Chick Corea, the influential jazz keyboardist and composer, has died. The news was confirmed by Dan Muse, Corea’s web and marketing manager, who confirmed the cause of death as “a rare form of cancer which was only discovered very recently.” Corea was 79.
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1941. His father was a jazz trumpeter, exposing Corea to music and records from artists like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie early on. As a child, Corea learned to play the piano and drums. In his young adulthood, Corea would spend brief stints studying music at both Columbia University and Julliard but ultimately dropped out of both. Instead, he spent the ‘60s performing with the likes of Gillespie, Stan Getz, Blue Mitchell, and numerous others. In 1968 he released Tones for Joan's Bones, his first recorded album as bandleader.
The late ‘60s also found Corea teaming up with another titan of jazz, Miles Davis. Corea replaced Herbie Hancock in Davis’ band on electric piano and would appear on some of Davis’ most revered works, including 1969’s In A Silent Way and 1970’s Bitches Brew.
Corea’s name would become synonymous with the jazz-fusion movement. Near the end of his time performing with Davis, Corea formed the group Return to Forever, bringing together elements of jazz, Latin music, and progressive rock. In 1976 the group would win the Best Jazz Performance by a Group award at the Grammy’s for their fifth album No Mystery. It was the first of 23 Grammy’s Corea would receive throughout his prolific career, his most recent coming in 2020 when he won the Best Jazz Album award for his work on The Spanish Heart Band’s Antidote. Corea has one of the most Grammys of any jazz artist ever.
Upon the news of his death, Corea’s social media accounts shared this posthumous from the late musician:
“I want to thank all of those along my journey who have helped keep the music fires burning bright. It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It’s not only that the world needs more artists, it’s also just a lot of fun.
“And to my amazing musician friends who have been like family to me as long as I’ve known you: It has been a blessing and an honor learning from and playing with all of you. My mission has always been to bring the joy of creating anywhere I could, and to have done so with all the artists that I admire so dearly—this has been the richness of my life.”
Please join us in remembering Corea’s life and work by revisiting some of our favorite of his musical moments below.
