The jazz pioneer Chick Corea has died on the age of 79.
In accordance with a submit on his Fb web page, the musician died from “a uncommon type of most cancers which was solely found very just lately”. In his profession, Corea gained 23 Grammys and was the fourth most-nominated artist in Grammys historical past.
“All through his life and profession, Chick relished within the freedom and the enjoyable available in creating one thing new, and in enjoying the video games that artists do,” the submit learn. “He was a beloved husband, father and grandfather, and an awesome mentor and buddy to so many. By way of his physique of labor and the a long time he spent touring the world, he touched and impressed the lives of thousands and thousands.”
Corea was a multi-faceted musician, working as a composer, keyboardist, bandleader and occasional percussionist. He was part of Miles Davis’s band within the late 60s and appeared on key Davis albums similar to In a Silent Method, Bitches Brew, A Tribute to Jack Johnson and On the Nook.
After working with Davis, he fashioned his personal band, Return to Endlessly, experimenting with totally different genres and types. “There was a synergy occurring between what we have been creating and the way audiences have been digging it,” Corea stated of their music.
He additionally fashioned his personal avant-garde group, Circle. He labored on many different initiatives, together with duos with Herbie Hancock and vibraphonist Gary Burton. He recorded and carried out classical music, requirements, solo originals, Latin jazz and tributes to nice jazz pianists.
Final 12 months, Corea launched the double album Performs, which captured him at numerous concert events armed merely along with his piano.
“Like a runner likes to run as a result of it simply feels good, I prefer to play the piano simply because it feels good,” he instructed the Related Press on the time. “I can simply change gears and go to a different route or go to a different music or no matter I need to do. So it’s a continuing experiment.”
The double album was a peek into Corea’s musical coronary heart, containing songs he wrote about youngsters a long time in the past in addition to tunes by Mozart, Thelonious Monk and Stevie Surprise, amongst others.
Tributes have poured in from throughout the music trade, together with from the rapper Q-Tip who tweeted “RIP to one of many coldest pianist/keyboardist/songwriters of ALL TIME”, and the musician Mike Portnoy who posted: “So unhappy to listen to of the passing of @ChickCorea One of many pioneers of jazz/fusion keyboards. Return To Endlessly was one of many first actual Supergroups and such an enormous affect.”
“I need to thank all of these alongside my journey who’ve helped preserve the music fires burning vibrant,” Corea stated in a ultimate assertion additionally shared on Fb. “It’s my hope that those that have an inkling to play, write, carry out or in any other case, accomplish that. If not for your self then for the remainder of us. It’s not solely that the world wants extra artists, it’s additionally simply a variety of enjoyable.”