Chick Corea, considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time and a musician who helped expand the genre’s sound and possibilities, died Feb. 9 “from a rare form of cancer,” according to a message posted on his Facebook page Thursday.
“It is with great sadness we announce that on February 9th, Chick Corea passed away at the age of 79, from a rare form of cancer which was only discovered very recently,” the post read. It added a poignant message to fans attributed to the artist himself:
“I want to thank all of those along my journey who have helped keep the music fires burning bright. It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It’s not only that the world needs more artists, it’s also just a lot of fun.
“And to my amazing musician friends who have been like family to me as long as I’ve known you: It has been a blessing and an honor learning from and playing with all of you. My mission has always been to bring the joy of creating anywhere I could, and to have done so with all the artists that I admire so dearly — this has been the richness of my life.”
Corea, an accomplished musician, bandleader, songwriter and musical collaborator, enjoyed a lengthy career that began in the early ’60s. He’ll likely be best remembered for his groundbreaking jazz-rock fusion work in the late ’60s and early ’70s, first as a member of Miles Davis’ bands that produced such landmark recordings as “In a Silent Way” and “Bitches Brew,” and then as leader of the acclaimed outfit Return to Forever, which over the course of several albums explored the intersection of jazz, rock, Indian, Latin and world music.
He’d release more than 60 albums as a leader during his career, which was marked by a willingness to explore new sounds and ideas as well as a uniformly high level of artistry. Anyone who ever saw Corea in concert could see what joy he got from playing music.
“Throughout his life and career, Chick relished in the freedom and the fun to be had in creating something new, and in playing the games that artists do,” the Facebook post reads.
Born June 12, 1941 in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Corea became interested in jazz — specifically bebop — at an early age and was reportedly playing piano gigs by the time he was in high school.
He’d later move to New York, where he quickly began making a name for himself and landing gigs with the likes of Stan Getz, Herbie Mann, Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo and Blue Mitchell. With that kind of exposure and his abundant talent, Corea was soon tapped to record his own albums, beginning with the Atlantic Records debut “Tones for Joan’s Bones” released in 1968.
Yet, it was his turn with the legendary Miles Davis that really launched Corea’s career into the stratosphere.
Davis, of course, was legendary for his ability to spot towering talents such as John Coltrane, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Mike Stern. And what he saw in a young Corea helped Davis realize his dream of an electric jazz-rock fusion sound.
After he parted ways with Davis, Corea went on equally great heights with Return to Forever, a band that was originally fairly Latin jazz-oriented but eventually morphed into one of the most acclaimed jazz-rock fusion acts of all time. Both versions featured the phenomenally talented bassist Stanley Clarke, whose musical bond with Corea lasted for decades.
Corea would have many other important musical partnerships as well, including the one with vibraphonist Gary Burton that resulted in 1972’s acclaimed “Crystal Silence” and the follow-up “The New Crystal Silence,” which won a Grammy in 2009.
He’d continue to release significant albums throughout the years, including 2009’s “Five Peace Band Live,” 2011’s “Forever” and 2013’s “Trilogy” — all of which won Grammy Awards. All told, Corea won more than 20 Grammys in his career.
In the early ’70s, Corea joined Scientology and later credited the controversial religion and its practice of Dianetics with helping to expand his musical vision.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Gayle Moran, a jazz keyboardist and songwriter who performed with Corea as well as the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and a son Thaddeus.