Jazz pioneer Chick Corea died at age 79.
According to a post on his Facebook page, the musician died of “a rare form of cancer that was only discovered very recently”. In his career, Corea won 23 Grammys and was the fourth most nominated artist in Grammy history.
“Throughout his life and career, Chick has enjoyed the freedom and fun of creating something new and playing the games that artists make,” said the post. “He was a beloved husband, father and grandfather, and a great mentor and friend to many. Through his work and the decades he spent traveling the world, he touched and inspired the lives of millions. “
Corea was a multifaceted musician, working as a composer, keyboardist, band leader and occasionally percussionist. He was part of Miles Davis’ band in the late 1960s and appeared on major Davis albums such as In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, A Tribute to Jack Johnson and On the Corner.
After working with Davis, he formed his own band, Return to Forever, experimenting with different genres and styles. “There was a synergy between what we were creating and how the audience was enjoying it,” said Corea of his music.
He also formed his own avant-garde group, Circle. He has worked on many other projects, including duos with Herbie Hancock and vibraphonist Gary Burton. He recorded and performed classical music, standards, solo originals, Latin jazz and tributes to great jazz pianists.
Last year, Corea released the double album Plays, which captured him on several shows armed simply with his piano.
“As a runner loves to run because it is good, I like to play the piano just because it is good,” he told the Associated Press at the time. “I can just change gears and go the other way or go to another song or whatever I want to do. Therefore, it is a constant experience. “
The double album was a peek into the musical heart of Corea, containing songs he wrote about children decades ago, as well as songs by Mozart, Thelonious Monk and Stevie Wonder, among others.
Tributes come from the entire music industry, including rapper Q-Tip who tweeted “RIP for one of the coldest pianists / keyboardists / composers of ALL TIME”, and musician Mike Portnoy who posted: “It’s so sad to hear that death of @ChickCorea One of the pioneers of jazz / fusion keyboards. Return To Forever was one of the first real supergroups and a major influence. “
“I want to thank all those throughout my journey who helped keep the music going,” said Corea in a final statement also shared on Facebook. “It is my hope that those who have a vague idea of playing, writing, acting or not, will do so. If not for you, then for the rest of us. The world not only needs more artists, but also a lot of fun ”.