Customer Reviews

Past, Present & Futures

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A few months ago, I saw Chick Corea's new trio live at a restaurant/jazz club in Hollywood (sorry, I don't remember the name of the place...great place for a concert, not so great for the mandatory dinner). The concert was intense, the perfect small-club setting that is ideal for jazz. Chick's new trio performed about half of the tracks from this album, along with some other works (including a Miles-inspired version of 'Someday My Prince Will Come' with singing by Chick's wife).

I love this album, and welcome Chick's return to more classical jazz roots, with some new material mixed in. In particular, the rhythmic explorations of the trio are incredibly great, high-lighted on the opening track 'Fingerprints'. Of particular note is Avishai Cohen's bass playing. The man is intense! Cohen gets my vote for best jazz bass player currently living. Cohen can cover the range from melodic Paul Chambers style to fast-slapping ska-inspired, a la Flea, along with his own, more original (and almost Middle Eastern) directions.

Chick is back in full-force and creativity with this album and, even better, this recording is absolute reference quality. Played on a quality system (or used as evaluation material while shopping for a new one), this issue does an incredible job of capturing the dynamics and soundstage of a live musical event. This is an audiophile quality demonstration disc.

Even if you're new to jazz, get this album. I guarantee you'll be impressed.

This has quickly become one of my favorite jazz records. Latin-flavored rhythms are always shifting and changing, demanding your attention. The performances are superb. This is really a showcase for Avishai Cohen, even more so than his own solo albums.

The three form one cohesive unit, it seems as though they are reading each others' minds - the interplay and development of musical ideas happens among the three of them as though every note were written down ahead of time, but it always sounds spontaneous.

This album grabbed my attention from the very beginning and didn't let go until the bitter end. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Corea's recent acoustic ensemble playing is a welcome return for those of us who fondly remember his early recordings, and this disc is a very good portrayal of Corea at his acoustic and traditional best.

His sidemen on this recording- Cohen and Ballard- aren't as well known as Pattitucci and Weckl (from the "Akoustik" album) nor do they have chops quite as flashy, but I think this is the more musical, more lyrical album of the two. The "Akoustik" album was at its best when Corea was playing solo; here, the interplay between Corea and his sidemen is much more intimate, more communicative.

A fine recording of a fine performance.

Pianist Chick Corea is back with bassist Avishai Cohen and drummer Jeff Ballard, aptly named The Chick Corea New Trio. With the new album Past, Present & Futures, Chick forges ahead and continues to create new music that is stylish and sincere. Together since 1998, the New Trio's music maintains it roots in traditional jazz by blending together as one unified unpredictable voice. With ten new original compositions plus Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" this new album is a great step forward for Chick and his New Trio.

Chick Corea established himself as a genius jazz musician a long time ago. He has recorded several albums that are regarded as especially innovative, such as Now He Sings Now He Sobs, Light as a Feather, Three Quartets, etc. I think whether or not this album belongs in that category is a debateable; it really depends on how influential it is on musicians, but I would not be surprised if it eventually becomes an album like that.

Chick Corea seems to have been going for this sound for a while, with albums like Akoustic Band, but I think he achieves it with better success here. Some of the compositions here are unlike any other jazz I have ever heard. Songs like "Fingerprints" and "Chelsea Shuffle" have a ton of rhythmic punches (in the case of the blues "Fingerprints," the punches are the main theme), and incredible group interplay is present here, with many cases of piano/bass doubling the same line in the composition (other tunes that do this include "Dignity," "Revolving Door," and "Cloud Candy"). The songs on this album seem to require a very precise group interplay, and the musicians pull it off beautifully.

The sound of this album is also quite different from most of his other ones; the atmosphere here is very light with lots of space and emphasis on higher notes. It reminds me of classical music, particularly impressionism, and it also reminds me of Bill Evans's approach, but the songs themselves are very unlike anything Evans would play. Chick also features interludes between solos on this album, such as "Cloud Candy," "Dignity," and "Rhumba Flamenco." It think ultimately it is his emphasis on group interplay and treating each instrument as having a part of the melody (rather than doing a standard jam-session type of arrangement) that makes this album really stand out and work well.

The album is mostly originals with one standard: "Jitterbug Waltz" by Fats Waller. However, Chick's treatment of this song is no different from the rest of the material on this album; group interplay and delicate touches. If I never heard the tune before, I'd think it was one of Chick's on this album. It is a very impressive arrangement of this song.

Standouts on this album include the incredibly catchy and punchy "Fingerprints," "Dignity" with its delicate approach and amazing use of space and repeating bass lines throughout the head and the solos (similar to something off Three Quartets, but not in atmosphere), the bluesy and swinging "Chelsea Shuffle," and the Latin and rhythmic "Rhumba Flamenco."

It is awesome to hear that Chick Corea is still trying out new ideas for jazz. Often, jazz artists innovate once and then spend the rest of their careers just exploring those innovations rather than moving on. I think Chick has the right idea in trying to push the music to places it hasn't been yet; it is albums like this that show me that jazz may not be dead yet. I recommend it to all Chick fans; you will not be disappointed.

Of the ten or so Chick Corea albums I know, this is my favorite. It's great to hear an established jazz great doing his best work now, rather than just repeating himself. Every one of Corea's compositions on this album is outstanding--tight and carefully composed, using artful Latin rhythms, passionate melodies, and startling dissonances. This album sounds less improvised and more planned than many of Corea's recordings, but that's all to the good when the composer is as powerful as Corea. As other reviewers have mentioned, Aviahai Cohen's bass work is astonishing, recalling the intimate connection that Scott LaFaro had with Bill Evans. If you like Chick Corea, you've got to hear this CD.

Ballard, Cohen and Corea are a magnificent trio. Those of you who were fond of the "Akoustic Band" will certainly enjoy these sinuous compositions and acrobatic feats; those of you who weren't fond of the "Akoustic Band" but loved "Now He Sings" will likely enjoy it as well, as this trio has a more traditional jazz sound. This is a fine, fruitful, vital record. Chick, with all the knowledge and experience and depth of his 59 years, has retained the playful vigor of a 5-year-old. Check this disc out!

What I have always loved about Chick is his interest in formal structure. He rarely composes "heads" just so he can get on to the blowing, but through-composes most of his songs, which gives the music wonderful depth and breath. And of course, what seperates Chick from anyone is his rhythmic sense. This session crackles with energy and passion - it's not just another "white guy" jazz trio designed for sleep inducement and 'abstract' reinventions of standards. And thank god he echews playing "standards." Can anyone really stomach another record by anyone that covers jazz tunes written 50-60 years ago? My exhortation to new jazz artists - smash the busts of the hallowed giants and compose, compose, compose!!!

Any serious jazz enthusiast will be knocked over by this CD. It is good solid straight ahead music. After hearing this I think I like his trio format as well or better than his larger ensemble productions. There is nothing skimpy or thin about this music. It is robust, creative and interesting. As a kicker the recording quality is perfect. If you don't have the resources to buy evrything by Chick Corea by all means own this CD. It is a great palce to start.

PAST, PRESENT, & FUTURES, by the Chick Corea Trio contains 11 compositions and over an hour of music.

FINGERPRINTS is quickly paced, but is not thunderous or violent. The introductory theme is simple. It is a tone cluster that does like, "Tick-DAH-DAH, Tick-DAH-DAH, followed by a little arpeggio, "doodley-woodley-doodley." Often, the bass provides a repeated arch-like motif, skittering up and then back down. This is repeated many times. At one point, we hear a glissando where the bass zooms up, up, up. At another point, the bass rapidly plucks the same note over and over, sounding like a vibrating knife. FIVE STARS.

JITTERBUG WALTZ is the reason I bought the album. It begins with a slow introduction, lasting one minute, it is just a pleasant meandering sound collage. Then comes the familiar Eric Dolphy tune. The piano plays the tune as though there were two pianos, the second piano lagging an eighth second behind the first piano. Later on, the piano plays the familiar Jitterbug Waltz tune, but with notes, but with 3-note chords. The bass takes a turn with the melody, sometimes playing each note separately with one plunk, and sometimes playing a note repeated with rapid plucking. FIVE STARS.

CLOUD CANDY starts with a descending motif, sounding a bit by HYMN OF THE SEVENTH GALAXY from Mr. Corea's earlier recording with RETURN TO FOREVER. The theme for CLOUD CANDY is three chords in a row, the first two chords the same, and the third is often different. At the 6-minute point, there is a robotic sequence, where the piano's part sounds like robot movements. Not really the most inspired of pieces. THREE STARS.

DIGNITY. There is a descending motif where the bass does short glissandos downward. The descending motif is repeated several times, with other music intervening. DIGNITY is more dignified than interesting, and is on the sleepy side. THREE STARS.

RHUMBA FLAMENCO. This piece finds the piano playing a little weird tune with bass playing exactly the same notes, the tune sounding like flying saucer music from a 1950s science fiction movie. The drumming contains plenty of sharp-sounding clackety-clacking. At two points, this piano plays a tune form HYMN OF THE SEVENTH GALAXY. FIVE STARS.

ANNA'S TANGO. This is a subdued number. AT one point, the bass momentarily sounds like a cow. Bongos are played most of the time, rather than the drum kit. At four minutes, there is a descending motif that leads to a conclusion at 4 ½ minutes. I liked the conclusion. THREE STARS.

CHELSEA SHUFFLE. There are plenty of bouncy chord changes. At two minutes, we are treated to a waling bass line that lasts an entire minute (I like walking bass lines). The piano returns with more hopping, bouncy chord changes. FIVE STARS.

NOSTALGIA seems more like a notated composition than the other pieces on the album, something that a student might like to learn. The bass solo manages to find its way all the way up and down the fretboard (or whatever it is called on basses that do not have frets). A gentle piece. FOUR STARS.