Lucas: 6 questions with jazz legend Chick Corea

Twenty-two time Grammy-award winning musician Chick Corea has been at the forefront of jazz for five decades.

The number of projects and albums Corea has created is almost as numerous as the people he has played with, from Miles Davis to Cab Calloway to Herbie Hancock and many, many more.

Now Corea is launching an extensive world tour with his first stop in Hilton Head.

The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette recently spoke to Corea by phone.

Here, edited for length, is that conversation.

You’ve had such a storied career as a jazz pianist, composer, drummer, someone who has played with so many legends. I didn’t realize, for example, among the long list of those you have performed with was none other than Dizzy Gillespie, who was a native South Carolinian.

That’s golden memories with my heroes. He was one of my heroes. My dad had a beautiful collection of 78 RPM vinyl and Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker were definitely a big part of this collection, so I heard Dizzy playing from when I was little kid.

I finally got to meet Dizzy around the mid-60s. We did a project at the Village Vanguard ...which turned out to be a couple of recordings ...In doing the tours that I’ve done through the years, we would always bump in to each other. Dizzy was a very warm, friendly guy.

And of course you played with Miles Davis, joined Davis’ band in the late ‘60s. Is that where it all started for you? Or if not, where?

No. It never started anywhere. (Laughing) It started when I started playing the piano I guess, when I was 4 years old. But for sure my tenure with Miles and my whole relationship with Miles and his music was a major inspiration and part of my life.

Can you describe what your musical life is like these days? Do you split your time between touring and composing?

Well, I’m on the road a good number of months a year and then I take a break. These past couple of years I've been taking a break toward the end of the year, and during the wintertime I stay home and I connect with my family, and I rest up and I practice and I write music for the next series of tours. And now I'm just getting ready to go back on the road again in the next few days.

I read where you recently teamed up with Bela Fleck for an unusual pairing of piano and banjo. It seems like you have an enthusiasm or embrace learning different styles or maybe its that whole idea of pushing yourself to learn something new? Is that accurate to say?

I just enjoy making music. I take it project by project. My most successful way of living is just to stay interested. It’s not something someone can give you — interest. You have to create it, you know what I mean?

I’m always interested in creative people and creative things. I want to improve my own abilities. It’s a natural tendency to want to be with other great musicians. ...Bela is inspiring to me. We put our two instruments together and a lot of simpatico feelings came immediately.

What’s next then or are you not looking too far past the tour?

If you’ll look up on my website, you’ll see stuff listed through to the end of the year. This is a special year for me in the sense that...it’s my 75th birthday year. So it’s sort of like a birthday party all year. (Laughing) And I’m collaborating with a lot of different musicians. ...We have a lot of things already scheduled but then even other music that I’m thinking of writing.

What can audiences here expect when they come to see you play? Any last thoughts?

I always leave the audience up to — to expect whatever they want to expect. (Laughing) I'm not completely sure what my set will be since I rely on a lot of improvisation and there will be a lot of varied material. And I’m really looking forward to it.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 4:38 AM with the headline "Lucas: 6 questions with jazz legend Chick Corea."