Chick Corea
Return To Forever

Wandering through jazz and its immediate surroundings, it's practically impossible not to encounter Armando Anthony Corea, known as "Chick". But it would be better to say one of the many Chick Coreas that exist: from the orthodox yet slightly Latin jazz musician of his beginnings to the one already open to the rock influences in Miles Davis' groundbreaking "Bitches Brew", from the cultured and almost classical composer of the "Piano Improvisations" to the keyboard virtuoso who adorned the somewhat cool but technically impeccable soul-funky sound of the Elektric Band with crystalline sounds. The constant, then, is the technique, always absolutely up to the task, no matter the genre he tackles, for this versatile pianist. Maybe a Keith Jarrett is preferred in solo piano improvisations, maybe a Joe Zawinul stands out as a virtuoso of electronic keyboards that illuminate and color the strong rhythmic foundations of "fusion", but to find someone who has achieved levels of excellence in both fields (and more) requires looking to Chick Corea.

Certainly, one of his most original and personal phases is his "Latin" period in the early '70s, which features "Return To Forever" as its most famous product, if not the best. The title is also the name of the ensemble accompanying the pianist: the trusty Joe Farrell playing the role of Eric Dolphy, divided between flute and soprano sax, Stan Clarke on bass (and double bass), Airto Moreira on drums and percussion, and vocalist Flora Purim scattering her angelic vocalizations throughout. As you can see, it's a mixed ensemble, partly Latin American, and unique, notably lacking a guitarist. Particularly unique is the electric piano used by Chick Corea in this setting: frankly, I can't say how much is due to technical modifications and how much to the player, but what emerges is a string of notes so clear and resonant they seem at times as if they're emerging from a vibraphone. And when these sweet notes are combined with the soft flights of a freely exploring flute, a calm bass that mostly keeps to itself, dry and metallic percussion, always contained within the limits of noise, and a gentle rather than sharp singing, it's clear that in this album, everything is smooth, devoid of harsh edges.

In some respects, we're closer to "ambient music" than jazz, which may seem contrary to the Latin rhythms that undoubtedly feature prominently, but never to the level of a noisy Carnival. Rather, there's a sublimation of the spirituality inherent in these rhythms, not dissimilar to what Carlos Santana also exalted in "Caravanserai" (incidentally from the same year), though on a clearly more popular level. If we exclude "What Game Shall We Play Today", which could easily pass as a Brazilian classic by Antonio Carlos Jobim, with Flora Purim in the role of Astrud Gilberto, the rest of the album is primarily structured in the form of long suites. Like the beautiful "Return To Forever", with its hypnotic introduction where piano, flute, and vocals play a fundamental role, which they continue to maintain even as decidedly Latin rhythms break in. Or like "Sometimes Ago - La Fiesta", with a long preparation that highlights the bass for the first and only time, followed by the slow rise of a theme ("Sometimes Ago") taken from one of the classic piano improvisations of a Chick Corea just two years prior, yet totally different. "La Fiesta" concludes this lengthy piece in a triumphant atmosphere (as the title suggests) but never so much as to overshadow the splendid melodies presented at the beginning. Standing alone but as a precious specimen of rare mineral, "Crystal Silence". Here the pinnacle of delicacy and elegance is reached, thanks to the magical theme presented by the soprano sax in a glimmer of electric piano and percussion providing a vitreous background. It seems like music played underwater, surfacing in the form of gentle ripples. But this also applies to the many languid pauses that break the rhythm of the more lively tracks, making "Return To Forever" an album to listen to from start to finish with your eyes closed, dreaming.