In the latest of our series of Recommended Listening features, we asked WBGO hosts and staff, as well dozens of musicians and industry professionals, to recommend their favorite track by Chick Corea, who would have turned 82 on June 12, 2023. Of course, given the breadth and depth of the legendary pianist’s catalog of recordings, the choice was not an easy one, as many of our contributors commented on. Our instructions were clear though: Just tell us about a track that you love and why you love it. There was some duplication, notably with “Matrix” from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, which several artists, mostly pianists, chose. Otherwise, there wasn’t a lot of redundancy, which speaks again to Corea’s prolific career as a composer, player and bandleader, starting in the late 60s and going all the way to 2021, when he passed.
In addition, we asked WBGO listeners and followers via social media for their recommendations and they chose many of the same tracks. At the end of this piece, we’ve included ones that weren’t already recommended by our distinguished group. - Lee Mergner
*****
“Armando’s Rhumba” from My Spanish Heart (1976)
This was a very difficult choice to make, because I love so many of his compositions and albums, but I picked this song from this album because it brings me a vision of myself and how it makes me feel and how much I smile when I heard this song knowing that Maestro Chick Corea had South American, Latin roots and how he embraced other music and embraced it to the legacy in the jazz family. – Claudia Acuña, Vocalist
“Tweak” from Chick Corea and Gary Burton’s In Concert, Zürich, October 28, 1979 (1980)
One of my favorite tunes by Chick Corea is “Tweak.” The first recorded version of it that I’m aware of is from a live album by Chick and Gary Burton. To my ears, it’s very reminiscent of Steve Swallow’s writing. Not coincidentally, the album titled In Concert, Zurich, October 28, 1979, also features four compositions by Swallow. “Tweak” has such a strong feeling of forward motion — a cascading harmonic progression and a soaring melody that dances. Steve Swallow is a master of this style of writing, which is one of the reasons his tunes are so fun to play. Gary Burton and Chick’s performance reminds me of an object in orbit, perpetually falling toward the Earth as the Earth curves away from it. There’s a feeling of inevitability, and I could listen to it for hours. In fact, I’ve got it on loop as I write this. – Ben Allison, Bassist
"But Beautiful” from Solo Piano: Part II – Standards (2000)
Chick Corea was singular in his execution of ideas as an improviser. A life-long student of a broad spectrum of music, he gushed out a deep wealth of accumulated knowledge every time he sat down at the piano. In this performance of “But Beautiful,” he gracefully melds together a long and diverse lineage of pianists and composers that came before him; the resulting sound being one that is entirely his. He was a master of unraveling seemingly trivial short musical ideas that, when guided by his imagination, expanded into surprising motivic explorations, all the while somehow making it feel light and heavy at the same time. – Fabian Almazan, Pianist
“Now He Sings, Now He Sobs” from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
Being asked to recommend ONE track by Chick Corea, with whom I share a birthday, is a difficult task. After much consideration, my pick is the title track of his 1968 album, Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. Though not the first Chick recording that I heard (Light as a Feather gets that distinction), this trio recording with Miroslav Vitous (bass) and Roy Haynes (drums) is sublime. The interplay between those three is incredible; Roy glides across his drums while Miroslav walks his bass. One of the greatest trio recordings, this tune always puts me in a good mood. – Sheila Anderson, Host, Weekend Jazz Overnight and Salon Sessions, WBGO
“Waltz for Debby” from Portraits (2014)
Chick’s intro is amazing and seemingly deconstructs the composition before going into the meat of it. It shows his absolute command of both the composition, the piano and his improvisational will. It's also a great album where he really displays his pianism in both jazz and classical idioms and also speaks about the composers and the songs. – Brian Bacchus, Producer
“Litha” from Tones for Joan’s Bones (1966)
The opening track from Chick Corea’s brilliant 1966 Tones for Joan’s Bones album is one of my favorite performances on record. Chick Corea with Joe Farrell, Woody Shaw, Steve Swallow, Joe Chambers — they are on fire on “Litha,” a tune of more than 13 minutes. The song’s form, which vacillates between an Afro-Latin-esque 12/8 feel and a hard bop swing at bullet train speed, along with its gorgeous harmony, leaves room for some exquisite solos, which are heard here. The way the band creates these amazing dynamics, the tension and release, the sheer virtuosity… it’s special. I love this tune so much. Even the way Shaw is sort of way back in the mix on his solo… (and the way he closes his solo!) It’s all super perfect. – Angelika Beener, Host, MILESTONES podcast
“Romantic Warrior” from Romantic Warrior (1976)
It’s orchestral. The song feels like a story and the musicianship is amazing. When I first saw it live and realized they’re all on acoustic instruments and it’s only the four guys, I was blown away. Absolute brilliance and a great album cover too. – Alonzo Bodden, Comedian
"Matrix" from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
There are too many that are simply great and iconic, but the first one that popped into my head was "Matrix" from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. I heard it in a car on the way to a gig somewhere, and it seemed to me that it was at the apex of what Chick was doing at the time. The trio with Miroslav and Roy was so in sync and swinging and the “ping” of Roy's ride cymbal was just so perfect in the mix. Solos are classics and the trading is as loose and as flowing as can be. The whole recording set a new standard for trios. – Randy Brecker, Trumpeter
“Spain” from Light as a Feather (1973)
Some music is like a time capsule, instantly catapulting you back in time and space, rekindling memories. The opening notes of “Spain” has that effect on me every time. I can vividly recall my Dad playing this on our old silver Panasonic stereo in the living room as a kid. The arresting and haunting opening notes still stop me in my tracks no matter where I am. The dance-inducing “Spain,” conjures a euphoria that is hard to resist. I’m transported back to that little kid dancing in circles with reckless abandon and dizzy joy trying to keep time with Joe Farrell’s flute. It’s nearly 10 minutes of transcendent music and it’s worth taking the journey for every second. Corea made music beyond music's sake. He once professed that he wrote music to celebrate life, declaring, “Music and the arts are what we have as a culture here on Earth—they’re one of the only activities that can remind us all of our basic nature—our native state of being.” Amen, thank you Chick! – Monifa Brown, Host, Saturday Evening Jazz
"Matrix" from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
On this track from an album recorded with Miroslav Vitous and Roy Haynes, I love the flow of Chick's melodic ideas, the clarity and expressiveness of his touch, the propulsive swing and the sophisticated harmony and use of symmetrical scales over the blues. The interplay between the three musicians is wonderful with each musician propelling the other two and Roy Haynes is playing is so swinging. When I first heard this record, I fell in love with Chick's playing. The amazing variety of his music is very inspiring. – Uri Caine, Pianist
“Matrix” from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
Since I was in college, this highly celebrated album and especially this track has quintessentially represented the art of trio playing for me. Roy Haynes' drum mastery on this one still sets the bar. (Every day I hope to play just a little more like that!) But it is both the solid “lock,” as well as the push and pull between Chick and Roy—which Miroslav gallantly anchors—that is pure magic and sets the tone for modern playing to come. Chick’s articulation, left hand balance and restraint, melodic inventiveness, and harmonic scope are all striking, but perhaps the most appealing aspect of this performance is his ability to display how to cite an influence (in this case McCoy Tyner) and still retain one's own sound and voice. Brilliant and beautiful. – Terri Lyne Carrington, Drummer
“500 Miles High” from Trilogy 2 (2019)
It’s hard to pick just one track by Chick as I love some many versions of “500 Miles High,” but my favorite might be the live trio version by Chick, Christian McBride and Brian Blade. Mainly because there is so much Chick on it and the three of them sound amazing. It makes me remember why I am in this crazy business. It’s all about the music! – Darlene Chan, Festival and Concert Producer
“Chick’s Tune” from Blue Mitchell’s The Thing to Do (1964)
I love listening to early recordings of Chick Corea. On Blue Mitchell’s 1964 Blue Note recording, The Thing To Do, Chick arranges one of his own compositions aptly titled, “Chick’s Tune,” in the style of Horace Silver, whose group Blue Mitchell was a member of. I really get a sense of his influences here: a little sprinkle of Wynton Kelly here, a smattering of Bud Powell there, and a whole lotta Chick as he takes the first solo on the track. It’s so great to hear him in this hard bop rhythm section with that signature Van Gelder/Blue Note sound, too. He really plays inside the tradition and I feel him laying the groundwork for his brilliant career. For any serious fan of Chick Corea this is a must listen! – John Chin, Pianist
“Even for Me” from Chick Corea and Bobby McFerrin’s Play (1992)
So much incredible music to choose from. I’ll go with “Even for Me” from the album Play—a duo recording with Bobby McFerrin. I used to listen to this on the way to and from high school. I love that Chick was always so playful (almost childlike) while at the same time never playing anything that wasn’t hip and often extremely advanced. This track displays his and Bobby’s incredible chemistry and how masterfully they could create in the moment. – Gerald Clayton, Pianist
“Armando’s Rhumba” from My Spanish Heart (1976)
Chick had soooo many stylistic sides to him and he was uncompromising in anything he touched. I’m going back to one that I wore the grooves off of (hey—we can use that phrase again)—“Armando’s Rhumba.” I knew so little about Spanish music and had never really been exposed to much of it until this song. Hearing the melody, instrumentation and spirit of the song was hypnotic for me. Plus, it was more of that killin’ combination of Chick with Stanley Clarke. – John Clayton, Bassist
“500 Miles High” from Light as a Feather (1973)
If I could pick an entire record it would have to be Three Quartets with Mike Brecker, Eddie Gomez, and Steve Gadd. To be honest, I think of this as one tune anyhow. This record feels through-composed and the playing is absolute magic. The way they play off and through and around each other is spectacular and I have listened to this record literally hundreds of times. I always hear something new every time I listen to it. it's high level and blistering even on the slower movement. it's lyrical, thoughtful, playful, poly-rhythmic and I feel like it's draped in the history of improvisational music. A total desert island recording for me. I had to have Chick sign my copy.
But, if I have to pick only one tune, then it would be “500 Miles High” off Light as a Feather. There is a nostalgia to Flora Purim's voice that I find gets in my bones as does the sound of the Rhodes, its sound being physically manifested and moved. The whole record is groundbreaking and it was my introduction to Chick's music and those incredible musicians. It's still my favorite Return to Forever record. Joe Farrell is one of the baddest cats in my opinion on both flute and tenor sax. He is incredibly inventive and has very much his own thing. The tunes sound like the band is holding on for dear life and there is an urgency that feels like the times they were living in. Everyone is tuning in and seems turned on by the way each other is playing. There is a youthfulness to the music that is also mature and seemingly limitless. emotionally it checks all the boxes too. The whole record is a masterpiece and I love hearing saxophone (and flute) with Chick's music. Chick was such an inventive spirit, and it shows in the way his musicians played his music. Truly remarkable. – Jeff Coffin, Saxophonist
“You’re My Everything” from Trilogy (2013)
My pick is a later Chick Corea track from the 2013 trio recording, Trilogy with Christian McBride and Brian Blade. Their treatment of "You're My Everything" speaks to me in a profound manner. Chick begins with an impressionistic introduction, cuing the band to sneak in ever so subtly. They achieve this fluctuating, living, breathing balance between loose and tight throughout. The arrangement is very specific, and stretches the time feel in a seldom heard fashion, leaving a spatial freedom for all three musicians to risk-take. Perhaps that's the beauty of a "live" recording. Masterful individual and ensemble playing by all three musicians. – Emmet Cohen, Pianist
“Tones for Joan’s Bones” from Inner Space (1973)
You hear it all. The love of interaction with his mates Steve Swallow and the under-rated Joe Chambers (who’s still punching!), the incipient combination of bebop with McCoy Tyner post-Trane harmonic language, the rhythmic suppleness. Absolutely astonishing, even now. – Bill Cunliffe, Pianist
“Matrix” from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
It’s difficult to pick a favorite track by an artist as prolific and singular as Chick who had a habit of reinventing himself every few years. With his 1968 album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, the jazz world discovered what most New York musicians already knew; Chick Corea was a breathtakingly versatile and original composer and pianist. “Matrix” is an ingenious composition, rooted in the essence of earthy blues and cutting edge post-Monk modernism. Buoyed by Miroslav Vitous and Roy Haynes, Chick displays the depth and range of his pianism beautifully. The version he recorded three months later with Bobby Hutcherson ain’t bad either! – Michael Cuscuna, Producer
“Humpty Dumpty” from The Mad Hatter (1978)
Wow, tough choices. I’m going to assume someone (or someones) will pick “The Matrix,” one of my perennial favorites. A real quintessential extension of the blues form and language, with Miroslav Vitous and Roy Haynes. I also wanted to go with “Nefertiti" from Circle Quartet with Anthony Braxton, Dave Holland and Barry Altschul, but it’s a Wayne Shorter tune and Chick’s left us such a rich legacy as a composer. I love this quartet from the 1977-78 period: Joe Farrell, Eddie Gomez and Steve Gadd. I wore out the record Friends in high school and then discovered The Mad Hatter (after also being infatuated with Romantic Warrior and Return to Forever. Yikes).
I ended up picking “Humpty Dumpty” because of the extremely high level of playing and the deceptive simplicity of the tune itself. It’s really tricky, and this band makes it sound simple. "Humpty Dumpty" belongs in the highest category of “tune tunes” — Real Book type tunes that can be written on one page and contain a wealth of implied information to the player. I feel like this set was the apotheosis of that kind of playing for Chick and he moved on to other approaches subsequently. Chick Corea gave us so much, and yet one wishes he was still here creating new collaborations and scenarios. There is an infinity to explore. — Dave Douglas, Trumpeter
“Tones for Joan’s Bones” from Tones for Joan’s Bones (1968)
I was a young teen when I discovered that album and was so inspired when I heard it that I transcribed it. That urge towards discovery was and still is one of the most exciting things in life and I'll always be grateful for the inspiring performances Chick gave us. – Eliane Elias, Pianist/Vocalist
“I Will Wait for You” from Donald Byrd’s The Creeper (1967)
To me, Chick’s ultra sophisticated harmonic nuances that geographically extend through the upper third of the piano keyboard, exemplifies a collective evolution in the prevalent Blue Note piano sound that was being employed by the mid-late 1960’s by some of Chick’s immediate predecessors such as Blue Note label-affiliated pianist/composer/arrangers Duke Pearson, Cedar Walton, McCoy Tyner, and Herbie Hancock. Their use of the upper register in their chord voicings was an extension of the more middle-register centric Blue Note piano sound that had been exemplified by some of the pianists who’d most frequently recorded for the label during the mid-1950s into the middle 1960s, such as Horace Silver and Sonny Clark. Chick openly and reverentially acknowledges McCoy and Herbie as very significant model/influences who he conscientiously emulated, after also having studied Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Horace Silver, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, and Bill Evans. To me, Chick’s ethereal harmonic plette on this track is like a big, open sky to the heavens. And audio-wise, it can be said that it's a brilliant gem of late 1960’s Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note sound design in its vibrance and sunny vibes. – Benny Green, Pianist
“La Fiesta” from An Evening with Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea (1978)
Well, I’m sure a lot of cats will pick “Spain” which is an amazing piece of music—something that my generation had to learn to play. But I’m gonna pick something that is not just Chick, but Chick and Herbie together. The final cut from their concert, Chick’s composition “La Fiesta.” They just play with such overjoying abandonment and make much music together. Chick is always amazing but in the company of Herbie Hancock, he was even more amazing than normal. So hats off to Mr. Chick Corea. Sweet man that I had a chance to meet once. – Lafayette Harris, Jr., Pianist
“Night Sprite” from The Leprechaun (1976)
There are so many songs that Chick Corea wrote in his lifetime with so many incredible musicians that I could probably choose 50 songs as favorites. So at this time, and for this tribute, I will choose “Night Sprite” from The Leprechaun album, which was recorded in 1975 and released in 1976, featuring one of my favorite rhythm sections of all time, with Steve Gadd on drums and Anthony Jackson on electric bass. This was a quartet performance including Joe Farrell on soprano saxophone and Chick on all keyboards. (I also enjoyed the same rhythm section around the same year on a Michael Urbaniak recording called Fusion III.) Steve Gadd and Anthony Jackson were relentless and explosive on “Night Sprite.” I’m also a big fan of riff songs and this song has quite a few interesting and high energy riffs! This song is inspiring and exciting to listen to and, for my taste, an incredible ensemble performance by this quartet. – Jimmy Haslip, Bassist
“Matrix” from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
This track is nominally a blues but moves that format into another territory. Chick is at his most sparkling here—you can hear the influence of early McCoy Tyner, but he is really staking his own claim with the beginnings of his own piano language. The rhythm section is an unexpected pairing but everyone is super-inspired and the whole album is a major piano trio statement. A real classic of the genre. – Fred Hersch, Pianist
“Quintet #3” from Again and Again – The Joburg Sessions (1982)
This is a lesser-known Chick record (and tune) from one of his unsung bands from the early ‘80s which features Steve Kujala, an amazing flute player, the Spanish bass player Carlos Benavent, Tom Brechtlein on drums and percussionist Don Alias. The record was recorded in one afternoon at the South African Broadcasting Company in Johannesburg, South Africa for Bruce Lundvall’s Electra/Musician label. It’s a classic Chick composition, Latin-influenced, brisk & bright, harmonically intriguing and of course, beautifully executed. The band, which was his touring group at the time, is super-tight and relaxed sounding. Being a flutist myself, I have always enjoyed Steve Kujala’s playing. He contributes masterfully to Chick’s compositions. Classic record. – Tim Jackson, Artistic Director, Monterey Jazz Festival
"Armando's Rhumba" from Eliane Elias’s Mirror Mirror (2021)
I was the only live audience member when Chick Corea and Eliane Elias were recording the four masterpieces that appeared on her first release for Candid Records, Mirror Mirror. I remember being enthralled and completely immersed in the moment as they played "Armando's Rhumba," which is one of the stand-out tracks from that album. I never tire of revisiting that performance which thankfully was also captured on video and is up on YouTube. It unfolds like a through-composed classical piece from beginning to end, but it was completely improvised. It's an astonishing performance and one for the ages. – Marc Johnson, Bassist
“The Yellow Nimbus” from Touchstone (1982)
There's so many favorite Chick tunes and recordings of mine. But I do really love "The Yellow Nimbus" from Touchstone. I love all his flamenco stuff. – Geoffrey Keezer, Pianist
“Night Streets” from My Spanish Heart (1976)
There are so many songs from Chick that I love, have learned tons from, and were important in my development as a musician, so it’s hard just to pick one. The first song on the album Return to Forever, the title track, has a vibe that is still incredible and one of my favorites even now, with Joe Farrell, Airto , Flora Purim and Stanley Clarke. Of course, “Spain” was super important, Chick’s biggest hit and a standard. And not that hard to learn how to play. There’s are a couple songs on my earliest record that were very influenced by that, one called “Deva Samba.” That was before I had really developed my style, so I was trying out different things.
But my favorite album was the My Spanish Heart album which had so many incredible songs: “Love Castle,” “Night Streets,” and “Armando’s Rhumba” among them. The reason this record was so important to me was that at that time, I had started my band the Jeff Lorber Fusion, and we had a steady gig in town in Portland, Oregon at a place called The Helm. We would play three sets, six nights a week there, for a month at a time, so we needed a lot of material to keep ourselves and the audience engaged in the music. Our band learned four songs from this album, and the one song I’d say is my favorite Chick song, was “Night Streets,” which would always get an enthusiastic reaction when we'd play it.
I was lucky to meet and get to know Chick, who was very generous not only to give me encouragement and inspiration, but he also played on a couple of my early records which really helped to get those records played, which of course gave my career a big boost. So I owe Chick a lot, not only for his music, but also for his kindness and friendship. – Jeff Lorber, Keyboardist
“Litha” from Stan Getz’s Sweet Rain (1972)
The first track I fell in love with featuring Chick Corea was from a Stan Getz recording—Sweet Rain. His tune “Litha” opened my mind and ears and sent me to the woodshed. I started to play my horn better after digging that. Chick’s playing and compositions through the years has enlightened all of us to reach for a higher standard. He was inspired to create and will continue to inspire for generations to come. – Joe Lovano, Saxophonist
“Can’t We Be Friends” from Chick Corea and Gary Burton’s Hot House (2012)
One of my favorite Chick Corea performances is from the recording Hot House, a duo recording with Gary Burton. They play mostly standards, but their take on them is so fresh and adventurous. I love to hear Chick play songs. His playing on the chestnut “Can’t We Be Friends” is mastery of the highest order. – Russell Malone, Guitarist
“Samba Song” from Friends (1978)
I love so much Chick Corea music, but when I was in college, I got the LP of Friends (the cover with the Smurfs) and while I loved the entire recording, I was especially inspired by “Samba Song.” The rhythmic content is what really got my attention. When the groove to changes from contemporary Samba to Swing…it’s so exciting…the definition of “burning.” And Steve Gadd’s solo over the ending vamp is just awesome. – Sherrie Maricle, Drummer
“I Hear a Rhapsody” from Trio Music Live In Europe (1984)
I love it because of the clarity and inventiveness of his lines and because his time feel is so utterly connected to Roy and Miroslav. The forward momentum of what he plays is beautiful; one idea just unfolds into the next seamlessly. One of the many things that’s so compelling to me about Chick's playing and musicianship us how it feels like things unfold in a stream of consciousness way. Not forced, but unfolding w/everything in it’s right place. When I was learning this song, checking this version went a long way towards my understanding how it moves. Thank you Chick! – Donny McCaslin, Saxophonist
“Señor Mouse” from In Concert, Zürich, October 28, 1979 (1980)
I suppose most everyone asked to choose their favorite Chick composition would say, “all of them.” How can anyone really choose? But I’m going with “Señor Mouse.” I particularly love the duet with Gary Burton and Al DiMeola’s version on his brilliant album Casino. This song has a flow that’s unbeatable and reminds me of what it feels like to ski down a mountain side. The flow has all the nuances of an exhilarating, blissful and dynamic run. – Danny Melnick, Festival and Concert Producer
“Return to Forever” from Return to Forever (1972)
Birders (aka serious birdwatchers) have a term for the first bird that really got them hooked on birding—a spark bird. My “spark bird” as far as jazz appreciation was Return to Forever, that group’s eponymous debut on ECM. I was a child of the 60s and 70s, immersed in rock, singer-songwriters, folk, blues, soul, etc. This album, along with Freddie Hubbard's Straight Life, was played for me in college by my friend and jazz lover John Schu and it became my gateway drug to jazz—eventually taking me forward with the music of that time and of course backward with all of those fusion stars (Chick, Herbie, Wayne & Joe, McLaughlin, and Miles) and their rich history in the jazz tradition. Although there are more well-known and more often recorded songs on the album, the 12-minute-long title cut leads off the first side, and it made an indelible impression on me. Chick’s remarkable and distinctive touch on the Fender Rhodes propels the original lineup of the band—Flora Purim, Joe Farrell, Stanley Clarke and Airto. The same personnel would appear on the equally sensational followup Light as a Feather. But there is always something memorable about your first time with anything, especially if it was great, as this album was. And is. Indeed, the album still sounds modern and fresh now. Or maybe it’s the memory of my youth. – Lee Mergner, Editorial Content Producer, WBGO
“No Mystery” from No Mystery (1975)
Choice number one is "No Mystery," from the Return to Forever album of the same name. Chick's composing skills are on full blast with this one. The first two notes remind you of Chick's classic "Spain" but then it takes you on a completely different journey. Chick's piano sound is beautiful. He has such an identifiable touch. And his improvisational creativity makes me smile every time I hear him play. Stanley Clarke shines on this one too, highlighting how these two seemed to read each other’s minds. Choice number two is "Sorceress" which is a Lenny White composition from RTF's Romantic Warrior recording. This one displays Chick's adaptability. Lenny White and Stanley Clarke lay down some funk on this one. And Chick sounds like he's just as "at home" here as he does when he's playing straight-ahead or playing his Spanish-influenced compositions. His piano solo completely takes over the track when it's his turn! Love this track. – Marcus Miller, Bassist
“Noon Song” from Piano Improvisations Volume 1 (1971)
Selecting a single track from Chick Corea’s voluminous and genre busting body of work, is literally an impossible task. For over 50 years I’ve been an ardent admirer of his prodigious skills as both pianist & composer, in every setting he explored: solo; trio; quartet; electric; acoustic; chamber and orchestral. A hallmark of Chick’s impact on generations of listeners is the emotional depth he brings to all these avenues of expressions. While producing WBGO’s first Virtual Fundraiser in June 2021, we created an In Memoriam section in which colleagues paid tribute to those we’d recently lost: Rhonda Hamilton on Bob Porter; David Antoine on Chris Tobin; Sheila Anderson on Eulis Cathey. When it came time to select a musical bed, there was never any doubt in my mind, that Corea’s “Noon Song” from his Piano Improvisations Volume 1 on ECM, was the only choice. It may not be my “all-time favorite” Chick Corea piece, but it’s certainly the one I will always associate with my time here at WBGO. – John Newcott, Director of Individual Giving, WBGO
“Captain Señor Mouse” from Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973)
An often overlooked chapter in Chick's discography is Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy which featured Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Bill Connors. “Captain Señor Mouse” is the track that stands out to me. It's hard to have a favorite Chick Corea track but this one has some amazing Chick writing and playing. From the beginning melody which is a diatonic, triadic, statement played over a pedal tone to the fugal like descending chromaticism of the second melody group, it's just classic Chick with an overdose of hard core metal which we never get to hear again in his career. The playing is (as usual) hyper virtuosic from all the members, except for Bill Connors who really rocks out in an almost Hendrix-like manner. The whole recording is like this and it's far from the jazz intensity of Now He Sings, Now He Sobs or the later theme albums, My Spanish Heart, The Leprechaun, and such. Early in his meteoric rise, this album and this cut in particular seem very searching and honest. – Arturo O’Farrill, Pianist
“Now He Sings, Now He Sobs” from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
Now He Sings, Now He Sobs is not only one of my favorite albums, but the composition itself is the type that always makes me lean in and listen closer. It’s such an interesting tune with a clear narrative and build—starting with a strong melodic bass/piano statement and suspenseful Roy Haynes on the snare drum. The whole track is so dynamic with a bounce that keeps you dancing and invested the entire way, right up until the unexpected bass/piano outro at the end which is the icing on the cake. – Linda May Han Oh, Bassist
"Windows" from Corea’s performance with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (2013)
I first heard "Windows" when our high school big played an arrangement of it, which was…“eh.” But then Ted Nash, the masterful arranger and multi-instrumentalist in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, gave it a magical treatment when we invited Chick to join the band for a week back in 2013 for our 25th Anniversary. I got to hear Chick's gorgeous, inventive solos over this gem of a tune for three nights. What a blessing. You can hear it too, fast forwarding to about 18 minutes in of the performance. – Jason Olaine, Vice President of Programming, Jazz at Lincoln Center
“El Bozo Pt. 3” from My Spanish Heart (1976)
I love this track because it truly exemplifies the art of storytelling and creating an arch within a song. This piece sounds simple, but is actually heavily nuanced. I love how Chick Corea chose to use synths for this particular recording. Chick taught us to never stop exploring, take risks, and always have a willingness to learn. – Endea Owens, Bassist
“No Mystery” from No Mystery (1975)
It would be easy to pick “Spain” as my Chick Core piece. I learned it off the record Light As A Feather for a trombone-playing friend who wanted to play it at his high school talent show. My father, Bucky Pizzarelli, would later say that he was very impressed that we learned it by listening to the record and pointed me to his duets with George Barnes and said, “Learn George's parts!” Since everyone in the world knows “Spain,” I thought I’d pick the tune “No Mystery” from the album of the same name. It is such a great piece played by Return to Forever so magnificently. It was “Spain” and Light As A Feather that led me to “No Mystery.” I love it and hope you will too. – John Pizzarelli, Guitar/Vocalist
“Litha” from Tones for Joan's Bones (1968)
It's almost 15 minutes of late ‘60s fun. Great time, touch, flow, Chick is always present as accompanist or soloist. BTW the title is a Pagan word meaning Mid-Summer or Summer Solstice, says the internet. I didn't know that. – Becca Pulliam, Archivist, WBGO
“You’re Everything” from Light as a Feather (1973)
The first album I bought and heard by Chick Corea was his album with Return to Forever, Light as a Feather. I was about 15. Of course, "Spain" is wonderful and deservedly popular. But the song I have most loved - and believe is highly under appreciated - is "You're Everything." The opening rubato statement shows off the songs richness and harmonic depth, and displays Chick's amazing skills as an accompanist - perfectly placed harmonies, fills, and just the right combination of richness and whimsy. Of course, Chick's signature Rhodes sound continues to be an influence to this day. Once the songs breaks out into an infectious samba, we here a perfect combination of memorable melody, harmonic surprises, and joyful rhythms. "You're Everything" really deserves the recognition and popularity of a Great American Standard. – Ted Rosenthal, Pianist
“Fingerprints” from The Montreux Years (2022)
I recommend the track “Fingerprints” from the album The Montreux Years featuring the incredible Avashai Cohen and Jeff Ballard. This track is dynamic, pushing limits and is just an absolute blast to listen to. You can tell that Chick (as well as the others in the band) are having a lot of fun playing together, challenging one another harmonically, rhythmically and melodically. They’re stretching the music and it’s a true masterclass on full musical expression. – Christian Sands, Pianist
“The Brain” from Sundance (1972)
If I have to pick a favorite (there are many) Chick track it would be “The Brain” with Bennie Maupin, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette. It’s from one of Chick’s first records and is a stellar example of what musicians call blowing on “time, no changes.” It’s BURNING. Check out Chick’s lines and groove, and just as important are the way Dave and Jack play with him. I’ve listened to it countless times and it’s still a standard bearer. – John Scofield, Guitarist
“Tones for Joan’s Bones” from Tones for Joan’s Bones (1968)
My very favorite track by Chick is his tune “Tones for Joan’s Bones,” which he first recorded on November 30, 1966 on a Blue Mitchell album for Blue Note called Boss Horn. It featured an eight-piece band arranged by Duke Pearson. And two weeks later he recorded it again on what was his very first album as a leader, which just happened to also be called Tones for Joan’s Bones (for Vortex, an Atlantic imprint, with Steve Swallow and Joe Chambers on what was a trio track). The tune is especially rich, both melodically and harmonically. And there are some 47 recordings of it. In 1994 Christian McBride invited Chick and Jack DeJohnette to be special guests on what was his second album as a leader, Number Two Express on Verve. Christian had to show Chick the tune before we ran tape, because Chick had not played it in decades, and didn’t remember it. Presumably, he stopped playing it because it was written for his first wife, and by that time he had been married to Gayle Moran for more than 20 years. – Richard Seidel, Producer
“Love Castle” from My Spanish Heart (1976)
I’m sitting at the airport in Amsterdam, waiting to board a flight to Helsinki and I’m thinking about my friend Chick Corea. His body of work is staggeringly eclectic, full of rhythm, full of creativity and playfulness. It’s almost impossible to pick one singular track as my most favorite Chick Corea composition. But I could come up with two! I have always loved Chick’s acoustic playing and writing on “Tones for Joan’s Bones.” His solos on his own composition, kill me. My second favorite would have to come from the record My Spanish Heart. “Love Castle” I believe was written in celebration of Chick and Gayle’s loving home in Los Feliz, California. She adds such a beautiful light vocal texture to the piece. – Janis Siegel, Vocalist
"Steps - What Was" from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
"Steps - What Was" was a track I listened to over and over again when I was attending the Berklee College of Music from 1972-76. All three players are equal contributors to this very free and flowing performance. When the album came out there were no credits and us students speculated on who were the bass player and drummer. Now we know it's Miroslav Vitous on upright bass and Roy Haynes on drums. The way Roy plays the flat-ride cymbal is amazing. Now we know that was Chick's personal cymbal and Roy has adopted that sound as part of his signature. Chick is on fire and playing with a beautiful controlled abandon. In fact, you can say the same about Roy and Miroslav. One of my favorite Chick Corea tracks of his entire career. – Steve Smith, Drummer
“Spain” from The Downbeat Poll Winners Concert (1975)
Picking a favorite Chick Corea track turned out to be too gargantuan of a task to pull off easily so I tried to narrow it down by thinking of my top Chick Corea solo. In 1975, Chick, alongside Quincy Jones, co-hosted the 1975 Downbeat Poll Winners concert for Chicago public television station WTTW featuring a dynamite group of winners: George Benson, Hubert Laws, Bill Watrous, and the remainder of his Return to Forever rhythm section of Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. The band took a trip through Chick's most beloved hit "Spain" with each member taking a solo (George Benson picking his way through the tune is quite the experience) with Chick saving the best for last in this recording, which has remained nestled in a far-flung corner of the internet. From a Fender Rhodes simmer to a convulsing Moog culmination, the solo—and the song at large—shows Chick Corea in all his glory. – Trevor Smith, Producer, Jazz Night in America
“Captain Marvel” from Light as a Feather (1973)
In high school, I wrote a letter to Chick Corea. I was excited about jazz and Latin music, and had fallen in love with Chick’s music through tunes like "Armando’s Rhumba" and "Spain." He generously sent a very supportive reply, encouraging me to continue with my classical studies as well as jazz, referring me to his recordings of Mozart. I later appreciated the deep influence on Chick of composers like Bartok, not to mention the expansive, untethered improvisation on his earlier records.
“Captain Marvel” is melodic, accessible and grooving, yet harmonically and formally sophisticated. Rather than starting with the melody, the track begins with Chick blowing a chorus on Fender Rhodes, his light and relaxed (yet percussive) touch skipping and dancing over the driving engine of Airto and Stanley Clarke. The tune itself is deceptively simple; its melodic material is derived almost entirely from the first phrase, while the harmony first moves “backwards” (in a sharp direction) around the circle of fifths from E minor, then slips chromatically to find its way to the distant key of Bb major.
I wonder if Chick’s soaring melody over a propulsive groove and shifting harmonies (including “power chords” enhanced by Flora Purim’s wordless vocals) was an intentional evocation of Captain Marvel rocketing to distant galaxies. Despite the clear debt to Bud Powell, McCoy, Herbie and others, his vocabulary as an improviser is his own, full of swirling chromaticism and playful, dizzying flights of fancy - and here, a rock-tinged edge. – Carmen Staaf, Pianist
“Tones for Joan’s Bones” from Tones for Joan’s Bones (1968)
One of the first times I heard the song “Tones For Joan’s Bones,” it was played on solo piano by Kenny Barron who was my teacher at the time. From a student perspective, I marveled at how simple it sounded but how it masked its challenges. For example, it has an introduction, it’s long form, it has a built in tag, the meter changes, it’s not in an obvious key and so on. Beyond that, the way Chick played the piece made it sound so effortless and the few times I got to see him perform up close, it looked that way too. He was so clearly influenced by people like Bud Powell, McCoy Tyner, Thelonious Monk and many more, but you could hear his artistry so clearly and obviously through his playing and his composing. Chick Corea is one of my favorite artists of all time and his music is an extraordinary blessing that he has left us with. – Isaiah J. Thompson, Pianist
“Armando’s Rhumba” from Chick Corea & Gary Burton's Native Sense (1997)
I first saw Chick live when I was seventeen as part of his duo tour with Gary Burton celebrating their Native Sense album. The concert was a mind-blowing display of artistry, technique, and musicality that I couldn’t begin to fully grasp at that point in my life, but man, was it fun! My brother and I went backstage and met Chick and Gary after the show and they both spent (what I remember as) quite a bit of time talking to us. Looking back, the conversation was probably a bit more one-sided, with two amped-up kids regaling them of every remarkable twist and turn of the music as if they weren’t the ones who created very music that sent us into a frenzy.
In the years since, each time I saw Chick live and got the opportunity to speak with him, my fundamental takeaway was always how much fun he was having making music. Chick was fascinated with and always exploring, discovering and learning from all types of music. He was an innovator, embracing new sounds, taking risks, and altering the language we use to create music. He loved the adventure making music gave him and that was very clear from the “kid in a candy store” look on his face while doing so.
Though my first exposure to “Armando’s Rhumba” was on the Native Sense album, I wanted to pick a live version for this assignment to exemplify Chick’s joyful, playful, and adventurous nature when you saw him perform. I had difficulties choosing between these two versions - one with Bobby McFerrin in 2003 and one with Gary in 2011 - so I picked both (apologies to the editor!). Each offer different approaches to the same tune, both equally fun, exciting, and musically awe-inspiring. I still experience the same exhilaration and joy hearing these now as I remember having listening to Chick and Gary play this tune when I was seventeen. Don’t forget, music is first and foremost, fun! Happy birthday, Chick! – Ryan Truesdell, Composer/Arranger
“Nostalgia” from Past, Present, Futures (2001)
I think Chick was incapable of writing a bad song, especially if it was a waltz. “Nostalgia” checks all the musical boxes. It has a beautiful melody, intricate harmony, and a flowing rhythmic pulse. We’ve never seen a musical force like Chick Corea, and I’m not convinced we will again in our lifetime. May he rest in peace. – Dan Wilson, Guitarist
“Love Castle” from My Spanish Heart (1976)
“Love Castle” is one of my favorite songs. The album My Spanish Heart was released in 1976, and I was 11 years old in the 6th grade. I remember my father bringing that album home, and being fascinated with the cover art. I love everything about “Love Castle,” the piano obviously, the transition to the fiery synth, the breezy, chanting vocals, lalalalala…, the rhythms… This is a vivid memory as a young girl exploring jazz music playing my Dad’s records. – Janis Burley Wilson, President & CEO, August Wilson African American Cultural Center
"Steps" from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
Chick Corea’s Now He Sings, Now He Sobs record was very very difficult to find. I wanted it so badly when I was in high school and once I got that album, I never let it out of my heart. My favorite track is “Steps.” I transcribed this amazing blues for my lessons with Joanne Brackeen and it became a huge part of my vocabulary. She even let me sit in at Bradley’s and play the song with Eddie Gomez when I was 15. It is in these moments, with the architect’s plan for improvisational music a “guiding principle” where we become keepers of the flame and find our own future jazz. “Steps” was an iconic blueprint for modern jazz. – Rachel Z, Pianist/Keyboardist
Here are several additional recommendations from WBGO members, listeners and followers, listed here in chronological order:
“Sometime Ago/La Fiesta” from Return to Forever (1972)
“What Game Shall We Play Today” from Return to Forever (1972)
“The Hilltop” from My Spanish Heart (1976)
“Soft and Gentle” from The Leprechaun (1976)
“The Endless Night” from Musicmagic (1977)
“Waltz for Dave" from Friends (1978)
“Where Have I Known You Before” from Where Have I Known You Before (1978)
“Memories of Minnie” from Hubert Laws’ Family (1980)
“Children’s Song #6” from Children’s Songs (1984)
“Lifeline” from Rendezvous in New York (2003)