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Chick Corea has died
- hootbootscoot 6y agoThat is SAD. We will miss Chick and his music.
- warent 6y agoChick Corea is such an excellent introduction/addition to jazz and jazz fusion libraries. If you like Snarky Puppy, Chick Corea was a huge part of their inspiration. He was a musical genius and his soul will live on in jazz forever
- tluyben2 6y agoI thought he would go on for at least a decade more the way he still looked and given his energy; what a shame (and fuck cancer). If you don't know his music, it's well worth exploring. I found The Mad Hatter in the record cupboard of my parents when I was very young and liked it instantly.
- Jeaye 6y agoChick Corea had an awesome collaboration with Bela Fleck, producing such a fun mishmash of blue grass and jazz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7BMtIG_3fg&list=OLAK5uy_mU6yf17ru-ys0p7EDxZHSs16N1E0vgS-0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7BMtIG_3fg&list=OLAK5uy_mU6... Combined with his stuff with Bobby McFerrin, he's definitely someone that anyone curious about jazz should check out.
- jvandonsel 6y ago+1 on the two Bela Fleck collaborations. They're amazing.
- benzible 6y agoBela's cover of Spain is excellent as well: https://youtu.be/5Z7_iEjhBpU https://youtu.be/5Z7_iEjhBpU This is a live Flecktones version but he started playing it in his pre-Flecktones days and recorded it for his first solo album.
- ende 6y agoDidn’t Corea and Fleck also do something along those lines with a third person? I remember the name “Trio”. Can’t remember who the third was though.. maybe Jean Luc Ponty or Stanley Clark?
- wombatmobile 6y agoChick Corea's gadget bag [2014] https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/talkingtech/2014/09/28/chick-corea-packs-many-devices-for-tour/15684263/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/talkingtech/20...
- davepeck 6y agoToday's playlist was: - Now He Sings, Now He Sobs - Captain Marvel (w/ Stan Getz) - Chick Corea Plays (a live album released last September) Corea has so many great albums, both as leader and as sideman, that it's entirely unfair to name only those three. But... that's where inspiration and available time took me.
- blunte 6y agoI don’t know if these videos will still be on his Facebook page, but sometime in the last year or so he did a series of livestream events where he would practice or teach. I knew I loved his playing, but I had no idea what a kind and gentle mentor type he was until then. If you like his music, go look for those videos (COVID era). As for his music, it’s hard to pick a favorite; his duo album with Bobby McFerrin is my favorite.
- josh2600 6y agoChick Corea was a god. I learned Spain on the bass in the hopes that one day I could play my meager rendition for him. In a concert at SFJazz he picked people out of the audience to paint their portraits with his piano. How lucky was I to be placed upon such a seat where Chick dismembered me with his eyes, eviscerating my soul upon a platter. He stared at me with the eyes of a musician who had searched heaven and hell for the most tempestuous chordal mixtures. The two minutes I spent in that seat where he painted my portrait with his keystrokes are some of the most treasured moments of my life. I felt like I had been seen, chewed up, devoured, and reincarnated as the everloving Chick Corea sycophant I had always known myself to be. The man was a goddamn monster on the boards and we are all at a loss with his passing. Rest in Power Chick, you're in my heart forever.
- Softcadbury 6y agoThanks for the story. Sorry, I know nothing about music, how do you paint someone's portrait with a piano? He was able to create a music based on a person?
- josh2600 6y agoChick asked me to sit in a chair a couple feet away from his piano. He stared at me with the a look that seemed to say "whatever you've got, I'll work with it." If I had to imagine how I looked back at him in that moment it would've been the simulacrum of wanderlust and kummerspeck (German for grief bacon). It felt like I was being channeled by a ghost and the chords matched my facade like icing on a cake. Chick played the piano, all I could do was sit there and listen.
- defen 6y agoThat's a really powerful story, but also > kummerspeck (German for grief bacon) Raises more questions than it answers
- rostigerpudel 6y ago
- antognini 6y agoMy wife and I saw him perform a concert at Davies Concert Hall not too long before covid hit. One of my favorite parts was when he described the holidays in his house growing up. He and his siblings would sit at the piano in pairs and improvise songs together. He then pulled up a volunteer from the crowd and improvised a song with them. (Twice, actually, with two different volunteers.) They were both really, really good and the whole thing was just so much fun.
- SkyMarshal 6y agoFyi, ScriptSafe is showing that one of the blocked domains on this site is scientology.tv. Apparently Chick was a Scientologist. https://www.scientology.tv/series/staywell-concert/artists/chick-corea.html https://www.scientology.tv/series/staywell-concert/artists/c...
- brtkdotse 6y agoHe was, and quite a prominent one as well. While it low-key bugs me, I decided I won’t let it destroy the beauty of his art for me. In general, it’s better not to dig into the personal lives of people you look up to, because chances are we’re attributing all sorts of virtues to them based on their work, while they’re - just like all of us - humans with flaws and dark nooks. John Lennon, for example, beat his first wife.
- jacquesm 6y agoSeconded. Scientology is pretty good at corrupting people, and has quite a few prominent people in their ranks. John Travolta, Chick Corea, Tom Cruise, Isaac Hayes. Pretty sad in a way.
- officemonkey 6y agoCorea's touring group was all sourced from Scientologists. It allowed him and the church to manipulate his staff. A colleague of mine helped on an overseas tour and accidentally incurred a $18,000 cell phone bill (international roaming charges out the wazoo.) They dumped her when she complained, and found another church member to fill in. An actual tour manager would have cost more money and would have had a contract to get expenses like that paid.
- jacquesm 6y agoWhat a pity that such a talent should have a shadow hanging over him.
- 6y ago
- ipiz0618 6y agoMay he rest in peace
- linguae 6y agoI am a huge fan of Chick Corea; he is my favorite jazz pianist. I was saddened to hear this news this afternoon. My very first jazz album outside of smooth jazz was “My Spanish Heart,” which was my introduction to jazz fusion. I then discovered Return to Forever and the Elektric Band, and I also learned about Chick Corea’s post-bop work. Chick Corea’s music has been a mainstay in my life for the past 15 years. I love the playfulness of his piano playing and his compositions, which I feel is missing in a lot of music. He has helped inspire me to play: I received an electronic wind instrument (EWI) for Christmas that I’ve been practicing. The jazz community lost a legend. RIP Chick Corea.
- mindfulplay 6y agoI had previously no idea who he was. Having listened to his music, I now understand how good he is/was and this was a gentle introduction to this genre. Are there good jazz piano/jazz albums to listen to that people might recommend? (By him or others)
- jacquesm 6y agoReturn to Forever, Crystal Silence, Romantic Warrior, My Spanish Heart, Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. When you're done with those (I figure, five years or so :) ), then you will want to listen to everything else... My personal favorite is probably Crystal Silence, that is such an amazing piece, it never ceases to give you more joy and new bits of discovery, even when you know it note-for-note. As for other good Jazz albums, Pat Metheny, Al di Meola, Weather Report might be to your liking, and maybe McCoy Tyner, try 'Fly with the wind'. And a bit more off the beaten path, Friedrich Gulda, the 'terrorist pianist'. Enjoy! And mail me if you want more.
- mindfulplay 6y agoThank you, I just got hooked to John Coltrane but my view of the jazz world was very limited, glad to see so many new names.
- 6y ago
- mushishi 6y agoSpain is one of my favorite jazz tunes: https://youtu.be/sEhQTjgoTdU https://youtu.be/sEhQTjgoTdU
- Crazyontap 6y agoI've never heard of him even though he seems like such a legend. So I tried searching on Youtube and found a few tracks: Spain, Armado's Rhumba, You're everything, and Besama mama. Liked the last one a lot. I've never listen to jazz music before, but I'm starting today.
- hanche 6y ago> Armando’s Rhumba He turned that into Armando’s Tango once. It’s on his “Rendezvous in New York” album. Such great irreverent fun!
- legerdemain 6y agoWe observe the death of that iconic 80s late-night TV talk show title card music sound.
- tomcam 6y agoThere was only one first time to hear “Return to Forever”, and it was a trip
- mixmastamyk 6y agoA song of his came on the radio today. I thought wow, haven't heard that name in a while. Good memories from my youth... I grew up in a house of musicians. Now I know why. :-(
- 4x5-Guy 6y agoI was really saddened to hear this. I've always loved his music, and I didn't know he was ill. He will be missed.
- sqnguyen 6y agoHe left a huge mark on me--I literally have an excerpt from 500 miles high tattooed on my forearm. Chick's work with Return to Forever made me __love__ jazz which led to so many more discoveries. You bet you'll be missed, Chick! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful compositions with the world.
- protoman3000 6y agoIn his last time he had many videos and livestream events on YouTube where a master would share his wisdom to the aspiring people. I always postponed or procrastinated on this, where always there would pop up something “more important” to do instead and where I’d tell myself “I’ll just participate next time”. But there won’t be a next time anymore. Chances slid through one’s finger like sand and there will be no next time. It’s your fault to not seize them. May this great artist rest in piece.
- klodolph 6y agoI remember seeing him in concert. At the end of the concert the band members ran around switching instruments, having fun. Corea could hold his own no matter where he was in the band.
- modeitsch 6y agoRest in peace legend
- wokwokwok 6y agoWhat on earth is going on with this website? I can’t even read it; every time I zoom in it resized itself to make the text smaller. Can someone paste the full text or link to a plain text version of the announcement?
- encom 6y agoThe internet is now terrible. Readable version: https://archive.ph/xfPZT https://archive.ph/xfPZT
- pachico 6y agoThe night I turned 18 I was drinking with Chick Corea. It happened that in 1995 he had a classical music project involving some local orchestra musicians in Modena, Italy, where I was living at the time. One of the musicians was a friend of mine's brother who invited me to the dress rehearsal in a renaissance villa. Concert was good. After the concert, I got introduced to him and he asked me if I liked it. Shortly after I was drinking with him and others, and I turned 18 right there. :)
- robbyking 6y agoThat same year I was working at a mom and pop musical instruments store, and in our hallway we had a photo of Chick standing behind a keyboard with his pants unbuttoned. As a 17-year-old who didn’t know anything about jazz, and I asked the owner what the story was behind the photo, and he said, “Robby, when you’re a legend you don’t have to button your pants.”
- dep_b 6y agoI've seen him playing for a few hours not that long ago. If you wouldn't have known it was a Chick Corea concert and he introduced a few things from now and then you wouldn't have guessed he was the main attraction of the show. The other players were at the same level as he was and took as much time doing solos as him. It almost looked as the simply enjoyed being able to play every night with the best people he could find. Zero ego on stage.
- maxehmookau 6y agoI'm a lifelong fan but I'm really surprised to see the video on his website was made and created by Scientology. What's that about?
- jwarren 6y agoHe'd been a scientologist since the 60s IIRC.
- fdej 6y agoChick Corea was my gateway drug to jazz as a teenager, after my guitar teacher gave me Spain to practice. A lot of musicians have the playing chops but few do truly interesting and original work as composers. Chick Corea was one of those. Some of my favorite tracks, off the top of my head: Spain, Captain Marvel, Armando's Rumba, Sicily, Samba L.A., The Slide, Leprechaun's Dream, North Africa, Eternal Child, Tumba Island, Got A Match, Charged Particles. The last track has some special significance to me since I listened to it repeatedly to pump myself up for a big life decision. Plus, I have fond memories driving my parents crazy on roadtrips by playing "that crazy music" (= either Chick Corea or video game soundtracks) in the car.
- dharma1 6y agoRIP Chick. Will be listening to this today https://youtu.be/0Epv4Zk6stQ https://youtu.be/0Epv4Zk6stQ Chick was running the online Chick Corea Academy recently, and now it makes sense why he was so keen on sharing his gift and wisdom while it was still possible. His music touched many people, and being on the front page of HN is testament to that. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=282682193144858 https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=282682193144858
- jpcooper 6y agoWhat's the best free jazz these days and in previous days?
- SyzygistSix 6y agoLate period John Coltrane (A Love Supreme and after) kind of set the standard. I find his fellow bandmates Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane, interesting as well.
- linguae 6y agoIt might be incorrect for me to call this "free jazz," but since the early 2000s saxophonist Wayne Shorter has played with a band featuring bassist John Patitucci (who was in the Chick Corea Elektric Band), drummer Brian Blade, and pianist Danilo Perez. This band plays in an acoustic style, but it's not in the style of Wayne Shorter's 1960s Blue Note work; instead, it's in a very "free" style of jazz. I'd check out "Without a Net" (2013) and "Emanon" (2018). I had the opportunity to see this band live at the San Francisco Jazz Center twice: once in 2015 and another time in 2017.
- wyclif 6y agoArchie Shepp is also worth exploring.
- hartem_ 6y agoRick Beato made an awesome tribute video https://youtu.be/4LHuv0I-qbA https://youtu.be/4LHuv0I-qbA
- dansomething 6y agoChick's Three Quartets is absolutely brilliant. I hope that he and Brecker, who also passed too soon because of cancer, are together again making great music somewhere out there.
- dansomething 6y agoThere's a great quote from Tom Mendola in the comments section of Rick's video. "Thanks for doing this. Chick’s mother told me that when he was a child she would strip his bed sheets to wash them. She would find music written in pencil on the bed sheet. He was supposed to be sleeping but his mind was always in music. As amazing as he was as a musician/composer he was a wonderful person, loving father and a true friend. I will miss him."
- augustk 6y ago"Romantic Warrior" with Return to Forever is one of my favorite jazz fusion albums. The title track was the first piece I thought of when I heard about the sad news: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta6dED32tL8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta6dED32tL8 The climax builds up from 7:20.
- cseleborg 6y agoMy absolute favorite jazz musician. After years of trying to learn "classical" piano, a new teacher introduced me to jazz. Crystal Silence was my favorite piece. Later I discovered more of his works. His concert with Bobby Mcferrin is one of my absolute favorite recordings. So long, Chick, and thanks for the music.
- vehemenz 6y agoHe plays on one of my favorite albums, Like Minds. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ms-PRDnEUGK1o3ncDcURd0MrMKQRGvJ6A https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ms-PRDnEUGK1o3ncDc... Check out the 2:55 mark of Like Minds (the song) for a nice piano solo.
- daviddaviddavid 6y agoI could be wrong but this album (which I've had on CD for years) might be the only studio recording that has both Chick and Metheny. My favorite part is Chick's solo on the Gershwin tune "Soon". Some of his phrases are just loaded with a feeling of nostalgia that just hits me every time.
- tmalsburg2 6y agoWhat a coincidence! I bought some of Corea's records 20 years ago but hadn't listened to them in a long time. But on the day of his death my 2-yo son pulled out one of them, and we listened to it. A recording of a concert he gave in 1978 together with Herbie Hancock [1]. They are playing like gods, absolutely breathtaking. Good starting point if you haven't made contact with Corea's work yet. [1] https://www.discogs.com/Herbie-Hancock-Chick-Corea-Herbie-Hancock-Chick-Corea/release/466670 https://www.discogs.com/Herbie-Hancock-Chick-Corea-Herbie-Ha...
- brulard 6y agoSimilar thing happened to me when Basil Poledouris passed away.
- illsorted 6y agoI couldn't find that one on Spotify, but here's a recording with Chick and Herbie Hancock from 1979: https://open.spotify.com/album/74dcvlPv6JbYQd7O2LScsW?si=KJvF8k-1Qq2rTV3zqguUJA https://open.spotify.com/album/74dcvlPv6JbYQd7O2LScsW?si=KJv...
- pinko 6y agoListening to it now, thank you.
- erichmond 6y agoI have this on CD. Their version of La Fiesta is one of the most joyous things every recorded.
- martyvis 6y agoThanks for making me look for things. I just found this brilliant duet with Chick and Herbie. https://youtu.be/14ovAQNNmWQ https://youtu.be/14ovAQNNmWQ
- Keyframe 6y agoKing of comp. Always brought out the best from musicians in a band. Henderson here, but Gambale and plethora of others. RIP, legend! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL13lJAz_wc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL13lJAz_wc
- klmadfejno 6y agoI only just discovered Chick Corea THIS WEEK. Upsetting to hear. His music is great. I'm not one to listen to jazz, but found him as a suggestion off of Hiromi Uehara whom he apparently mentored. Wonderful music. The way he talks was oddly calming as well.
- WrksOnMyMachine 6y agoThe way he wrote about playing in a group spoke volumes about how great he was at improvising and piano. https://imgur.com/k1K7D3j https://imgur.com/k1K7D3j Showing that much restraint and not just letting muscle memory take over to become a lick machine is so impressive.
- wheels 6y agoI posted this on Facebook right after I read the news (a few hours before the HN story): RIP Chick Corea. When I was 18, graduating as a wanna-be-wanky musician from rock and blues, I kind of knew jazz was a thing I was supposed to grow into. I bought a crappy $5 jazz sampler CD. (This was 1998, so that's how you discovered things.) The only thing I can remember blowing my mind was a solo piano piece from Chick Corea. I'd never heard harmony like that. Sadly, I don't remember piece it was. But Chick Corea was the bridge for me between my musical childhood and adulthood. The next album I bought, was "Where Have I Known You Before" from his fusion band, "Return to Forever". I still remember the names of everyone in the band: Chick Corea (piano and synth), Stanley Clark (bass), Al Di Meola (guitar), Lenny White (drums). Literally every member of the band was at a level of technical virtuosity I'd never heard, but more importantly, it was my introduction to jazz harmony. Here's the first song from that album in full 70s fusion cheesiness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RycYchunTKc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RycYchunTKc
- arxpoetica 6y agoThis is a great sadness to me. I'm a jazz pianist (not a hobby, but not a profession), and so much of the feel/sound that I learned, I learned from him. He was—without exception—the GOAT. I was just listening yesterday to some improvisation courses he taught on YouTube in 2016. I'm so glad he left us so much. But his voice will be missed. There's no one like him.
- _null_ 6y agoChick has been my favorite since I began playing jazz in High School 20 years ago. Endlessly creative and a masterful player up until his last day. Since the pandemic started I've been watching him stream on IG and YT. He never lost a note and was always exploring new composers, techniques, and ways to expand his musical world. An absolute wonder and inspiration. I never imagined that this story would be on the front page of HN. It's like seeing two of my worlds collide out of nowhere.
- brink 6y agoIt's refreshing and somehow comes off as more respectful to me that this death wasn't announced via Twitter.
- xpe 6y agoOne of my first jazz albums was Time Warp. Little did I know that it would remain one of my favorite blends of classical and jazz. I recommend listening to the whole album, start to finish. Play it on a good pair of headphones or speakers.
- Dumblydorr 6y agoChick was a musical idol for so many Jazz pianists. Here he is playing with arguably the greatest (now) living, Hiromi: https://youtu.be/s11ER546zBM https://youtu.be/s11ER546zBM
- xpe 6y agoWe'll miss Chick. A masterful performer, composer, and collaborator. There are so many relatively unknown artists that are also exploring like Chick did. For example, I highly recommend checking out a composer named Maria Schneider. Like Chick, she has a way of interweaving composed classical style piano with improvisational jazz. I'm going to see if I can find examples of Chick playing any of her tunes.
- jordache 6y agodamn.. corea and john prine.. not a good 12 mos for these legendary old timers... :(
- mikerubini 6y agoRest in peace Maestro
- peatmoss 6y agoI had no idea this would be such big news on HN. Chick is one of those musicians who plugged straight into my brain. Saw him live with Origin and remember being awestruck both at the music that was happening, as well as the fact that Chick wasn’t going to let his best days be in his past.
- scrozier 6y agoI discovered Chick's "Children's Songs" about six months ago, ordered the book of music, and have been playing them joyfully since. It's a series of 20-ish little compositions for solo piano, each very short (1-2 minutes). They are amazing gems. You can find Chick playing them on YouTube. I've been wanting to record them to introduce my grandkids to playing the piano. Now they will have even more poignancy for me.
- jackfoxy 6y agoI am so sad I will never see Chick perform live again, but mostly I'm sad the world has lost such a genuine, kind, decent, man and great artist who brought light to the world. The first time I saw him live at Yoshi's he performed with a combo of young musicians and you could see by the interactions on stage a deep mentor/mentee bond between them. Twice at Weyl Hall with Bela Fleck. Aside: you should take the opportunity to enjoy live performance here when life returns to normal. The first time Chick and Bela both expressed wonder at what a great venue this is. Some are calling it the Carnegie Hall of the west coast. In Santa Barbara with Herbie Hancock everything about that performance of two real artistic geniuses was amazing. (A very overused word today, but in this case appropriate.) Their opening piece started out with avant-garde chaos which gradually morphed into extraordinary beauty. The rest of the show built on that, ending with an audience participation rendition of Spain. RIP
- sebastian_z 6y agoMorning Sprite is such an invigorating song, especially, the last minute. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUBQrlWhqZo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUBQrlWhqZo
- skadamou 6y agoI saw Chick Corea play a concert at Berkeley with Bella Fleck (a banjoist!) in like 2013. It was an utterly unique experience and I have had a soft spot for Chick Corea ever since. He will be missed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G3BSmEX4_w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G3BSmEX4_w
- andreygrehov 6y agoFucking cancer, when will the science beat it once and forever?
- f430 6y agoI wonder how he got his last name from?
- nkg 6y agoI didn't expect to see this post on HN, I am also a big fan of his work. It's a sad day.
- kevinwang 6y agoEvery since I discovered him in high school, I've been trying to play even a little bit like him. RIP.
- deltron3030 6y agoSeeing him perform live on stage in Leverkusen a decade ago was unforgettable. The calm songs with Flora Purim are one of my favorites to chill out to.
- FabHK 6y agoWas at a performance 20 years or so ago in Santa Barbara, wanted to go see him next month in Luxembourg. RIP. https://www.philharmonie.lu/en/programm/chick-corea-vigilette/2922 https://www.philharmonie.lu/en/programm/chick-corea-vigilett...
- binarytox1n 6y agoIf you're revisiting Chick's music due to this event or learning of him for the first time, here's a duet that may introduce you to another electrifying pianist, Hiromi Uehara: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRU1o-sCnqY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRU1o-sCnqY
- hsitz 6y agoJazz musician/educator Dave Frank did a Chick Corea "Masterclass" video in honor of Chick, which you can view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF8V7iTWuzY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF8V7iTWuzY A lot of it is technical, won't be comprehensible to non-musicians, but lots of interesting stuff.
- jbgreer 6y agoChick Corea was the unknowing instigator of rebellion from the jazz of my father and the beginning of a broader embrace of jazz. I saw Chick twice - once in 80s and then again a few years ago. The night of his death I was playing selected tunes to my wife, trying to explain his significance to me. She said, "Rachmaninoff... don't you hear Rachmaninoff in that?" [ I repeated the anecdote about Art Tatum. ] Finished my set with the Miles Davis concert on the Isle of Man, the last concert before Chick left that band. Amazing musician. Great to see so many here touched in the same way.
- phlakaton 6y agoNot just Rachmaninoff, but more than a little Stravinsky too!
- PEOPLEgetoff 6y agoRest In Peace to a true LEGEND Chick Corea.
- aitchnyu 6y agoMind sharing tracks/playlist (available in Spotify or Youtube) to a total stranger to Chick Corea?