue Note Records re-released all tracks from this album, together with all tracks from 1969's Is and alternate takes from both albums as The Complete "Is" Sessions. Sundance features Chick in his prime early period, building with each new track a sound that was instantly recognizable. The lineup is a who’s-who of jazz masters: Jack DeJohnette, Hubert Laws, Woody Shaw, Horace Arnold, Dave Holland and Bennie Maupin. The music is pure Chick: playful and searching, never content with the expected.

Recorded during the same period as Is, Sundance has four very advanced (if forgettable) Chick Corea compositions interpreted by a septet that includes trumpeter Woody Shaw, Hubert Laws on flute, and Bennie Maupin on reeds. Actually, this is a lesser Corea item with plenty of rambling moments (although it is generally not as free as Is) and is recommended mostly to completists of the pianist who are interested in his early development.

This album is what free form jazz is all about, it is music that wanders with purpose meaning that it sounds like it is not really going in a particular direction then it all comes together with perfect timing. Imagine a soundtrack where you keep falling down hill, and every cymbal crash is you hitting a bump, or some other obstacle as you keep tumbling further downward such as the song "Wind song". This is an instrumental record so it is great to read to especially if it is an energetic story such as a thriller, or detective/ private eye story.

Track listing:

    "The Brain" (Chick Corea) – 10:09
    "Song of Wind" (Corea) – 8:05
    "Converge" (Corea) – 7:59
    "Sundance" (Corea) – 10:02

Personnel:

    Chick Corea – piano
    Hubert Laws – flute, piccolo flute
    Bennie Maupin – tenor saxophone
    Woody Shaw – trumpet
    Dave Holland – bass
    Jack De Johnette – drums
    Horace Arnold – drums