Chick Corea Friends (1978)

Chick Corea & Touchstone - Rhumba Flamenco. Live In Europe (2005) [2CD]
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© 2005 Chick Corea Productions | CCP-001
Jazz / Fusion / Latin / World

Corea's interest in Spanish music was well documented on My Spanish Heart (Polydor, 1976), and he continued to place his own slant on it with Touchstone (Stretch, 1982)—a mixed bag that included two tracks with flamenco guitarist Paco De Lucia and De Lucia's bassist Carles Benavent. Two decades later, while on tour in Europe, Corea found himself reacquainted with Benavent and two other De Lucia alumni—saxophonist/flautist Jorge Pardo and percussionist Rubem Dantas. From this chance meeting emerged a new project, Touchstone, with a European 2004 tour the source for Rhumba Flamenco: Live in Europe.

The writing on this double-disc set represents Corea's most successful marriage of improvisational freedom with longer form composition. Informed by the broader latitude and suite-like nature of classical composition, Corea assimilates writing styles honed on My Spanish Heart and other albums from that era, including Friends (Polydor, 1978) and The Leprechaun (Polydor, 1975)—even the final incarnation of Return to Forever that toured and released Live (Columbia) in 1977. But while those albums had much to recommend, they also leaned towards a sort of bombast that is wholly absent on Rhumba Flamenco.

This Fusion gem puts one of the most underated vocalist together with a few 70's fusion heavyweights and out comes a very enjoyable recording. George Duke, Alphonso Johnson, Airto and friends put out some of the hippest fusion in the 70' & 80's. Flora uses their musical abilities to the max on "That's What She Said." Using a variety of wordless vocal technics layered over electric keyboards and driving rhythms, these songs capture the fun and freedom that fusion later lost as it grew more commercial. Flora's entire catalog is ripe with music like this.

Known to fans as "Captain Fingers" for his uncommon dexterity on the guitar, Lee Ritenour is a noted jazz artist and session musician who has been one of the leaders in his field since the early '70s. Born in Los Angeles, California on January 11, 1952, Ritenour took up the guitar when he was eight years old, and decided to make music his career when he was 12. Ritenour's parents were supportive of his ambitions, and arranged for him to study with some of the best guitar teachers in Southern California.

Soul diva Chaka Khan is joined on stage in Japan by special guests including Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette and Christian McBride.
Recorded lie at Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo on August 24th 2003, this DVD is a must for all Chaka Khan fans! R&B singer Chaka Khan enjoyed solo success as well as popularity as a member of the group Rufus. Born Yvette Marie Stevens in Great Lakes, IL, on March 23, 1953, she was raised on Chicago's South Side, and at the age of 11 formed her first group, the Crystalettes.

Two of vibraphonist Gary Burton's albums from 1969-1970 are reissued in full on this single CD. Burton teams up with pianist Keith Jarrett for five numbers (including four of Jarrett's originals) in 1970, using a quintet that also features guitarist Sam Brown, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Bill Goodwin. The other session has more of an avant-country flavor, with Burton, Swallow, and Goodwin joined by guitarist Jerry Hahn and violinist Richard Greene; Michael Gibbs and Swallow contributed most of the obscurities. Burton was at his most explorative during this period, which is why he can be considered one of the pioneers of fusion (although his music never really fit into a tight category). This is excellent music that mostly still sounds fresh.

Five of the jazz bassist' solo albums in a slipcase. 'Stanley Clarke' released in 1974, 'Journey To Love' from 1975, 'School Days' from 1976, 'Modern Man' from 1978 & the 'Clarke/Duke Project' from 1981.

This wonderful tribute concert to the hero of lyrical Jazz Piano features Kenny Wheeler, Gordon Beck and friends at the Brewhouse Theatre, London 1992. The prolific and exceptionally musical Evans was proufoundly influential across the Jazz world, and several of his finest compositions are performed in this exceptional tribute event.