Customer Reviews

The Song of Singing

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"The Song Of Singing" by Chick Corea is quite simply one of the greatest jazz trio albums of all-time. In my estimation, it ranks up there with classics like Bill Evans' Village Vanguard recordings, Monk's "Genius of Modern Music" volumes, "The Amazing Bud Powell" volumes, The Art Tatum "Group Masterpieces," and Paul Bley's "Closer." I know these albums cover a wide array of jazz styles, but what they all have in common is unparalleled musical creation and improvisation for their time. "The Song Of Singing," recorded for Blue Note in 1970, features the stellar trio of Corea, Dave Holland and Barry Altschul, and these three were a major musical force. In a few months they would join saxophonist Anthony Braxton to form the short-lived, but phenomenal avant-garde group Circle. (When Corea left Circle for the fusion group Return To Forever, Braxton, Holland and Altschul continued to play together through the mid 70s, most notably on Braxton's "Dortmund 1976" and Holland's "Conference For The Birds.") Unfortunately, the Circle titles, and of course this Corea disc, are now out of print domestically.

Luckily, "The Song Of Singing" is still available as an import. However, as with most Japanese RVG titles, this version mirrors the original vinyl release, so you don't get the three bonus tracks that were included on the domestic release -- Ornette's "Blues Connotation," "Ballad II," and the lengthy, wild, free jazz tune, "Drone." What you do get is six inventive compositions performed by a trio that, once the song's theme is stated, just takes off into the farthest reaches of collective improvisation. But these three listen to each other very carefully, and as a result the solos soar together like a flock of swallows -- diving and turning suddenly, but always in unison. This is truly a group recording and not Corea with a rhythm section. It is a pleasure to behold! This "Song" is well worth singing.

As the sixties came to an end, Blue Note Records was recording
astonishingly avant garde music. Upcoming players were often pushing the envelope on the label. Chick and Dave Holland were well into their Miles electric tenure when this acoustic masterpiece was recorded; those who bought it expecting "Silent Way" were either amazed or appalled, but were surprised either way. (Those who bought Tony Williams' Blue Notes, expecting fusion, were equally surprised.)
Thirty years later, their exploration is as fresh and astonishing as it was then. Corea's piano touch, as great as any post-Bill-Evans' player's, is displayed in an immaculate recording. The interplay and exploration have rarely been equalled, both in the spontaneous improv, and in complex harmonic explorations of what were soon to become standards ("Nefertiti" and "Connotation", one of the bonus tracks).

There's an apocryphal story crediting avant garde reed player
Vinny Golia, while he was still a visual artist, with the cover art, too.

As the sixties came to an end, Blue Note Records was recording
astonishingly avant garde music. Upcoming players were often pushing the envelope on the label. Chick and Dave Holland were well into their Miles electric tenure when this acoustic masterpiece was recorded; those who bought it expecting "Silent Way" were either amazed or appalled, but were surprised either way. (Those who bought Tony Williams' Blue Notes, expecting fusion, were equally surprised.)
Thirty years later, their exploration is as fresh and astonishing as it was then. Corea's piano touch, as great as any post-Bill-Evans' player's, is displayed in an immaculate recording. The interplay and exploration have rarely been equaled, both in the spontaneous improv, and in complex harmonic explorations of what were soon to become standards ("Nefertiti" and "Connotation", one of the bonus tracks).