![]() Legendary With the simplest expression of his artistry — only 88 keys at his disposal — Chick reinvents himself for every show, exploring every inch of his musical world. Joyous versions of Chick classics give way to stunning takes on his suite of “Children’s Songs.” Classical excursions through Scriabin and Scarlatti fuse a virtuosic command of the compositions with Chick’s inimitable improv sound. More than anything else, you’re invited into Chick’s “rehearsal” — where he’s at his most playful, curious and thrilling. The story behind a modern jazz standard AP Images The son of a trumpeter in a Dixieland band, the virtuosic keyboardist Chick Corea is revered as one of the principal alchemists in the fusion of jazz with rock, funk, and Latin music. After recording his seminal 1968 album, Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, he replaced Herbie Hancock as the piano chair in Miles Davis's band—the band that recorded such classic albums as Bitches Brew. Amazon.com: The Jazz Solos of Chick Corea (180): Chick Corea, Peter Sprague: Books. Throughout his eclectic career, Corea has collaborated with vibraphonist Gary Burton and banjoist Bela Fleck, pioneered the use of the Fender Rhodes electric piano, and won 16 Grammys. In 1972 he founded the jazz fusion group Return to Forever, which he's steered through several lives—including Return to Forever IV, which recently concluded its 2011 World Tour. Here, Corea shares the original sheet music for 'Spain,' a composition for the group's 1972 sophomore album, Light as a Feather. By 1976 or so, I started to tire of the song. I started playing really perverted versions of it-I'd refer to it just for a second, then I'd go off on an improvisation. Once the acoustic band was in action, sometime around '85, I decided to try my hand at a rearrangement of the piece. Then there was the orchestral arrangement. Even with my current band, Return to Forever IV, we're still playing 'Spain.' We've gone back to the original arrangement. Click the images below to enlarge Maybe another tune will come to the forefront. Probably not, at this part of my life. I don't know. I don't think any artist really knows why a song gets popular. A lot of artists say, we'll, it was a sing-able melody, the rhythm was infectious. You could surmise a lot. The constant challenge is not so much the creative process, but the challenge of presenting an idea to the public. It's a constant challenge to get your arrangement and musical expression across to a new audience, especially when you're playing live every night, like we are. Miles set this example of creative fearlessness. He kept changing the way he played. He kept changing the poem of his music. ![]() Now, when I play soul piano, for instance, and I play a rendition of 'Spain,' I do it deconstructively. That's the most fun, but I can only do that when I'm on my own. -Chick Corea, as told to Alex Hoyt We want to hear what you think about this article. To the editor or write to [email protected].
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