Chick Corea Elektric Band
Inside Out

The ensemble put together by Chick Corea under the name Elektric Band in the mid-eighties produced around ten albums, garnering a considerable following of fans worldwide. From the name alone, it was clear that Corea intended to give this group an electric soul, contrasting it with the acoustic nature of the Akoustic Band trio. The common denominator between these two bands is the trio formed by Corea-Patitucci-Weckl, alongside which the Elektric Band includes the guitar of Frank Gambale and the saxophone of Eric Marienthal. In some cases, Corea has made changes to this well-tested formula, replacing Gambale's guitars with Carlos Rios, Scott Henderson, and Mike Miller, and Marienthal's reeds with Steve Wilson.

The number of albums produced by Corea under the Elektric Band project is quite high, and in my opinion, this is further proof that Corea loves to navigate cross-over musical contexts, which we can generally identify with the term "Fusion". A designation which in the current sense I would identify with the concept of musical "contamination" between different genres that occurs both at the level of sound and style. In terms of sound, this kind of music is characterized by a blend of the acoustic sonorities typical of jazz and rock-oriented instrumentation (including electric and electronic instruments that are amplified). At the stylistic level, typical funk, rock, and blues lines tend to replace the more traditional jazz accompaniments.

Corea's early experiences in this field likely stemmed from his time in the early 1970s in the company of Miles Davis during the Bitches Brew era, which gave rise to Corea's first fusion group (Return to Forever), eventually leading to the Elektric Band project. At the time of writing this review, the last release from the Elektric Band dates back to 2004 with the album "To The Stars," but probably the story of this ensemble has not yet concluded: we shall see if Corea resurrects it once again. In any case, I believe that the Elektric Band was one of the best examples of the Fusion genre, and I wish to dedicate this review to the album "Inside Out," which in my opinion represents, along with "Eye of the Beholder," the pinnacle for this group. Perhaps elsewhere, I will have the opportunity to dwell on the album "Eye of the Beholder," and honestly, I find it difficult to rank one over the other as I believe they are both masterpieces.

I adore the sound Corea managed to create on Inside Out: the fusion between the keyboards, synths, and the other musicians' instruments is simply spectacular. The compositions are designed to allow as much room as possible for soloists' improvisation, who almost always deliver performances of the highest technical level and great taste, enriching the "musical scripts" conceived by Corea. Patitucci and Weckl build impressive rhythmic structures, with often highly complex designs, yet always very musical and pleasing. Marienthal and Gambale appear to us as climbers, true free climbers navigating these rhythmic structures, to which they alternately cling and from which they launch themselves in search of spine-tingling solos. The entire effort is orchestrated by Corea's skillful hand, molding the musical material with supreme artistry to create a musical sculpture of great impact.

Highly recommended for those wishing to discover the meaning of the word Fusion.