JazzTimes got full backstage access for Chick’s shows with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Check out their description of this killer take on Chick’s “Wigwam.” “Wynton turned in a stellar solo here and Victor Goines offered a thoughtful, half-time soprano sax solo that gradually built to an ecstatic peak of Liebmanesque intensity as Marsalis shouted enthusiastic …
In Rehearsal: Chick, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Chick joined Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra last night, for the first of three really fantastic shows. The big band took on some of Chick’s well-known tunes—like “Armando’s Rhumba” and “Windows”—plus some lesser-heard ones, like “Tones for Joan’s Bones” and “Children’s Song No. 10.” Here they are in rehearsal:
Chick Honors Herbie Hancock at BET Ceremony
Left: Chick and Herbie Hancock at the BET Honors ceremony for Herbie. Look for the special to air on BET Feb. 21. (All photos by PictureGroup, courtesy of BET Networks.)
Return to Forever IV: Wour Tour 2011
Return To Forever IV Comes Together: A Night To Remember in the Glorious History of Return to Forever There’ve been a lot of memorable nights since Chick Corea organized the first installment of Return to Forever, way back in the early ‘70s. Little could he have realized, those many years ago, that he was planting the seed for a musical …
Return to Forever IV: World Tour 2011 Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RETURN TO FOREVER IV, THE LATEST VERSION OF THE INNOVATIVE JAZZ/ROCK ENSEMBLE, KICKS OFF ITS 2011 WORLD TOUR WITH AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND DATES The dynamic electro-acoustic band features RTF’s core players – keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White — with new members Jean-Luc Ponty on violin and Frank Gambale on guitar Sydney, …
Backstage Video: Chick & the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra
Here’s what you couldn’t see on stage! Recorded on the Nov. 2010 tour of Sweden and Norway, with Chick and the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra. The TJO joined Chick on his 2005 album Live in Molde.
Chick Enters DownBeat Hall of Fame; Named Artist of the Year
Chick earned a spot among many of his jazz heroes this month, as the 2010 DownBeat Readers’ Poll elected him to the magazine’s Hall of Fame, and named him Artist of the Year and Electric Keyboardist of the Year. The Hall of Fame spot is rarely given to living jazz artists. 2010 has been an extraordinary year, starting with twin …
A Classic, Reimagined: “Spain” by the Akoustic Band
“Spain” is probably Chick’s most-requested song, and the tune has been seen a lot of different interpretations—from intimate duets to big-band readings—since it debuted in 1972. On Chick’s Facebook page the other day, quite of few fans named this version as their favorite: the closing song on Akoustic Band, released in 1989. That’s John Patitucci on bass and Dave Weckl …
Artist Spotlight Video Series #4: Roy Haynes
Roy Haynes is a jazz legend of the first order. In a career spanning 7 decades, Roy has helped to write the story of modern jazz, drumming with Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and just about everyone else. Chick’s groundbreaking 1968 album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs was his first encounter with Roy, and they’ve been …
Poster: Chick Corea and the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra
Here’s a really beautiful poster for Chick’s tour with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, which just wrapped up in Norway. Created “for fun, inspired by vintage jazz posters from the US,” by Uglylogo, a design firm based in Norway. The Trondheim Jazz Orchestra is the same brilliant big band featured on Chick’s 2005 album Live in Molde.
The Official Corea + McBride + Blade Tour T-shirt
Check out the official t-shirt for the Corea + McBride + Blade tour—which just wrapped up in the US, and heads to Japan next.
Artist Spotlight Video Series #3: Christian McBride
Christian is an undisputed virtuoso on the bass, both acoustic and electric, and he’s been on the road with Chick in three huge bands in the last two years: the Five Peace Band, the Freedom Band, and the Corea + McBride + Blade trio.
Interview: Christian McBride on Corea + McBride + Blade
Christian McBride spoke with KUSF on Oct. 12, 2010, in advance of the Corea + McBride + Blade trio’s four-night run at Yoshi’s Oakland. These are the last dates on the trio’s American tour—they’ll be in Japan this December. See the full tour schedule for details.
In Rehearsal: Corea + McBride + Blade
Here are the first photos of the Corea + McBride + Blade trio, taken at rehearsal on Sept. 23, before their first show in Chapel Hill, NC. See the trio’s full tour schedule here.
Interview: Chick’s Early Gigs Opposite Thelonious Monk
Chick talks backstage at the Umbria Jazz Festival about his early days in New York, where he played gigs opposite Thelonious Monk’s legendary groups. Just two more US Freedom Band dates left—if you’re in the area, don’t let these shows pass you by. Portland, OR: September 17 Monterey Jazz Festival: September 18
