Chick Corea & the Vigil Chick Corea/Sweden 2015

With Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Jack DeJohnette, John McLaughlin and others of roughly the same generation (Miles’ children) coming to Japan one after another, what about Chick this year? The Vigil, led by Chick, is now known as a “unit that breaks down restrictions” with new techniques and innovative improvisations, regardless of age or nationality. The Vigil features Tim Garland, a saxophonist from the UK who can now be considered Chick’s right-hand man, Charles Altura, a young and talented guitarist known as “The Rising Sun” who is active mainly on the West Coast, Carlitos Del Puerto, a bassist from Cuba and the son of an original member of Irakere, a highly technical Latin jazz band that Cuba is proud of, Marcus Gilmore, the grandson of Roy Haynes and the drummer of the moment, and Luisito Quintero, a rhythm master from Venezuela. This two-disc set, which was recently held in Stockholm Jazz Festival in Sweden in October 2015, is almost completely recorded over two hours on a superb high-quality stereo soundboard, and is now available for the first time! Following an introduction by Chick that also serves as an introduction to the members, the first half of the album features Chick playing mainly on acoustic piano. The first track, “Fingerprints,” features Chick’s characteristic piano pounding on a melancholic Latin sound, Tim’s sax burning hot, Artura’s elegant guitar running around, Puerto’s technical bass growling, Gilmore’s sharp and skillful drums, Quintero’s various rhythms, and plenty of solos by each member as a greeting, starting with a passionate performance of over 20 minutes. In the third track, “Anna’s Tango,” Chick’s piano shines in his specialty Spanish style, and Artura, who switched to acoustic guitar, shows off a virtuoso solo that would put DiMeola of the past to shame. In the second half, Chick shifts completely to electric, making you wonder if this is even possible. Following the Monk’s “Bemsha Swing”, they performed the progressive jazz Latin rock masterpiece “Galaxy 32 Stars”, which is reminiscent of the later R.T.F. and is synonymous with Vigil, and the performance lasted for over 30 minutes. The solos of the members in this song were simply spectacular, and the exchange between Garland’s soprano, who is top-class in all respects (tenor, soprano, bass clarinet, and flute), and Artura’s incredible technique exploded. The guitar, which was faster and more elegant than Frank Gambale’s, which I first heard in Chick’s electric band, was truly shocking! In the exchange between Chick and Puerto that followed, Puerto’s extraordinary technique was eye-opening, no, ear-opening. Furthermore, the solos and ensemble of Gilmore and Quintero in the second half were amazing. A complex ensemble with a storm of irregular time signatures that would blow even a rhythm expert away, and a series of overwhelming solos and miracles that unfold at high speed! You will be excited by the amazing performance that leaves you with no time to take a breath! Unfortunately, the encore ends with a fade-out, but the grand finale is “Spain,” starting with the melody of Aranjuez, beautifully played by Garland and Altura on flute and acoustic guitar…Hmm, Chick’s The Vigil is intense. Live at Stockholm Jazz Festival Konserthus,Stockholm,Sweden October.18.2015 Disc 1 1. Introduction 2. Fingerprints 3. Royalty 4. Anna’s Tango Disc 2 1. Unknown Song / Bemsha Swing (Monk Tune) 2. Galaxy 32 Star 3. Spain Chick Corea Piano Tim Garland Sax Carlitos del Puerto Bass Marcus Gilmore Drums Luisito Quintero Percussion