“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
It seems that all musicians who became stars in the 70s, be they in rock or jazz, once they reached a certain age or level of popularity, decided to return to the music that made them fall in love with playing in the first place. There are a plethora of rock stars who, now in their 70s, just want to sit and pick at the blues. Here we have Chick Corea, the most important pianist/keyboardist alive (sorry, Keith), who made his name making electronic sounds with Miles Davis, outside and free material with Circle, and then started the jazz/rock fusion scene with Return to Forever. Comfortable in his own skin, he’s delving into the bop and latin sounds that were part of his original marrow.
Culled from gigs on a tour all over the world with Christian McBride/b and Brian Blade/dr, the music is an homage to what is the essential pulse of jazz. The lithe piano opening on “You’re My Everything” gently coalesces with the rhythm team for a wonderful ripple, while other standards such as “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Song Is You” have a symbiotic interplay that is like observing masters at a doubles match. Corea glows on his own “Piano Sonata” The Moon” and “Armando’s Rhumba” while McBride snaps and bends with joy on “Blue Monk.”
A few guests pop up to add some extra hues. Jorge Pardo adds a luminous flute to “My Foolish Heart” and a passionate “Spain,” both classical guitarist Nino Josele providing some Andalusian moods. Gayle Moran Corea brings lyrics to the hopeful “Someday My Prince Will Come” as well, but the real guests and stars on these three wonderful discs are the influences that made Corea the living master that he is. A true celebration here about everything that is right with jazz.
Stretch Records