Happy Birthday, Chick Corea

Jazz keyboardist and composer Chick Corea was born on June 12, 1941, in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Critic Scott Yanow calls Corea "one of the most significant jazzmen since the '60s," and Len Lyons says that "No musician has used the fusion concept with more variety, intelligence, and unimpeachable taste ..."

Corea, who has won 18 Grammy Awards, began working with Miles Davis in 1968, including playing piano on the historic Bitches Brew album. In the early 1970s, his band Return to Forever established a jazz fusion style that incorporated Latin elements. He also began a series of collaborations with artists such as Gary Burton, Herbie Hancock, and Bela Fleck.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends three albums by Corea:

• Light as a Feather (Polydor). Available from Amazon.com.
• Where Have I Known You Before? (Polydor). Available from Amazon.com.
• My Spanish Heart (Polydor). Available from Amazon.com.

Corea and his band play "Spain" (from Light as a Feather) live at Montreux here:

Robert
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