You could easily be overwhelmed by the volume of Chick Corea recordings issued in these past and forthcoming few months. In late September Candid Records re-released the original five albums from The Chick Corea Elektric Band and the same five will be released as a limited edition 5-LP Box Set on December 1st. Also, a never-before-heard live record of Chick’s classical performances, Sardinia, has been released but we’re at the end of this wave, preferring to focus on the previously unreleased live album, curated and produced by Corea prior to his passing, of the reunited original Elektric Band lineup, called The Future Is Now. This renowned lineup is John Patitucci on bass, Dave Weckl on drums, Eric Marienthal on alto saxophone, and Frank Gambale on guitar.
So, to reiterate this is not just a posthumous release pulled from the archives. The presentation and the liner notes are from Corea, meant as a toast to his years performing with this special group. This is an exceptionally vibrant, exhilarating recording with all tracks performed live during 2016-2018, all but one previously recorded with some version of the Elektric Band. Opener “Charged Particles” first appeared on Beneath the Mask (1991) and was originally inspired by John McLaughlin’s searing guitar from The Mahavishnu Orchestra period and is accordingly a feature for the band’s guitarist, Gambale, whose clear fluid lyrical tone is consistently a strong match for Corea’s Rhodes and synths throughout.
“Trance Dance” is from 1988’s Eye of the Beholder. It’s one of five tracks exceeding 15 minutes, so there are extensive solos from each group member playing to a flamenco-like motif laid down by Patitucci and Weckl in a piece that spans several sections mostly at a mid or even slower tempo, hence the use of ‘trance’ in the title. Marienthal even sounds a bit Mideastern in some of his passages. And, as many times as we’ve heard Corea on Rhodes, no one else resembles his touch and embrace of the instrument. Also noteworthy is the exceptional communication between these players, especially Weckl who seems to anticipate every move.
Due to the popular horn-based rock band Chicago, we all know what “C.T.A.” stands for but in this case, it’s a piece, the only one not previously rendered by this unit, written by the late Jimmy Heath recorded with the Miles Davis All Stars in 1953 (Miles, Jimmy and Percy Heath, J.J. Johnson, Art Blakey, and Gil Coggins). It’s interesting to hear original bebop played with jazz-fusion instrumentation. Corea, of course, cites as one of the major influencers, the great bebop pianist Bud Powell, and this writer can attest to Marienthal’s mastery of bebop, having heard him in acoustic settings several times. Weckl’s muscular drumming also stands out here.
Most also know that Corea, like Tom Cruise, was a Scientologist. “Jocelyn the Commander,” which appeared on the last studio recording of the Elektric band, To the Stars, is inspired by L. Ron Hubbard’s 1954 book of the same name and though sparing you the details of the story, suffice it to say, it has a spacey, pensive vibe, in marked contrast to the previous track. “Alan Corday” is also from To the Stars, inspired by the same story but is the most composed piece, rendered to an up-tempo flamenco rhythm, and the only track with acoustic instruments (bass, guitar, and piano). “Johnny’s Landing” is the third piece from that same album, one structured around just one chord with lots of tricky bridges for a full 18 minutes, where one can surely appreciate the improvisational talents of this band.
“Beneath the Mask” is the title track of the 1991 album of the same name. Although at six minutes, it weighs in as the shortest piece, Corea borrowed the lick from Miles, whose original version was only half as long. Conjuring a Bitches Brew vibe, it’s an invigorating funk workout with Marienthal the featured soloist. “Ished,” the curious title derived because it’s based on a diminished scale, is from Paint the World (1993). Originally recorded with a different rhythm section (guitarist Mike Miller, bassist Jimmy Earl, and drummer Gary Novak), Earl developed the bass line, and the piece here is a feature for Patitucci and Marienthal, although all are wailing unbounded. The closer “Got a Match” dates to the first album when it was just a trio of Corea, Weckl, and Patitucci, the latter two comprising one of, if not the best, bass-drum tandems in the history of jazz fusion. This piece, more than any, with its blistering tempo, is clear evidence of such.
Whether new to the Elektric Band or a diehard fan, this closing chapter is a glorious representation of Corea’s intricate, highly lyrical brand of jazz fusion.
1 Response
Stunning!