Obituary, Chick Corea (1941-2021)

American pianist Chick Corea, one of the most trailblazing and beloved musicians of the past 50 years, has passed away at the age of 79 from ‘a rare form of cancer, only very recently discovered’, according to a post on his Facebook page. The post goes on to read ‘Throughout his life and career, Chick relished in the freedom and the fun to be had in creating something new, and in playing the games that artists do. He was a beloved husband, father and grandfather, and a great mentor and friend to so many. Through his body of work and the decades he spent touring the world, he touched and inspired the lives of millions.’

Born Armando Corea on June 12, 1941, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, to parents Anna and Armando J. Corea, he was introduced to the piano at the age of four by his father, a jazz trumpeter who led a Dixieland band in Boston in the 1930s and 1940s. Early exposure to the bebop of Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Horace Silver, and Lester Young, left an indelible impression, and when he was eight, he took up drums, which would influence his approach to the piano as a percussion instrument. He took lessons with concert pianist Salvatore Sullo from the age of 8, which helped spark a deep love of classical music, moulding his very idiosyncratic approach to composition.

By the early sixties he had moved to New York and was playing with the likes of Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Blue Mitchell, Herbie Mann, and Stan Getz, and in 1966 released his debut album Tones for Joan’s Bones. In 1967 he joined the large floating circle of musicians contributing to Miles Davis’s new electric direction, appearing on a string of the group’s most experimental yet commercially successful releases, such as Filles de Kilimanjaro, In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, and A Tribute to Jack Johnson. Towards the end of his tenure with Davis, Corea formed the group Return to Forever, with Brazilian vocalist Flora Purim, her husband Airto Moreira on drums and percussion, Joe Farrell on saxophone and flute, and a very young Stanley Clarke on bass. Being the era of testosterone-fuelled, masculine fusion bands like Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever contrasted by presenting a lighter, more sensual approach, aided by the more danceable Latin rhythms. In parallel to this, he formed the avant-garde group Circle, with his Davis band colleague Dave Holland, and saxophonist Anthony Braxton. Corea’s ability to fuse experimental techniques into his very approachable style gave his music a real sense of excitement without excluding anyone and ultimately won him a huge global fanbase. He also contributed many memorable themes to the jazz repertoire, such as ‘Spain’ and ‘500 Miles High’.

The notion of music as ‘play’ was at the core of Corea’s approach, which makes his various recordings so much fun to listen to. He particularly revelled in the intimacy of duetting with other musicians, starting in the seventies with vibraphonist Gary Burton, which led to collaborations with fellow pianist Herbie Hancock, banjoist Béla Fleck amongst many others. In the eighties he started the Chick Corea Elektric Band, signing to GRP Records for a series of highly successful albums with the band, and its non-electric incarnation, the Akoustic Band. Corea also conceived several classical projects, such as his 2012 Deutsche Grammophon album The Continents: Concerto for Jazz Quintet & Chamber Orchestra.

Corea was a mercurial, witty, and adventurous live performer, and we are fortunate that so many concerts were recorded. Only last year his Chick Corea Plays album, recorded live at various venues across the globe, was mixing together jazz and classical, together with some of the musical games he played with his large family as a child. It was a touching way to close a long and brilliant career. In a final statement on his Facebook page he said ‘“I want to thank all of those along my journey who have helped keep the music fires burning bright. It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It’s not only that the world needs more artists, it’s also just a lot of fun.”

Corea is survived by his wife, Gayle Moran, and a son Thaddeus.

Selected discography...