Chick Corea Lester the Nightfly

Chick Corea – Part Two: Mellow & Brilliant (E12)

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Just hoping and praying that you do NOT know much about Chick Corea. A month ago I did not know much either. What a project it has been to get to know this giant talent.

This collection is a bit more mellow than the mostly jam sessions from the first show, and gives you an extensive listen to his complex keyboard artistry.

My one thing is I continue to be interested and want to be a student. I don’t want to be a master. When I’m learning something, I’m in my element.

Chick Corea

And – just because we can – we spend a tiny bit of time with Bela Bartok – so read this —

Béla Bartók’s Mikrokosmos (Hungarian: Mikrokozmosz) Sz. 107, BB 105 consists of 153 progressive piano pieces in six volumes written between 1926 and 1939. The individual pieces progress from very easy and simple beginner études to very difficult advanced technical displays, and are used in modern piano lessons and education. In total, according to Bartók, the piece “appears as a synthesis of all the musical and technical problems which were treated and in some cases only partially solved in the previous piano works.” Volumes one and two are dedicated to his son Péter, while volumes five and six are intended as professionally performable concert pieces. 

CREDITS: Bela Bartok, Georges Solchany, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Al Di Meola, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Gadd, Eddi Gomez, Joe Farrell

PJDJ
Chick Corea (Part Two)
PJDJChick Corea (Part Two)

Tracks included in order of appearance.

SongArtistsAlbum
Bartok: Mikrocosmos Sz. 153Bartok, Georges SolchanyBartok: Mikrocosmos
Children’s Song No. 3Chick CoreaChildren’s Song
HomecomingHerbie Hancock, Chick CoreaAn Evening with Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock
Short Tales of the Black ForestAl Di Meola, Chick CoreaLand of the Midnight Sun
Children’s Song No. 11Chick CoreaChildren’s Songs
Falling GraceGary Burton, Chick CoreaCrystal Silence
Children’s Song No. 7Chick CoreaChildren’s Songs
Question and AnswerPat Metheny, Gary Burton, Chick CoreaLike Minds
Children’s Song No. 12Chick CoreaChildren’ Songs
SerenitySteve Gadd, Chick CoreaChinese Butterfly
Children’s Song No. 15Eddie Gomez, Steve Gadd, Joe Farrell, Chick CoreaFriends
Children’s Song No. 8Chick CoreaChildren’s Songs
Children’s Song AddendumChick CoreaChildren’s Song
Crystal SilenceGary Burton, Chick CoreaThe New Crystal Silence
Playlist: PJDJ
Chuck Fishman/Getty Images

In His Words

I no longer wanted to satisfy myself. I really want to connect with the world and make my music mean something to people.

Only a spiritual being has awareness.

I got a chance to listen to and watch Thelonious Monk and his quartet play two shows a night, for six weeks. It was a great education. There was my university, man.

My dad was all about music. He was a musician, leading a band when I was born. His band was active all through the 40’s. He’d started it in the late 20’s and 30’s. According to the scrapbook, his band was doing quite well around the Boston area. During the Depression they were on radio. It was a jazz-oriented band. He was a trumpet player, and he wrote and arranged for the band. He taught me how to play the piano and read music, and taught me what he knew of standard tunes and so forth. It was a fantastic way to come up in music.

Additional Resources

PJ

DJ and radio personality PJ Ewing is the host of Lester the Nightfly.

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Adelaide Ewing

    This is great and I mean it!!!!!!!!

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