by Cynthia Mullis
There are two remaining nights of Chick Corea at Jazz Alley. The shows are practically sold out, but it’s worth a phone call or even standing in the non-reservation line to see if you can still get in. The show on Thursday was excellent and it was thrilling to just to be in the same room as these legends, regardless of hearing them play. Corea joked that the band is called The Freedom Band but he suggested it be named “The My Generation Band” instead. The mood was light-hearted and playful and the feeling of the night was that of four musical buddies hanging out and playing tunes.
There were Return to Forever favorites (Captain Marvel, La Fiesta), some Monk tunes, some Jobim. Bass virtuoso Eddie Gomez is a force of nature and it was hard not be fixated on him alone. Hubert Laws, the legendary jazz flautist, was mesmerizing in his impecable sound, technique and musicality. Airto of course, is Airto, but this concert had the added benefit of hearing him speak and sing in Portuguese. And then there’s Chick Corea himself: watching his fingers move on the keyboard over La Fiesta was one of those concert moments that makes one feel as if they have truly lived. What more is there to say?