Showing posts with label Chick Corea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chick Corea. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Return to Forever by Chick Corea


I knew it would come to this.  Chick  Corea was one of my Jim's favorite artists - often playing his tunes in the car as we drove along. But to be honest, I did not like or particularly enjoy the new jazz music.  Yes, there are many sections I enjoy, however the sections change quickly  without any rhyme or reason. To me, it is just a mish-mash of pleasant sounds thrown together. Splat!

There are four tracks on the album, first published in 1972 and later transferred to the then new CD format:

  • Return to Forever
  • Crystal Silence
  • What Game Shall We Play Today
  • Sometime Ago - La Fiesta
One moment I am enjoying Return to Forever. The next I can't understand why the tunes are yelling at me. Crystal Silence is enjoyable at first,but makes a quick change, and I feel like my once 4-year-old at his sister's grade four band concert.  "Make them stop.Make them stop!" he cried. What Games Shall We play Today is my favorite.  It carries on in a sing-song way, kinda' like it's title. Sometime Ago - La Fiesta  rattled me.  At first I am humming along, an then a quick change into - to me - discordant sounds.

Oh well.  I will have to just agree to disagree with Jim on this album.

Armando Anthony "Chick" was born in 1941 in Chelsea, MA and grew up in a musical family. He said, "There were always musicians around. My dad would come home from a gig...he'd bring the band back, they'd have their tuxes on and they'd loosen their ties and my mother would cook some pasta."

Chick began studying piano at age four.  His love for that grew as his love for jazz, and he became known as a piano and keyboard expert. He took jazz to new levels. Read more  about him. Learn more about the 23-time Grammy-Winning Jazz Legend, Pianist and Composer at his Web site.Dig in and you'll find schedules for concerts, training for professionals, a blog, and store for all your Chick Corea CDs and T-shirts. Or, listen to some of his music on Youtube.

I enjoyed listening to the music, and remembering how my Jim used to tease me with it. "Shall we listen one more time?"  Mwa ha ha?

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Chick Corea Compact Jazz


Jim loved, loved, loved the music of jazz musician Chick Corea. He idolized the 22-time Grammy winning jazz legend, pianist and composer. I think if dreams really could come true, he would have been a musician just like Chick. I, on the other hand, had to work to see the good in his work. Which is why I dreaded listening to Chick's Compact Jazz.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear many good and artistic sounds, but was taken aback by its erratic combinations. The beautiful music was so intense, I had the feeling of being caught in a very busy day at work. Although I heard his compositions many times, I did not recognize it beyond the wild sounds.

Released in 1987 on the Polydor label, the CD includes the following:
  • Captain Marvel
  • Captain Senor Mouse
  • Armando's Rhumba
  • 500 Miles High
  • Love Castle
  • Vulcan Worlds
  • No Mystery
  • Spain
So dear Jim, I'm afraid we will continue to "agree to disagree" on this artist. While I recognize his talent, and quite beautiful sections, the music of Chick Corea just doesn't come together for me. Listen to a few of the tunes here.