Chick Corea
Armando Anthony " Chick " Corea ( born June 12, 1941 in Chelsea, Massachusetts) is one of the most important contemporary jazz pianist and composer. He is also considered one of the founding fathers of jazz-rock.
Life and work
Early years (1941-1971)
Chick Corea was born on 12 June 1941 in the city of Chelsea, Massachusetts. When his father, a bandleader, he learned to play the piano at age four, especially classical composers. Early on, he discovered jazz, particularly soul jazz, for themselves. As his biggest influences at that time he calls in addition to the jazz musicians Horace Silver and Bud Powell and classical composers such as Mozart and Beethoven. His first major appearances he graduated with Cab Calloway, Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo. After a few recordings for other musicians Chick took in 1966 his first solo album Tones for Joan 's Bones on. Two years later, he recorded his second album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs with Miroslav on Vitouš and Roy Haynes. This second plate, which is often referred to as a classic, Corea made known in the jazz world.
In the same year, 1968, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock replaced in the band of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis and recorded the album Filles de Kilimanjaro with him. In the following years he also played on the albums In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, and the live recordings to live and Evil Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West.
In 1970 Corea along with bassist Dave Holland 's band Miles Davis to set up together with drummer Barry Altschul and saxophonist Anthony Braxton quartet. This group recorded three albums Chick.
With Return to Forever (1971-1978)
→ See also: Return to Forever
In 1971, Corea with bassist Stanley Clarke, saxophonist Joe Farrell, drummer Airto Moreira and his wife, singer Flora Purim, the group Return to Forever. 1972 this merger lineup recorded their eponymous debut album.
That same year, Corea, Clarke, Farrell and drummer Tony Williams took on his album Captain Marvel with the influential saxophonist Stan Getz. In September of Return to Forever recorded their second studio album, Light as a Feather, which is also one of the most famous compositions by Chick Corea contained: Spain.
With new members, followed by further recordings with the fusion lineup, including guitarist Bill Connors and drummer Lenny White. In 1975, the album No Mystery, which won a Grammy, recorded.
At the same time Chick Corea recorded two solo albums: The Leprechaun and My Spanish Heart. Shortly after, he met his future wife Gayle Moran know when she was hired as a singer for Return to Forever.
Solo Projects (1978-1986)
After the release of Return to Forever Corea first went along with Herbie Hancock on a tour, on which the two duets played on classical piano. This was followed by the album together Corea / Hancock as well as the live recording of a concert in 1980 ( An Evening with Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea ).
In addition, Corea took 1978 solo albums The Mad Hatter, Friends and Secret Agent with various jazz greats on.
1981 was followed by the album Three Quartets, recorded among others with Michael Brecker. Later that year he went on tour with saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Roy Haynes.
In the same year there was a reunion with bassist Miroslav Vitouš, with whom he had thirteen years previously recorded Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. Along with Haynes, they recorded the album Trio Music.
1982 Corea was part of the R & B band Echoes of an Era, next to his Return to Forever, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White colleagues.
Elektric Band and Stretch Records (1986-2006)
Along with Dave Weckl and John Patitucci and guitarist Scott Henderson and Carlos Rios Corea founded in the late 1980s, the merger formation Elektric Band for the self-titled debut album, released in 1986. After a reshuffle with guitarist Frank Gambale and saxophonist Eric Marienthal, the group released in constant occupation between 1987 and 1991 four albums. In 1993, the album Paint the World with some new musicians under the name Elektric Band II
In addition to the Elektric Band Corea formed with his two bandmates Patitucci and Weckl also Akoustic band, which consisted solely of acoustic instruments. The trio recorded two albums.
In 1992, Corea, the label Stretch Records, which was aimed at the selection of its artists not by genre, but by creativity. Among other things, the label released albums by John Patitucci, Bob Berg, Eddie Gomez and Robben Ford After the contract was with his old label, GRP Records, expired, he published his following albums on his own label, which a short time before with Concord Records had together.
In the period up to 1998, further collaborations, for example with Roy Haynes and Bobby McFerrin.
In 2000, Corea together with the London Philharmonic Orchestra recorded the album corea.concerto, on the addition of a three-movement orchestral version of Spain also Corea's First Piano Concerto is heard.
After he had reunited his Elektric Band in 2004, he took up with this new album ( To the Stars ), for which he picked up inspiration from the author L. Ron Hubbard. For the interpretation of The Ultimate Adventure of the same author Corea received two Grammys.
New Directions (2006-2008)
In 2006, Chick Corea his second Piano Concerto The Continents during a performance with the Bavarian Chamber Orchestra on the occasion of the Mozart Year in Vienna State Opera premiered. Involved In it he interpreted Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24
Shortly thereafter, he published the plate Super Trio: Corea / Gadd / McBride along with Steve Gadd and Christian McBride. The album, which was released only in Japan, there has been designated by Japan 's Swing Journal jazz album of the year and reached gold status.
In December of that year, Corea together with banjo player Béla Fleck recorded the album The Enchantment. The two knew each other from previous recordings as Béla spot Tales From The Acoustic Planet. Chick said about the album, that it had caused him to move into unknown territories.
Back to Jazz Rock (2008 -present)
According to some new experiences with artists such as Gary Burton Chick Corea and Antonio Sanchez returned to the merger. So he went in 2008 with Return to Forever on a world tour.
After this tour, he co-founded with John McLaughlin Five Peace the band. With this group he played several concerts and took the live album Five Peace Band Live on, for the Corea won his 16th Grammy total.
After a tour with Christian McBride and Brian Blade by the United States and Japan Corea joined the project last RTF IV ( Return to Forever IV ) to which, in addition Frank Gambale the violinist Jean -Luc Ponty included on guitar.
Connection to Scientology
Corea is a member of the New Religious Movement Scientology. In all publications since his album To The Stars, which was inspired by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, always place the latter under the Acknowledgements. Chick Corea is on three songs of Hubbard's album Space Jazz: The Soundtrack to hear of the Book Battlefield Earth, which was released in 1982. In an interview with the E- Zine All About Jazz he said about Hubbard:
" Hubbard was a great artist himself. One way to learn about Scientology is to know who Ron Hubbard what. He was a great man. "
" Hubbard was himself a great artist. One way to learn about Scientology is to know who was Ron Hubbard. He was a great person. "
1993 Corea was of a concert that was to take place during the World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, ruled by the organizer. The reason for this was that the state government of Baden-Württemberg wanted to eliminate the subsidies for the event. This was justified by Corea's membership in Scientology. Corea was brought before the Administrative Court in Mannheim lawsuit against expressions of the state government to want to check the promotion of events where avowed Scientologists occur. The action was dismissed.
Discography (selection)
- Solo albums
- With Return to Forever
- Sadao Watanabe With
- With Herbie Hancock
- With Gary Burton
- With the Elektric Band
- With the band Akoustic
- With Origin
Grammys
Over the years, Corea has been nominated for 53 Grammys and 15 times actually excellent:
His album from 1968, Now He Sings, Now He Sobs was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.