Chick Corea, Paco de Lucia / Tokyo, Japan 1982

Fans will be astonished by this unearthed recording! Following the release of ‘Touchstone’ in 1982, the Japanese performance featuring Paco de Lucia as a guest is now available for the first time on a high-quality stereo soundboard 2CD set! In the late 1970s, Chick Corea played a key role in introducing the young flamenco guitar master Paco De Lucia to guitarists who were leading the jazz and fusion scene at the time, such as Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin. In 1981, he made a guest appearance on stage with Paco’s sextet at Live Under The Sky at Denen Coliseum, and the aforementioned hidden gem, ‘Touchstone,’ was created the following year, 1982, carrying the same high energy and Latin flavor from that performance. Then, at the end of that year, a short tour with Paco De Lucia as a guest took place, and this release captures the precious Japanese performance from that tour. Thanks to meticulous remastering, this album boasts a clear sound quality that defies its age and a moderately rich mid-to-low frequency range. I can confidently say that there is no other recording that captures Paco De Lucia’s guitar tone from this period with such vividness. The performance itself is also superb, opening with Paco De Lucia’s solo guitar, followed by several excellent tracks from “Touchstone,” Chick Corea’s dynamic arrangements of “Chiquito” and solo piano pieces such as “Children’s Song No. 3,” the full performance of “Touchstone Suite,” which could be considered the highlight of the day, and finally, the torrent of the Adagio from Aranjuez played by the Spanish treasure, leading into the final “Spain.” You will simply be lost in the music. Touchstone Concert in Japan 1982 DISC 1 1.Gitanos Andaluces 2.Monasterio De Sal 3.Dance Of Chance (fade out) 4.Dance Of Chance (fade in) 5.Chiquito DISC 2 1.Piano Solo 2.Duende 3.Children’s Song No.3 ~ Piano & Flute Duo 4.Touchstone Suite; Procession ~ Ceremony ~ Departure 5.Concierto De Aranjuez (adagio) ~ Spain Band; Chick Corea (Piano), Steve Kujala (Flute), Carlos Benavent (Bass), Don Alias ​​(Percussion), Tom Brechtlein (Drums), and Paco De Lucia (Guitar)