Interview Transcripts

“Trilogy”, published in 2014, was for many people a return from Chick Korea to more classic jazz. What does this “Trilogy 2” represent in your career? Trilogy represents my wonderful long time association with Christian McBride and Brian Blade. Through the years we developed a great friendship and musical rapport that is unlike anything else I’ve done. Throughout your career, …

by Chus Neira -You’ve been 60 years on the road, on the stage, playing and recording music. What are your own vision of your career when you look back? Really I spend no time looking back – except to study the Masters of the Craft – from Mozart and Scarlatti through to Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. The future is …

Chick Corea Is the Well-Tempered Clavierist – Tom Moon At 78, in the midst of a wave of creative activity that’s impressive even for him, the pianist is intensely focused on staying in tune—in every sense of that term For most of its recent tour, the Chick Corea Trio has opened its concerts with a seemingly ordinary tuning ritual. Corea plays a …

The Grammy-winning Chick Corea Trilogy performs Sunday night at Symphony Hall in Boston. Ever since he first began plinking away at a piano at age 4, Chick Corea has loved making music. That’s carried him through a career that has seen him recognized as one of the most innovative and important figures in modern jazz, not to mention the most …

SANTA FE, N.M. — Just by himself, keyboardist Chick Corea is a heavyweight when it comes to modern jazz. Throw in a couple of fellow virtuosos like bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade, and what you’ve got is a power Trilogy ready to jam through a energetic evening of improvisation. The Chick Corea Trilogy plays The Lensic on Tuesday …

Exclusive: Jazz Legend Chick Corea On Creativity, Inspiration And His New U.S. Tour ForbesLife The worldview from Los Angeles Chick Corea performs at CAP UCLA at Royce Hall on October 3 at 8 pm When celebrated keyboardist, composer and bandleader Chick Coreareturns to UCLA’s Center for Art Performance at Royce Hall next month, it will be a homecoming of sorts, summoning …

How did this Spanish Heart Band come together? I just wanted to put a tour together of this special band. So once I assembled the band and I saw that it was really gonna have this Latino/Afro-Cuban/flamenco flavor, it began to come into focus. Two of the three musicians are from Spain. Two of the guys, Niño Josele and Jorge …

Chick Corea your musical career was like a long journey through different styles of music: Spanish, latin music, avantgarde, fusion, acoustic and electric, free jazz, rock music, classical music. This speaks for a constant challenge you looked for. Now you re-vitalized your music with „The Spanish Heart“-Band. What caused this decision to explore Spanish and Afro Cuban styles once more? My …

Why did you feel the need to revisit now, in 2019, the best of your “My Spanish Heart” and your “Touchstones” years Well it’s more like a re-imagining than a re-visit. My love of Latino rhythms and music has been with me for a very long time. The key point of the project is the band itself. This amazing group of …

What was the challenge in revisiting these tunes from ‘My Spanish Heart’ and ‘Touchstone’ all these years later? These are not merely covers but ambitious re-imaginings of some beloved pieces in your very expansive book. How were you trying to set them apart from the original versions? The initial idea was a summer tour of a new band based on …

It was a newfound ability that I discovered, to be able to improvise a piece of music from nothing. – Chick

Everything Miles created is part of his great legacy. He is the center of the development of jazz in the second half of the 20th century. – Chick

Compositions – mine or others – are usually jumping off points for improvisation. The music must always be delivered Now. – Chick

I have been experimenting with “mashing together” composers from different eras. For instance, Mozart and Gershwin – – or Scarlatti and Jobim. It’s a constant experiment. – Chick

Perfection is a wrong target for life. I like to cause inspiring effects and help others realize their creative potential. – Chick