Writings about Music

Missing Chick Corea

Screenshot of Chick Corea performing with Stan Getz (1972)

Chick Corea is the most significant jazz innovator following the late period of John Coltrane. My personal favorite recordings of his are Light As A Feather, and Captain Marvel under the leadership of Stan Getz. Corea's articulation, rhythm, and melodic freedom are incredible, expanding our collective experience of these primal musical elements.

Over the past several years, Chick sent several messages to me complimenting my music and my writings about music. In fact, I was recently thinking of connecting with him again when the awful news came of his leaving us.

Words fail when attempting to capture the utter magnificence and reach of his transformational influence upon the art of music. Chick and Bill Evans are my absolute favorite jazz keyboard artists. A new album set to be released soon, Taffeta Patterns, surely contains lessons learned from Chick assimilated into my composition and performance featuring a synth-electric piano.

For our collective grief, here is Lee Konitz playing the impossibly gorgeous composition of his friend, Chick, titled Windows, with Hal Galper accompanying.

Very fortunately, I was able to hear Chick perform live on two occasions before we began corrosponding. The first time was at Catalina Bar and Grill in Los Angeles with Jack DeJohnette, Stanley Clarke, and Hubert Laws, and the second time was at the Blue Note in Manhattan with Eddie Gomez and Steve Gadd. His personality towards the audiences was miraculously charming, possessing a rare gift for communication.

The angels are singing greeting Chick Corea who now lives in my heart forever.

- Michael Robinson, February 2021, Los Angeles

 

© 2021 Michael Robinson All rights reserved

 

Michael Robinson is a Los Angeles-based composer and writer (musicologist).