Jazz Pianist Chick Corea Has Passed At 79

Chick Corea (Photo: wjarek / shutterstock.com)

ALL ACCESS has learned legendary jazz pianist CHICK COREA has passed away at 79 from a rare form of cancer.

ARMANDO ANTHONY “CHICK’ COREA, who helped launch the electric jazz fusion movement with MILES DAVIS before forming the influential RETURN TO FOREVER, is regarded as one of the major jazz pianists of the post-JOHN COLTRANE era.

“A portrait of relentless artistic pursuit and expression, Chick Corea’s passing is a monumental loss to the music world and to CONCORD, said Chief Label Executive TOM WHALLEY. “For 24 years, CONCORD was CHICK’s home and we have been honored all the while by his artistic talents and his presence as a human being.

COREA is considered – along with HERBIE HANCOCK, McCOY TYNER and KEITH JARRETT – one of the major jazz keyboardists of his era, having been nominated for a total of 63 GRAMMY AWARDS, winning 22, including, most recently in 2015. Best Improvised Jazz Solo (for “Fingerprints” from “Trilogy”) and Best Jazz Instrumental Album (for “Trilogy”).  He has won four Best Instrumental Jazz Album awards since 2008, and won Best Jazz Instrumental Performance Group seven times between 1976 (for RETURN TO FOREVER’s “No Mystery”) and 2007 (for “The Ultimate Adventure”).  His 1968 album, “Now He Sings, Now He Sobs,” was inducted into the GRAMMY HALL OF FAME in 1999.

Born JUNE 12th, 1941, in CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, ARMANDO COREA, of southern ITALIAN and SPANISH descent, was the son of a jazz trumpet player father, who introduced him to the piano at the age of four. Growing up surrounded by jazz, COREA was influenced by bebop and performers DIZZY GILLESPIE, CHARLIE PARKER, BUD POWELL, HORACE SILVER and LESTER YOUNG. At eight, he took up drums, which would play a large part in his approach to the piano as a percussion instrument.

COREA is survived by his wife, singer GAYLE MORAN. and their son, THADDEUS COREA, a producer, engineer and composer who played with the group WILD COLONIALS and accompanied MICHELLE SHOCKED. 

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