Chick Corea : NPR

Chick Corea And Béla Fleck On The Joys (And Challenges) Of Collaborating

Chick Corea and Bela Fleck's new album, Two, is out now. C. TAYLOR CROTHERS/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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C. TAYLOR CROTHERS/Courtesy of the artist

Chick Corea And Béla Fleck On The Joys (And Challenges) Of Collaborating

September 19, 2015 • The master jazz pianist and renowned banjo player know they make an unlikely duo — but they embrace the unexpected on their new live album, Two.

Chick Corea And Béla Fleck On The Joys (And Challenges) Of Collaborating

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"It was part of a beautiful, long story," Dee Dee Bridgewater says of hosting JazzSet. "It has been a highlight of my career." Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater

JazzSet Signs Off

October 2, 2014 • From outdoor festivals to concert halls in major cities, JazzSet was there. Hear an intimate, bittersweet farewell, with highlights that span the NPR jazz program's 23-year run.

The JazzSet Finale

58:30

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Chick Corea (keyboard) joined the SFJAZZ Collective for the closing performance, an arrangement of his piece "Spain." Scott Chernis/Courtesy of SFJAZZ Center hide caption

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Scott Chernis/Courtesy of SFJAZZ Center

JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater

SFJAZZ Center Opening Night On JazzSet

WBGO

May 2, 2013 • On opening night at San Francisco's newly constructed building designed for and dedicated to jazz, fans filled the stunning Robert N. Miner Auditorium for a maiden voyage and festive concert.

SFJAZZ Center Opening Night On JazzSet

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Chick Corea. Chick Corea Productions hide caption

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Chick Corea Productions

Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz

Chick Corea On Piano Jazz

January 18, 2013 • Pianist, composer and NEA Jazz Master Chick Corea is one of the most creative and inventive musicians in jazz today. On this episode of Piano Jazz from 2002, he solos in "Monk's Mood" and joins host Marian McPartland for an evocative version of his legendary tune "Spain."

Chick Corea: At 70, Still Young At Heart

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Justin Steyer/KPLU

Chick Corea: At 70, Still Young At Heart

Jazz24

December 20, 2011 • Having just showcased 30 different musicians for a month-long series of New York jazz shows, the heavily decorated pianist is busier than ever. Hear his in-studio performance at KPLU.

Chick Corea in Studio at Jazz24

19:43

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Chick Corea performs in Melbourne, Australia in February 2011. Corea and a new version of his band Return to Forever tour the U.S. and Europe this summer. Martin Philbey/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Martin Philbey/Courtesy of the artist

A Blog Supreme

Chick Corea's Playlist For A Reunion

June 23, 2011 • The band Return to Forever helped define jazz fusion in the 1970s. Now reconstituted and about to start a three-month summer tour, its founding keyboardist picks five songs which tell the story behind the group.

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White On JazzSet

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Cole Thompson hide caption

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Cole Thompson

Concerts

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White On JazzSet

WBGO

October 7, 2010 • At the 52nd Monterey Jazz Festival, three-quarters of the stellar fusion band Return to Forever reunited. Hear Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White — on piano, bass and drums, respectively — perform a highly charged acoustic set.

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White On JazzSet

57:58

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The three-CD reissue of Chick Corea's Solo Piano Improvisations/Children's Songs -- which will be released on May 25, 2010 -- demonstrates how composing and improvising are two sides of the same coin. Michael Putland/Hulton Archive hide caption

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Michael Putland/Hulton Archive

Review

Music Reviews

Chick Corea: Two Sides Of The Same Coin

Fresh Air

May 13, 2010 • In a transitional period between different groups with Miles Davis and Anthony Braxton and his fusion band, Return to Forever, Chick Corea recorded a series of solo piano improvisations in 1971. Those recordings and a 1983 follow-up have been reissued in a three-CD box set.

Chick Corea: Two Sides Of The Same Coin

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Courtesy of the artist

Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

Kind Of Bluegrass: Lightning-Fast Jazz

Jazz24

December 14, 2009 • On the surface, there might seem to be a world of difference between jazz and bluegrass music. Jazz is predominantly urban and often deals with relatively complex structures, chords and key changes. Bluegrass is predominantly rural and, like blues, often works within fairly predictable structural boundaries. But jazz and bluegrass are more alike than they appear.

Concerts

A Night Of Improv: Corea, DeJohnette, McFerrin

WBGO

July 9, 2009 • The tour was short and the focus was tight as Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette and Bobby McFerrin rode jazz improvisation into new orbits with splashes of vaudeville and circus. From the 2008 Gilmore International Keyboard Festival in Kalamazoo, Mich., this is the only radio version of their performances.

Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Bobby McFerrin in Concert on JazzSet

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Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

Fusion Is Not A Four-Letter Word

February 2, 2009 • Fans and detractors of jazz fusion cite Miles Davis as the one who led the way to a new direction in jazz in the late 1960s and early '70s. The sessions for In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew not only bred a new style, but also helped identify the pioneers who would help define rock-influenced jazz. Hear five classic examples.

Best Music Of 2008

Living Your Life With 2008's Best In Jazz

KNKX Public Radio

December 10, 2008 • The year's best jazz albums reach into your world rather than demanding that you reach into theirs, KPLU's Nick Francis says. Here, he picks 10 fun recordings with a contemporary attitude compliant to listeners' daily lives.

Best Music Of 2008

Invoking Improv: Best Classical CDs Of 2008

American Public Media

December 9, 2008 • Improvisation is making a comeback in certain corners of the classical world. Early-music specialists honor the tradition of improvising on what the composer wrote, and some young classical musicians who grew up with jazz, rock and world music feel as comfortable with improv as they do with interpretation.

Best Music Of 2008

The Year In Jazz: Best CDs Of 2008

WBGO

November 25, 2008 • It's been a remarkable year for jazz, and narrowing down a Top 10 list for 2008 takes a bit of work. Once again, there's room for enthusiasm and optimism about the state of jazz and its ability to inspire musicians and listeners alike. Here's a look (and a listen) back at some of the year's highlights.

Studio Sessions

Chick Corea On Piano Jazz

September 26, 2008 • Chick Corea has been a major force in music for nearly 40 years. His inventive improvisations and musical ideas have made him one of the most important figures in modern jazz. On this 1987 program, recorded at Corea's Madhatter studio, Marian McPartland plays the Fender Rhodes and Corea plays his KX5 synthesizer in "Crystal Silence."

Chick Corea in Studio on Piano Jazz 1/27/89

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