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Chick Corea: Music With The Fun Factor
The basic thing I judge as a criteria is the fun factor. Fortunately, all the projects that I do are a lot of fun.
—Chick Corea
His amazing musical journey—over five decades as a solo artist—has had him rubbing elbows with some of the best musicians in history—
Stan Getz
saxophone, tenor1927 - 1991
Sarah Vaughan
vocals1924 - 1990
Herbie Hancock
pianob.1940
John McLaughlin
guitarb.1942
Roy Haynes
drums1926 - 2024
Joe Henderson
saxophone1937 - 2001
Gary Burton
vibraphoneb.1943
Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
Return to Forever
band / ensemble / orchestraEnough?
Not hardly. A new band he put together last year, called the Spanish Heart Band, has his juices flowing even more. The new album is Antidote. Making the record and touring with the group is one of the highlights of his career, he says. And while the group won't be touring for the rest of this year—Corea is involved in projects with some of his other fantastic bands—he plans to make it a focus of 2020. The fires were stoked when the Spanish Heart Band toured Europe earlier this year.
"We had one of the most fun, successful European tours I've ever done," says Corea. "It was over-the-top amazing, I have to say. The band really played great and the audiences were responding fantastic. The shows got longer and longer. We ended up playing two-and-a-half to three-hour shows when there was no curfew. With so many great musicians in the band it became kind of a show. Each guy was able to get featured. The dancer came out a few times. Even though it was a nine-piece band, it has this great rapport. It was a blast. A lot of fun. That's why I want to continue to do it again. We're already planning something for the U.S. For next summer."
The band's name comes from the popular album of the same name released in 1976, My Spanish Heart. It includes flamenco guitarist Ni?o Josele and saxophonist/flutist Jorge Pardo, both from Spain; bassist Carlitos Del Puerto from Cuba; Venezuelan percussionist Luisito Quintero and Americans
Marcus Gilmore
drumsb.1986
Michael Rodriguez
guitar
Steve Davis
tromboneb.1967
Rubén Blades
vocalsb.1948
The album has selections from Touchstone, a 1982 Corea recording, and the title cut from My Spanish Heart. There's also original music and compositions by
Antonio Carlos Jobim
piano1927 - 1994
Paco de Lucia
guitar1947 - 2014
Spanish flavored music has been a part of Corea's thing since his beginnings as a young pianist growing up near Boston. An early gig was with Cuban- born percussionist
Mongo Santamaria
percussion1917 - 2003
Tito Puente
drums1923 - 2000
Eddie Palmieri
piano1936 - 2025
"I grew up with my dad's record collection and his tastes were the jazz of that era.
Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto1920 - 1955
Dizzy Gillespie
trumpet1917 - 1993
Bud Powell
piano1924 - 1966
"Music and art are the place where a person can create and use his imagination. It doesn't have to be confined to dancing, for me. But bringing in that element really widened my palate and ways to express myself."
The Antidote project started as an idea for a summer tour about a year ago, says Corea. "Returning to the European jazz festivals every year, it's nice to bring some variety and something different. It's an idea I had for awhile... taking an album that I did that the audience remembers and using that as a pivot point. I chose My Spanish Heart from the '70s. Rather than just play the album, I took the spirit of Spanish, Afro-Cuban music, Latino music. I took that feel that I love with a rhythm section I already was working with. Luisito Quintero on percussion and Carlitos on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums. I expanded that and we stared putting a tour together. When I built the band and invited the Spaniards, Ni?o Josele and Jorge Pardo, then I brought in Nino de los Reyes, the dancer, because we had worked together at my birthday party at the Blue Note (in New York). I really liked the excitement he brought to the stage."
He chose Rodriguez and Davis as the horn players.
"Everyone pretty quickly agreed they'd like to do the tour. I had this magnificent group of musicians and I thought it would be great opportunity to record something in the studio before the tour. I jumped on it and started writing the arrangements and putting it together. We recorded at my old Mad Hatter Studios last February. The idea to put vocals in was something new for me recently. I used to love to have vocals with the band in the '70s. But then I hadn't done much with vocalists since then.
When I wrote the tune 'Antidote,' it begged for lyrics, so I wrote a set of lyrics. I had just me Ruben Blades earlier that year, who sat in with my rhythm section. I thought it would be a nice fit if he could make it. It all came together very nicely. The record became a huge focus for me. I'm proud of it. I'm happy with the band. The band is so killin' that I want to do more with them next year and the following year."
Among the selections is "Armando's Rhumba," a remake of a tune he penned long ago. (Chick was born Armondo Anthony Corea). "Yellow Nimbus," written as a duet for Corea and de Lucía years ago and guitarist Josele takes on de Lucia's role. "Zyryab" is a de Lucia composition and "Pas de Deux," a piece from Stravinsky's ballet "The Fairy's Kiss." Jobim's classic "Desafinado," features vocals by Maria Bianca.
Corea says he doesn't pay attention to reviews of his work. His perspective on its popularity comes from the nightly performances. "The audiences are smiling and loving it. That I can see in front of my eyes. I don't read reviews that much, but I think it's been getting a lot of attention, which I'm happy about. I'd like people to hear it. I'm pleased with the result."
He also won't compare this band he loves with other renowned bands and projects he has been fortunate enough to be a part of. "Each one is so individual and so much itself that there is no comparing. The basic thing I judge as a criteria is the fun factor. Fortunately, all the projects that I do are a lot of fun. I work with great musicians, all of them beautiful people. They're all my friends. Each situation is different."
Before he gets back to the Spanish Heart Band, Corea has a busy fall. Included is his Trilogy trio, with
Brian Blade
drumsb.1970
Christian McBride
bassb.1972
John Patitucci
bassb.1959
Dave Weckl
drumsb.1960
Eric Marienthal
saxophoneb.1957
Frank Gambale
guitarb.1958
As if that's not enough, Corea will play a piano concerto of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with the Seattle Symphony and the Portland Symphony. He is also going to Oman (on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia) to play a piano concerto toward the end of his 2019 activities. "I'm also composing a trombone concerto for Joe Alessi, the principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. For him and the Philharmonic. He's an amazing trombonist who's been the principal trombone for 30 years or more. That's an exciting prospect for me, to compose for the New York Philharmonic," he adds.
Fans will continue to enjoy performances by the maestro as long as it can happen.
"Touring has its challenges, in terms of travel, but the thing that we're out there doing—playing for people and bringing smiles and creating new things all the time— there's nothing like that. It's the best experience that I know... I don't know what else there is to do in life, aside from that, man. I do love it."
Tags
Interviews
Chick Corea
R.J. DeLuke
United States
Stan Getz
Sarah Vaughan
Herbie Hancock
john mclaughlin
Roy Haynes
Joe Henderson
Gary Burton
Miles Davis
Return To Forever
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Paco de Lucia
Mongo Santamaria
Tito Puente
Eddie Palmieri
Charlie Parker
Dizzy Gillespie
Bud Powell
Brian Blade
Christian McBride
John Patitucci
Dave Weckl
Eric Marienthal
Frank Gambale
Spanish Heart Band
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