Today we tell about the legendary pianist Chick Korea, one of the giants of jazz and fusion:
(Photo: Paul Bergen)
Chick Corea was born Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea on June 12, 1941, in Massachusetts USA.
His father was a jazz trumpeter and influenced him musically. He began learning to play the piano when he was only 4 years old.
The first influences on him were of classical music, especially Mozart and Beethoven.
In his youth, he experimented with piano and drums and later began to take piano lessons with a professional pianist.
He later explored his Latin roots, among other things, when he played in the ensembles like "Mongo Santamaria" and "Willie Bobo".
He has collaborated with many artists including saxophonist Stan Getz and trumpeter Miles Davis, who invited him to their lineup and revealed the electric piano to him, an instrument which Korea will use later in his career.
In the early 1970s, he formed the jazz-rock-fusion ensemble "Return to Forever", which was one of the most prominent lineups in the field during the 1970s. Which will go through great artists like Stanley Clark and Al Di Meola.
During his career, Korea has released 81 studio albums.
He has won 23 Grammy Awards and has been nominated dozens more times.
Among his major compositions are: "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and "Windows".
Korea passed away on February 9, 2021, following a rare strain of cancer that struck him shortly before his death.