CHICK COREA: AN EXPLORATION OF HIS SPANISH HEART by Eric Myers

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The Chick Corea Concert Peter Stuyvesant International Music Festival Regent Theatre, Sydney Sydney Morning Herald, February 27, 1982

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losing the Peter Stuyvesant International Music Festival on a high note on Wednesday, the 40-year-old American Chick Corea gave the C audience a generous serving of his rich Latin-oriented compositions. Featuring, along with Corea, Steve Kujala (flute and saxophones), Carlos Benavent (electric bass), Tom Brecktlein (drums) and Don Alias (percussion), the evening was an extended exploration of Corea's LP My Spanish Heart - just one aspect of this extraordinary musician's many-faceted talents.

Corea (left), pictured here with his saxophonist/flautist Steve Kujala…

The compositions ranged widely through Corea's now enormous repertoire, including selections from an LP yet to be released, plus old favourites like Night Streets, from the LP Spanish Heart, and Dear Alice, from his LP The Mad

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Hatter. Generally, the music featured dense and rhythmically complex Latin feels, with long and powerful solos floating over the top, provided chiefly by Corea himself and Kujala, who predominantly used flute.

Apart from high energy Latin-jazz-rock music, there were pleasurable contrasts. In the first show, Corea did solo versions on the acoustic piano of Thelonious Monk's Trinkle Tinkle and Round Midnight. In Corea's own words - "a tribute to a great classical composer in jazz" - this was a stunning exercise in impressionistic solo piano and a touching gesture so soon after Monk's untimely death about a week ago on February 17, 1982.

Thelonious Monk: he died on February 17, 1982… PHOTO COURTESY BARONESS PANNONICA DE KOENIGSWARTER In both shows, Corea and Steve Kujala performed four selections from the composer's catalogue of Children's Songs — simple but delightful pieces for piano and flute. Otherwise, Corea confines himself to his impressive battery of electronic keyboards, including the Yamaha GSI digital synthesizer, Mini- Moog, Hohner clavinet, the Fender Rhodes electric piano. and the Oberheim OBXA synthesizer.

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