Chick Corea & Origin: Chick Corea (piano); Steve Wilson (soprano & alto saxophones, flute, clarinet); Bob Sheppard (soprano & tenor saxophones, flute, bass clarinet); Steve Davis (trombone); Avishai Cohen (acoustic bass); Adam Cruz (drums).
Recorded live at The Blue Note, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Danny Karpel and Chick Corea.
Chick Corea is not only a wonderful pianist but also one of the greatest bandleaders in jazz. His knack for finding and developing young talent is reminiscent of Art Blakey or Miles Davis. With Origin, Corea has taken a bold move in making their first album together a live date. That decision has paid off, however, because this is a set of unrestrained excitement from the word go. Recruiting such virtuosos as Steve Davis (trombone), Adam Cruz (drums), Avishai Cohen (bass), Bob Sheppard and Steve Wilson (reeds), Corea has assembled a powerful group that constantly pushes the music into new directions with every piece.
Expertly recorded at New York's swanky Blue Note, this disc is a near-perfect replication of sitting in the famous club itself. The feeling of electricity generated by this group definitely survives recorded translation on Corea originals like the burning "Double Image" or the moody "Molecules." You can almost reach out and touch the band as they blow through Corea's arrangement of the classic "It Could Happen To You." Waitress? Can I have another?
Professional Reviews
Entertainment Weekly (6/12/98, p.79) - "...The band shines, especially the leader, who plays like a spirit reborn." - Rating: B+
