Three Quartets

Chick Corea | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 18, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Stretch Records
• ASIN: B000003OZE
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,563 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #91 in Music > Indie Music > Jazz > Modern Post Bop

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These guys were on a different level, August 7, 2002

By 

Phil Boucher "kz1000ps" (Albany, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three Quartets (Audio CD)

First things first! On track 8, the mind blowing "Confirmation", it is actually Chick playing the drums, as is stated in the liner notes. If you listen to the drumming on that track, you will be able to notice that, although it is definitely Steve Gadd's kit that is being used, the drummer is not Gadd, and therefore is Chick actually manning the drums! Never woulda guessed.....
Now as for the rest of this album, it moves me on a different level. One can just tell that these guys were all in the moment and on the same page with eachother. As I write, I find it hard to pinpoint exactly what it is about this album that makes me feel this way, and all I can offer is that these musicians just MEANT what they were playing in every note.
Quartet No. 1 opens is a great opener, and has two distinct sections to it, the first one Brecker solos on, the second is mainly Eddie's time. Quartet No. 3 comes next, and this is probably my favorite composition on the album. In the first two minutes alone, one hears three different melodies and themes developed, all of which are excellent and thoroughly developed, and the song hardly looks back from then on in. Gomez again shines brightly on this track. Quartet No. 2 parts 1 and 2 come as tracks 3 and 4, respectively. The first part is dedicated to Duke Ellington, a towering enough figure on the piano. However, listen to the first minute or two of this track and you'll be hard pressed to find more soulful piano playing anywhere--this is the stuff that could bring tears to your eyes of pure joy and respect. Part 2, dedicated to Coltrane, opens with Gadd playing the melody out on his kit and the song develops into the highest energy song on here- rousing bop at its best. Chick and Brecker are incredible here, let alone Gadd's one true solo on here. I am a drummer (one incredibly inspired by Gadd), and have no problems with Gadd getting only one solo in the 39 minutes time span of these Quartet songs, for I feel he is often at his best comping behind another soloist. However here, Gadd's solo is so well developed and makes for great analytical material for those who like to transcribe.
The Last four songs on here were not part of the original Three Quartets album, and rightly so. I have no qualms with these songs, they are all consistently high quality, BUT they definitely are not up to the quality of the first four tracks, which is why Chick did not have them on the original album. For that, these songs are a little disappointing on here, but that's just because the first four songs are so good that it becomes almost impossible to top that. Were these 4 tracks found on another album, then the light shone on them would make them much more appealing. Folk Song is actually quite good. It has a theme which is repeated and developed upon several times. Same goes for both Hairy Canary, my least favorite on here, and Slippery When Wet, which has a rather distinctive 4 bar theme played over and over for the 6 minute duration. Like mentioned earlier, Brecker and Chick go for a work out on the Bird's Confirmation, which is very entertaining for is 6:15 duration.
In all, if you care for bop at all, then this album is a must. I cannot say enough good things about this album, and it is one of my top 5 favorite albums of my personal collection.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Inspired..., July 3, 2000

By 

Mike (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three Quartets (Audio CD)

I've been listening to this recording consistently for over 12 years and it still leaves me speechless.

I believe this recording has left us with something I can only describe as beyond inspired. I hear something new every time...a twist in the harmony, the turn of a phrase, dialogue between bass and drums...

This is one of two albums, the other being Weather Report's Heavy Weather, that I feel I'll never get to the bottom of...

I anticipate getting as much joy out of in twelve years as I have the last twelve.

Thanks, Chick, Steve, Eddie and Michael.

Phenominal!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Chick Corea Quartets, August 26, 2005

By 

Chris Covais - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three Quartets (Audio CD)

Chick Corea is a master of all keyboard instruments. He's a piano virtuoso. In this extraudinary project, Chick gives credit to some of the masters before him. John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans...

And fine musicians are with him such as Michael Brecker on tenor sax, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Steve Gadd on drums. This is not fusion by any means.

This is Chick's approach to jazz music. He's swinging in his own style. This recording was pretty refreshing to listen to. If you prefer Chick's days before he went full time into the fusion scene, you'll love this album.