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Home , Bitches Brew, Chick Corea, Crystal Silence, Dis Is Da Drum, Empyrean Isles, Flora Purim

Thursday, March , , pm Zellerbach Hall

Chick Corea, , piano

Tonight’s program will be announced from the stage.

Jazz at Cal Performances is sponsored by Nadine Tang and Bruce Smith. This performance is made possible, in part, by Patron Sponsors Joseph and Sherry Felson. Cal Performances’  !–  " season is sponsored by Wells Fargo.

CAL PERFORMANCES ABOUT THE ARTISTS

(Polydor/Verve, 1976 ), Remembering (Stretch, 1997 ), and Further Explorations (with Eddie Gomez and ; Concord, 2012). A venturesome collaborator, Mr. Corea has teamed with artists from legend to new-generation pianist , from banjoist Béla Fleck to vocal su - perstar Bobby McFerrin. Mr. Corea’s duo part - nerships with and Herbie Hancock have endured for decades. The latest release from Mr. Corea ranks as a new classic in his discography: Trilogy , a live triple-disc set with Christian McBride and drummer (Concord, 2014). Winner of two 2015 for Best Jazz Instrumental and Best Improved has attained iconic status in Jazz Solo (for “Fingerprints”), Trilogy docu - music. The keyboardist, , and band - ments the trio interpreting classic composi - leader is a DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA tions (such as “”) and previously Jazz Master, as well as the fourth-most nomi - unreleased pieces by Mr. Corea (“Piano nated artist in Grammy Awards history with Sonata: The Moon”), an array of jazz standards, 63 nods and 22 wins, in addition to a number and even a Prélude by Aleksander Skryabin. of Latin Grammys. From straight-ahead to In 2012, Mr. Corea’s most recent album avant-garde, to jazz-rock fusion, chil - with vibraphonist Gary Burton, Hot House dren’s songs to chamber and symphonic (Concord), marked the fifth decade of their works, Mr. Corea has touched an astonishing duo. It earned the pianist two Grammys: Best number of musical bases in his career since Instrumental Composition for “Mozart Goes playing with the genre-shattering bands of Dancing” (his work for piano, vibes, and in the late 1960s and early . string quartet) and Best Improvised Jazz Solo Yet Mr. Corea has never been more produc - (for “Hot House”). These were his 19th and tive than in the 21st century, whether playing 20th Grammy wins. Rare for a “jazz musician,” acoustic piano or electric keyboards, leading Mr. Corea received the Richard J. Bogomolny multiple bands, performing solo or collabo - Award from Chamber Music America in rating with a who’s who of music. 2010, and he broke new ground as a composer Underscoring this, he has been named Artist with The Continents: Concerto for Jazz of the Year twice this decade in the DownBeat and Chamber Orchestra , released in 2013 by Readers Poll. Born in 1941 in Massachusetts, the storied classical label Deutsche Mr. Corea remains a tireless creative spirit, Grammophon. Mr. Corea recorded his first continually reinventing himself through his album of solo piano in 1971, and he contin - art. As has said, he is “a ued his intimate journey with the instrument luminary, ebullient and eternally youthful.” on Solo Piano: Portraits (Concord, 2014). Mr. Corea’s classic as a leader or co- For a sold-out international tour and live leader include Now He Sings, Now He Sobs album in 2008, Mr. Corea reconvened his pio - (with and ; Blue neering jazz-rock fusion band Return to Note, 1968), Paris Concert (with Circle: Forever, which he founded in 1972. The core of , , and Barry —Mr. Corea with original member Altschul; ECM, 1971 ) and and veteran —pro - (with , Stanley Clarke, Airto duced a Grammy-winning acoustic album in Moreria, and ; ECM, 1972), as 2011 with Forever (Concord). Then a new ver - well as (with Gary Burton; sion of Return to Forever—with Mr. Clarke, ECM, 1973 ), Mr. White, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Frank

PLAYBILL ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Gambale—toured the world to acclaim, As the immortal Miles Davis said in his auto - yielding the live CD/DVD The Mothership biography, “Herbie was the step after Bud Returns (Eagle Rock, 2011 ). In another cele - Powell and Thelonious Monk, and I haven’t bration of kindred spirits, Mr. Corea co-led heard anybody yet who has come after him.” the Five Peace Band with guitarist John Born in C hicago in 1940, Mr. Hancock was McLaughlin, a fellow Miles Davis alumnus. a child piano prodigy who performed a The group won a Grammy for Five Peace Mozart piano concerto with the Band Live (Concord, 2009). Symphony Orchestra at age eleven. He began For 2013 album The Vigil (Concord), playing jazz in high school, initially influ - Mr. Corea put together a new-era electro/ enced by and . He acoustic quintet, featuring himself on keyboards also developed a passion for electronics and and longtime associate on reeds, science, and double-majored in music and alongside some hot young players. A review in electrical engineering at . The Guardian is indicative of this artist’s quest - In 1960, Mr. Hancock was discovered by ing path, no matter his accomplishments and trumpeter . After two years of awards: “Chick Corea sounds on scintillating session work with Mr. Byrd as well as Phil form…. This full-on set is all about celebrating Woods and , he signed with and reinventing, not polishing silverware.” Blue Note as a solo artist. His 1963 dé but album, Takin’ Off , was an immediate success, producing the hit “Watermelon Man.” In 1963, Mr. Davis invited Mr. Hancock to join the . During his five years with Mr. Davis , Mr. Hancock and his colleagues (tenor ), (bass), and (drums) recorded many classics, including E.S.P. , Nefertiti , and Sorcerer . Later on, Mr. Hancock made appearances on Davis’s groundbreaking and , which her - alded the birth of . Mr. Hancock’s own solo career blossomed on Blue Note, with classic albums including Maiden Voyage , , and Speak Like a Child . He composed the score to ’s 1966 film Blow Up , which led to a successful career in feature film and television music. After leaving Mr. Davis, Mr. Hancock put together a new band called and, in 1973 , recorded . With its Herbie Hancock is a true icon of modern crossover hit single “,” it became music. Throughout his explorations, he has the first jazz album to go platinum. transcended limitations and genres while By mid-decade, Mr. Hancock was playing maintaining his unmistakable voice. With an for stadium-sized crowds all over the world illustrious career spanning five decades and and had no fewer than albums in the pop 14 Grammy Awards, including Album of the charts at once. In total, Mr. Hancock had Year for River: The Joni Letters , he continues eleven albums in the pop charts during the to amaze audiences across the globe. 1970s. His 1970s output inspired and pro - There are few artists in the music industry vided samples for generations of hip-hop and who have had more influence on acoustic and dance music artists. But Mr. Hancock also electronic jazz and R &B than Mr. Hancock. stayed close to his love of acoustic jazz,

CAL PERFORMANCES ABOUT THE ARTISTS recording and performing with V.S.O.P. (re - Damien Rice. That year, he played a number of uniting him with his Miles Davis colleagues), concert dates with a re-staffed Headhunters, and in duet settings with Chick Corea and and became the first Artist-in-Residence at the Oscar Peterson. Tennessee-based festival Bonnaroo. In 1980, Mr. Hancock introduced the trum - In 2007 , Mr. Hancock recorded and re - peter to the world as a solo leased River: The Joni Letters , a tribute to long - artist, producing his début album and touring time friend and collaborator , with him as well. In 1983, a new pull to the al - featuring Mr. Shorter, , Dave ternative side led Mr. Hancock to a series of col - Holland, and and co-pro - laborations with . The first, Future duced by . He enlisted vocalists Shock, again struck platinum, and the single , , , “Rockit” rocked the dance and R &B charts, , , and winning a Grammy for Best R &B Instrumental. Ms. Mitchell herself to perform songs she The video of the track won five MTV awards. wrote or was inspired by. The album garnered Sound System , the follow-up, also received a three Grammy Awards, including Album of Grammy in the R &B instrumental category. the Year; Mr. Hancock is one of only a hand - Mr. Hancock won an Oscar in 1986 for ful of jazz musicians ever to receive that honor. scoring the film ’Round Midnight , in which he In 2010 , Mr. Hancock released the critically also appeared as an actor. Numerous televi - acclaimed CD, Herbie Hancock’s The Imagine sion appearances over the years led to two Project , winner of two 2011 Grammy Awards hosting assignments in the 1980s : Rock School for Best Pop Collaboration and Best on PBS and Showtime’s Coast to Coast . Improvised Jazz Solo. Utilizing the universal After an adventurous 1994 project for language of music to express its central themes Mercury Records, , he moved of peace and global responsibility, The Imagine to the Verve label, forming an all-star band to Project was recorded around the world and record 1996’s Grammy-winning The New features a stellar group of musicians, includ - Standard . In 1997, an album of duets with ing Jeff , , Pink, , the Mr. Shorter, B+B , was released. Chieftains, Mr. Loueke, Oumou Sangaré, In 1998 , Mr. Hancock released Gershwin’s Konono No. 1, , Chaka World , which included collaborators Joni Khan, , , Susan Mitchell, , , the Tedeschi, Tinariwen, and Ceu. Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Shorter, Mr. Hancock also maintains a thriving ca - and Mr. Corea. Gershwin’s World won three reer outside the performing stage and record - Grammys in 1999, including Best Traditional ing studio. Recently named by the Los Angeles Jazz Album and Best R &B Vocal Performance Philharmonic as Creative Chair for Jazz, he for Mr. Wonder’s “St. Louis .” currently also serves as Institute Chairman of Mr. Hancock reunited with Mr. Laswell to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, the collaborate with some young hip-hop and foremost international organization devoted techno artists on 2001’s Future CFuture . He also to the development of jazz performance and joined with and Michael education worldwide. Mr. Hancock is also a Brecker in 2002 to record a live concert album, founder of the International Committee of Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall , a trib - Artists for Peace, and was recently awarded ute to and Miles Davis. the much esteemed Commandeur des Arts et , released in 2005, teamed des Lettres by French Prime Minister François Mr. Hancock with such popular artists as , Fillon. In 2011 , Mr. Hancock was designated , , , an honorary UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador , , , and by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.

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