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Chick Corea

Personal Profile

Chick Corea
  • Birth Name:
    Armando Anthony Corea
  • Date of Birth:
    June 12, 1941
  • Zodiac Sign:
    Gemini
  • Place of Birth:
    Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S.
  • Sex:
    Male
  • Hair Color:
    Grey
  • Eye Color:
    Blue
  • Nationality:
    American
  • Religion:
    Christianity
  • Education:

    Columbia University

    Juilliard School

     

Family

Chick Corea
  • Father:
    Armando
  • Spouse:
    Gayle Moran - Present
  • Son:
    Thaddeus Corea

Career

Chick Corea
  • Profession:
    Musician
  • Debut:
    Tones for Joan's Bones - 1966

Awards

Chick Corea

1976 : Best jazz instrumental performance, group

1977 : Best arrangement of an instrumental recording

1977 : Best jazz instrumental performance, group

1979 : Best jazz instrumental performance, group

1980 :  Best jazz instrumental performance, group

Trivia

Chick Corea
  • Given a black tuxedo by his father, he started doing gigs when in high school. He enjoyed listening to Herb Pomeroy's band at the time, and had a trio which would play Horace Silver's music at a local jazz club. He collaborated with Portuguese bandleader and trumpet player Phil Barboza, and with conga drummer Bill Fitch who introduced him to Latin music.
  • At eight Corea also took up drums, which would later influence his use of the piano as a percussion instrument. Corea developed his piano skills by exploring music on his own. A notable influence was concert pianist Salvatore Sullo from whom Corea started taking lectures at age eight, who introduced him to classical music, helping spark his interest in musical composition.
  • Growing up surrounded by jazz music, he was influenced at an early age by bebop stars such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Horace Silver and Lester Young.
  • Armando, his father, a jazz trumpet player who had led a Dixieland band in the Boston area in the 1930s and 1940s, introduced him to the piano at the age of four.
  • In 1992, he started his own record label, Stretch Records.
  • He is known for his work during the 1970s in the genre of jazz fusion.
  • Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is a multiple Grammy Award winning American jazz pianist, keyboardist, drummer, and composer.

Quotes

Chick Corea
  • "The sound of the orchestra is one of the most magnificent musical sounds that has ever existed."
  • "Only a spiritual being has awareness."
  • "It's very difficult for me to dislike an artist. No matter what he's creating, the fact that he's experiencing the joy of creation makes me feel like we're in a brotherhood of some kind... we're in it together."
  • "I enjoy playing the band as the band. I 'be' the whole band and I'm playing the drums, I'm playing the guitar, I'm playing the saxophone. To me, the most wonderful thing about playing music is that."
  • "Art is a subject that is inundated with opinions. In fact, that's all it is about is opinions."
View all Quotes: Chick Corea

Biography

Chick Corea
Last Updated: Tuesday, September 08, 2009

chick coreaChick Corea was born Armando Anthony Cores on June 12, 1941, in Chelsea, Massachussetts, USA. He began studying piano at the age of four. He started professional career with Cab Calloway, then continued with the bands of 'Mongo Santamaria', trumpeter Blue Mitchell, flutist Herbie Mann and saxophonist Stan Getz. Chick Corea made his recording debut as a leader with 'Tones for Joan's Bones' (1966). In 1967 he accompanied 'Sarah Vaughan' and also performed with Dizzy Gillespie'. From 1968-1970 he played piano and keyboards with Miles Davis on five albums and numerous live performances, including the August 1970 appearance at the Isle of White Festival in England, captured by director Murray Lerner in his documentary 'Miles Electric' (2004).

Chick Corea is regarded as one of the most prolific composers and recording artists of the 20th century. His albums 'Return to Forever' (1972), 'Light as a Feather' (1972), 'Hymn to the Seventh Galaxy' (1973), and Grammy-winning 'Romantic Warrior' (1976), are among the recordings that defined the style of jazz-rock. Mr. Corea has been a multi-faceted performer with a hand in every music style, ranging from the classical piano concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to acoustic and electronic experiments with fusion, cross-style, and cross-genre performances.

During the 1980's and 1990's he performed and recorded with his Akoustic Band and Elektric Band. He also wrote several film scores and other music commissions. Chick Corea is widely acclaimed for his virtuosity on the piano as well as for his highly original music compositions. Chick Corea was awarded nine Grammy Awards for his recordings. His most popular composition "Spain" has been performed and recorded by many other musicians across the world. Chick Corea is a leader of his own band and performs over a 100 live concerts a year.

Filmography

Chick Corea

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