Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library.

Expressions

Chick Corea

    This month it’s one for the pianists. Playing solo jazz piano is a difficult art. Rhythm, harmony and improvisation must all be sustained. I was lucky enough to watch and hear close-up our own wonderful Eddie Thompson, a master of the art. Here Chick Corea applies his great talent to a rich selection of material. Starting with Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life”, he includes several standards, as well as Monk’s “Panonica”, Bud Powell’s solo excursion, “Oblivion” and his own “Armando’s Rhumba”.

    I especially enjoy his rather emotional reading of “This Nearly Was Mine”. Issued in 1994 the album got a mixed reception from the critics, but I think pianists will find his varied interpretations very interesting.

[GRP CD 87732 .The CD has not been reissued and the copies offered by dealers can be quite expensive. However, Amazon does show some copies at a reasonable price from Japanese dealers]

Tracklisting:

1. Lush Life

2. This Nearly Was Mine

3. It Could Happen To You

4. My Ship

5. I Didn’t Know What Time It Was

6. Monk’s Mood

7. Oblivion

8. Pannonica

9. Someone To Watch Over Me

10. Armando’s Rhumba

11. Blues For Art

12. Stella By Starlight

13. I Want To Be Happy

14. Smile