A Tribute To Chick Corea

Dear Friends of the Guitar,

On February 8th, the American jazz pianist/composer Chick Corea passed away at the age of 79. When I heard this sad news, I became aware of Chick Corea's presence on so many of my favorite recordings. Any serious student of the guitar will stumble across Chick's early rock fusion band Return To Forever, which also influenced me as a guitarist because of the legendary Al Di Meola. This 70's supergroup of virtuosos is a foreshadowing of Chick's collaborations with the most technical, music theory knowledgeable, modern and unique sounding guitar players of the day: Al Di Miola, Bill Connors, Earl Klugh, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, Scott Henderson, Lee Ritenour and later the Australian born speed sweep-picker Frank Gambale. It does not come as a surprise that they all reached legendary status after having had the privilege of playing next to Chick Corea's side. I also realized how fortunate I was to have seen him perform live twice, once in a combo setting and once as a solo artist.

Had you asked me a few months ago, what I thought of Chick Corea's music, I would have said something along these lines: he is a world famous, technically brilliant, highly intelligent and intense jazz pianist with Spanish-flamenco tinged compositions, who played on critical Miles Davis recordings and also was a rock fusion pioneer.

However, as I found myself revisiting his unfathomably extensive catalogue of music, I made two more observations that are the base of this month's newsletter. Firstly, I was in awe seeing the countless albums he was asked to play on as a hired sideman, and secondly, I had a profound "a-ha" moment while listening to his song "Crystal Silence" that shed light on Chick's extreme musical listening skills. I have coined this ability "apex listening" because we really are in need of a word to describe the kind of listening that Chick possessed.
Improvising on his own or playing with other musicians, his elevated listening was at the core of his musical abilities. He embodied "apex listening," which is clearly at the heart of his 16 point guide to playing music written in 1985. Chick Corea typed up this wonderful list, "Cheap Advice For Musicians Playing With Musicians," for students at Boston's Berklee College of Music. All 16 statements are solid suggestions and are rooted in focused listening. They are the keys to his success as a musician and also reveal why he was asked to join so many recording sessions.

Corea's stunning discography of hundreds of records features him on many of my favorite jazz albums as a hired sideman. I kept asking myself over and over again how is it that a jazz pianist get's invited to so many recording sessions of the highest caliber? The answer to this is summed up in point 11 and 12 of the advice that Chick typed up so long ago:
#11: Play to make the other musicians sound good. Play things that will make the overall music sound good.
#12: Create space--then place something in it.
These two vital points became viscerally apparent to me while listening to his intriguing duet "Crystal Silence" with master vibraphonist Gary Burton. As I was touched by the music, my ears were keenly tuned to his sensitive playing. During minute 5:00 until 6:00, I suddenly could imagine what Chick's mindset was improvising behind the piano! During that very special minute in the recording, I could hear how acutely Chick Corea was tuning in to his surroundings and understand his choice of notes! I could also envision very clearly how he was hearing silence and using the element of space during the music and deciding on how to respond to it!

Well, what do you know? Looking at advice #1,2 and 5 from his well-intentioned protocol makes it pretty clear that Chick is a very conscious artist:
#1: Play only what you hear.
#2: If you don't hear anything, don't play it.
#5: Leave space--create space--intentionally create places where you don't play.
This ability of hearing and responding to silence is the apex of listening. It is to a musician what looking through a microscope is to a scientist.

Everything becomes exponentially magnified and detailed, and suddenly, you see the area in between each molecule. Musically, these moments inspire the imagination by showing the musician how to serve the song without wasting one note.
I was so inspired by this solo that I transcribed it on the guitar for my Instagram account (see here). Oddly, while doing so, I realized that this brief interlude falls perfectly on the guitar fretboard! Chick is playing ideas on the piano that seem to come straight from the hands of a guitar player, and I seriously wonder if he was envisioning the guitar while executing this most deliberate and beautiful part. In any case, it is a great example of his listening ability.
Thank you Chick Corea for reminding me of the utmost importance of focused listening and reuniting me with the jazz spirit! Thank you also for reminding me to put on my best 'listening ears' when I'm enjoying your music or any other music created by musicians who are counting on their audience to be completely present during their performance.

I encourage you to browse here and there through the immensely varied music that Chick Corea left behind. From radical free jazz to 60's modern jazz, rock fusion to funky disco, gospel tinged pop to commercial smooth jazz and larger orchestral settings, he did it all with the highest degree of excellence! My wife and I fell in love with his very early days of being a hired sideman for the stellar recording sessions of trumpet great Blue Mitchell. My children, on the other hand, got rather amped grooving to the bubble gum 80's rock fusion vibes of his Electric Band.
This month's spotify playlist is a potpourri of songs off of Chick's albums and other great artists he played with. I hope it gives us ample opportunity to heighten our own listening skills and encourage us to make time to listen to music that requires apex listening,

Chris

Happy Apex Listening!