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RIP Chick Corea


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What the hell is going on??? ---- https://en.mediamass.net/people/chick-corea/deathhoax.html

 

If it is true that's incredibly sad news ... if it's not, then there are some very weird people about...

 

 

EDIT: Well if it is a hoax, then it looks as if his own website has been hacked as well https://chickcorea.com

 

I'm afraid it is true - as difficult as that news is to take in...

 

That could be a reason it's not on the news here...ABC are pretty good in fact checking stories before posting...

There is no luck - luck is simply the confluence of circumstance and co-incidence...

 

Time is the final arbiter for all things

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So sad; he was one of the greats. I was lucky to see him a few times, with RTF, 5 Piece Band, and last time, piano solo. Recently was listening to his Trilogy 2 album, with Christian McBride and Brian Blade - such great listening as well as playing, all around. Composer of tunes like Windows, Tones for Jones Bones, Humpty Dumpty, the Friends album and of course Spain (a warhorse, like Ipanema and Beethoven's 5th, but deservedly so). RIP.
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Pouring one out for one of the greats. The world of music is a little bit darker today...

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

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As a budding keyboardist (circa 1980) I had the pleasure of seeing Chick Corea at what was the Holiday Star Theater here in NW Indiana. I could probably relate to only about 15% of what I heard that night, and the whole band blew my mind. Thank you for that impressionable experience, and for sharing your celebration of music. RIP.

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

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RIP Chick .. I saw him several years ago performing solo in a small theatre here in Maryland (The Avalon in Easton) and he blew me away seeing him playing in person, and afterwards he stood at the door to meet anyone who wanted to ... probably one of the nicest/ most talented guys of his caliber I"ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Thank you Chick ...

Kurzweil Forte,Roland Fantom 6,Hydrasynth,Numa C2X, SpaceStation V.3, other stuffs

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While I can't say I ever "met" Chick in any meaningful sense of that word, he and I did briefly annoy each other once...

 

It was about 20 years ago at the Blue Note in NYC. He was having a record release show, and I had managed to score tickets to not only the show, but also the pre-show schmooze party. The place was packed wall-to-wall. At one point I was trying to make my way back to my table from the men's room, squeezing my way through the crowd. It was slow going, but people were generally as accommodating as they could be given the situation... everybody except for this one guy, who just would not budge. I kept trying to squeeze past him, saying "Excuse me," but he didn't take the hint. So finally I just put my weight into it and physically shoved him out of my way. Then I looked back to see who this jerk was. I no longer remember if I said out loud "Oh, sorry Mr. Corea" or if I just thought it, but either way I felt pretty sheepish afterward.

 

Oddly enough, looking back on it now I'm surprisingly satisfied with that brief encounter. While it wasn't warm and fuzzy, it was at least an honest exchange. And that's more than a lot of people get when they meet their heroes, especially those who've attained some sort of celebrity status. It wasn't some choreographed meet-and-greet where I was one of a couple hundred people whose hand he unthinkingly, obligatorily shook while wondering whether he was gonna get back to the hotel in time to catch Family Guy.

 

The show after that was phenomenal. And I remember that the thing I most envied coming out of it wasn't his chops or his time or his harmonic vocabulary or his melodic sense or his touch, though all those things were enviable; it was his ability to seemingly go in literally any direction at any time with any piece of music, and make it make sense. That sense of freedom is something I've been working toward ever since. The knowledge that it's possible is the main thing I got from him that night. And those few seconds of annoyance and subsequent embarrassment were a tiny price to pay.

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This time of year always gets someone...

 

I heard Return to Forever ...possibly 1974...right after Al DiMeola joined.

 

The local jazz purists hated it but something new was emerging and to me it was exciting as hell! One of the best concerts I recall witnessing during the heyday of electric jazz.

 

Had several close encounters with him. Mad Hatter was right down the street when I lived in L.A.

 

I recall he was a smoker...hope that didnt play a part in this.

 

A testimony to human possibility. I knew we would be hit with shock waves in 2021...sorry it had to be this.

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In 1975 I had just started taking keyboard lessons, and picked up the first issue of a new magazine called "Contemporary Keyboard" at the music store I was hanging out, with Chick on the cover.

 

I didn't know who he or any of the other people mentioned on the cover were, but so began my musical journey on keyboards and learning about Chick and all of the other pioneers. RIP Chick...

 

https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2310461/Re_Happy_70th_Birthday_Chick_C

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Like a lot of us writing here who play music, his whole vocabulary is interwoven into my playing. How could you not be influenced by him?

 

I am soooo thankful for his endless energy and almost child-like fascination with music.

 

Romantic Warrior, Friends, and The Leprechaun!? Gosh, all so vital to my growth as a musician. Thank you, and so much love to you, Chick.

Electro 5, NI Kontrol S61/49, MX49, PC3, Rev2, Prologue, Pro3, Juno-DS, Mopho Keys, SE02, drums, tons of synth software, guitars, amps, and pedals...help me!!

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I don't buy CDs often anymore, but one of the finest ones I bought back in 2015 was Chick Corea & Bela Fleck "Two".

 

Chick used to sit in with The Flecktones on occasion. From the liner notes, Bela didn't consider himself a jazz musician and was reluctant to team up with Chick but Chick encouraged him. Chick could see it in Bela. Chick's playing brought out a side of Bela that he didn't know was there.

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Such sad news. I've seen him so many times I lost count. The first time was with Return to Forever. It was probably '74. Al Dimeola just joined the group. That was my entry into the world of jazz. Absolutely amazing!

 

The last time I saw him was 10/25/19 with Christian McBride and Brian Blade. They were all amazing; Chick looked healthy and strong.

 

I met him once; I think it was the late 70's. A friend of mine knew him and took me backstage at a place called My Father's Place in Roslyn, NY. Chick was very friendly. He was smoking a cigarette, having a coffee, and playing pinball but he stopped to speak with us. Extremely warm guy. I was tongue-tied and could hardly speak (and this was before the show!). It was the group with Bunny Brunel on bass. Incredible!

 

About 20 years ago my wife and I were walking around Greenwich Village in Manhattan and saw that Roy Haynes was playing at the Blue Note. It was a celebration for his 75th birthday. We bought tickets, sat down, and much to our surprise Chick was on piano (Kenny Garrett and Christian McBride rounded out the group). We were sitting at the first table five or six feet from Chick and could see his hands perfectly. It was an amazing experience. In particular, seeing his comping up close was great. When he comps it's like he's creating a mini-symphony that perfectly compliments (and no doubt inspires) the soloist. Never-ending ideas, harmonies, voicings, melodies, etc. that are played perfectly and are just right for the moment. Fantastic! It wasn't lost on me that we were watching 2/3 of the Now He Sings, Now He Sobs trio. There's something about that recording and that trio that's magical to me.

 

There were so many other times I saw him but these came immediately to mind. I've learned so much from Chick by listening to and transcribing his music. I also took some of his classes on the web which were very good. His views on music, creativity, practice, and music education are very interesting. I learned a lot. He was extremely practical in his approach to musical development.

 

RIP Chick

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A good friend texted me this a bit ago & I just didn't want to believe it was true.

 

Chick was truly one of my musical heroes & I admired his creative genius, adaptability & of course his chops. The world is a better place because of his contributions. He may be gone but will always be remembered.

 

Peace brother.

Kurzweil Forte 7, PC3, PC4, Hydrasynth, Kronos 61, UltraNova, Rhodes, Clavinet D6, MiniMoog, GSI Burn, ELX112Ps, SpaceStation, Assorted Weapons
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See, this is what I don't like about the newsfeed banner on my phone. I had the phone on my music stand while teaching a virtual lesson, late this afternoon; the news flashed across the screen. Was hard to stay focused after that.

 

Godspeed, Chick Corea!

'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo.

 

We need a barfing cat emoticon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ben Bove produced a wonderful DVD on the Rhodes piano "Down The Rhodes". There's a great story that George Duke told about Chick. In the early 70s George was touring, and his Rhodes piano arrived at the show damaged and unplayable. There wasn't a rental available. Chick was nearby and George asked if he could borrow Chick's Rhodes for the show. Chick let him borrow it and asked George to "go easy on it". George started playing it at the show and it sounded so good that he really dug into the piano... broken hammers, busted tines, keys popped out of the bed, it was a mess. Camera cuts to Chick with his arms crossed and an annoyed expression on his face... then Chick breaks into laughter saying "I love George". Too funny.
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Such a huge shock; he lived such a healthy lifestyle. I would have expected Jarrett to precede him, as he has serious known health issues.

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

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I saw him live several times, and the details of those gigs -- dating back as far as 1973 or 1974 -- remain with me forever.

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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https://bestclassicbands.com/chick-corea-obituary-jazz-composer-keyboardist-2-11-21/

 

A rare form of cancer that was only recently detected.

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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When I was 15 Chick's music light a fire under me that wasn't there before. For that, he's second to none in my constellation of heroes.

 

What's sad is that we know without a doubt that he wasn't anywhere close to done.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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I'm very very sad. Chick was the last living musician in the restricted circle of my early, all-important music influences. The other ones were Josef Zawinul, Keith Emerson and Bill Evans. It's now 4:30am in Rome, and I switched on the computer because I couldn't sleep, and found this... and tomorrow (well, today) I have ten hours of exams at school... I guess my students will see a very knackered professor.

 

Chick Corea was my first big influence in jazz. As a kid, I loved jazz and tried to study the techniques, but there still was a sense of distance, like perceiving that jazz wasn't really speaking to me directly, but rather telling the stories of some other era. All this changed when I heard "Now He Sings, Now He Sobs". That sound, that rhythm, that tension gave me the definitive push into the jazz language. I spent years trying to nail his style, with various degrees of success - and for many years I checked every new album, acoustic, electric or whatever. And I have lost count of how many times I've seen him live.

 

Of course I had to go backward from there and discover Bill Evans, Bud Powell, etc. But Chick's influence, especially on composing, had become almost an instinct. I have dedicated two songs to him. Not only as an homage, but also as a mean to finally pull out his style from my head! Like, "Ok, this is the last one, seriously!" :D

Once I mentioned this to Frank Gambale, and he started laughing hard and said, "You know, it's just the same for me; every time I write a song, Chick's shadow is there!"

 

Later, of course I have loved and studied many other artists - Jarrett, Lile Mays, Tommy Flanagan, Miles, Bird, so many others. But I can't forget how Chick hit me hard at the center of my musical world just when I needed it, and filled this empty box with joyous, complex, wonderful music. He was one of the reasons for me to become a full-time musician.

 

I can't believe he's dead. He was posting on social media until a few days ago, and looking healtier than ever.

 

Rest in peace smiling giant.

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