DREAM THEATER Keyboardist JORDAN RUDESS Pays Tribute To Legendary Jazz Composer CHICK COREA - "He Gave Such A Gift To This Planet With All His Music"
February 14, 2021, 3 years ago
On February 9th, legendary jazz composer Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea - also known for his work as a keyboardist and band leader - passed away at the age of 79 following a battle with cancer. Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess paid tribute to Corea with a new performance uploaded to his YouTube channel.
Rudess: "RIP Chick Corea, legendary pianist,master of technique and composition whose melodies reached down and grabbed our collective souls. You will be missed but your legacy lives on in the countless musicians who were influenced by your magic. Here are the first few bars of his beautiful song, 'Spain'."
Chick Corea's compositions "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" and "Windows" are widely considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis's band in the late '60s, he participated in the birth of jazz fusion. In the '70s he formed Return To Forever. Along with Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans, he is considered one of the most influential jazz pianists of the post-John Coltrane era. Corea continued to collaborate frequently while exploring different musical styles throughout the '80s and '90s. He won 23 Grammy Awards and was nominated over 60 times.
