500 Miles High
CHICK COREA REMEMBERED 1941-2021
The death of composer, keyboardist and bandleader Chick Corea has robbed the worlds of jazz and prog of one of their finest talents. Prog pays tribute to his genius and casts an eye over the albums that made him such an important figure in progressive music.
Words: Sid Smith Portrait: Pavel Korbut
Chick Corea, who passed away aged 79 and left behind an incredible musical legacy.
If all you know of Chick Corea is his work with Return To Forever, you’re missing out on a remarkably rich, deeply fulfilling back catalogue.
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n the aftermath of Chick Corea’s untimely death – he died of what was officially described as a rare form of cancer on February 9 – many fans struggled to process the loss. One reason for this was that Corea had continued to be vital and active right up until the end. Some artists slow down, kick back, retreat from public performance. Not Corea. A creative dynamo with a prodigious output that runs into hundreds of releases, Corea didn’t seem to get the memo that players on the cusp of being an octogenarian should be taking things easy. Corea was genuinely inquisitive and had an interest in music that took him far beyond the boundaries of his chosen field. That was why listeners never quite knew what to expect with him.
Already a rising star and composer of note, he joined Miles Davis’ band in the late-60s. He first appeared in the post-bop Filles De Kilimanjaro line-up in 1968 where he added his pungent electric piano as the Davis ensemble underwent a chrysalis-like development. Corea stayed to contribute extra colour to 1969’s classic In A Silent Way and the groundshaking Bitches Brew. That electric-era Miles threw the switch on a plethora of players that would shape the world of fusion, including Corea. Record companies were eager to back the next big thing and musicians blessed with remarkable instrumental skills were also keen to play to the ever-expanding youth rock audience. Early adopters of the jazz-rock direction included Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter who launched Weather Report in 1970,