The Chick Corea Elektric Band (1986)
Corea takes two younger players under his wings and soars on this modern fusion album.
Kronomyth 43.0: Electriocity.
The Chick Corea Elektric Band marks a new chapter for Chick Corea, as he teams up with two supremely talented twentysomethings and leads them flying through some spirited and modern-sounding fusion music. This, their debut album (and first for label GRP), could be seen as a return to Return to Forever‘s formula except that Corea is as much mentor as musician in this trio. The record follows a loose concept concerning life in Elektric City (an analogy for our own world), like most cities harboring both temptation and salvation. The playing is superlative as you’d expect; Corea remains expressive and entertaining even behind an array of electronic machines, while John Patitucci and the unconventional Dave Weckl (who I always thought would have been a great fit for Frank Zappa‘s band) show flashes of real fire. The trio also receives some help from guest guitarists Carlos Rios and Scott Henderson. If you’re wondering why the album rates an average orange (oh, he’s color coding them now), it’s because so few fusion albums really get under my skin. I’ve listened to this record at least two dozen times, and by now I look for the same payoffs: the lively Got a Match? with its shades of Birdland, and the two exotic bookends on side two, No Zone and India Town. The rest of the record is very good, but I’m not inclined to champion it as I might a Romantic Warrior. To its credit, The Chick Corea Elektric Band benefits from a consistent musical vision. Corea albums from the late ‘70s could often hop around restlessly between classical, traditional and fusion jazz, but this is pure electric/electronic fusion from beginning to end. If you enjoy fusion for itself (or thought Weather Report got better with each album) then you should check out at least one Elektric outing (preferably one featuring Eric Marienthal). This is otherwise an auspicious start, marking the appearance of two new stars in the constellation of fusion’s new wave.
Original LP Version
A1. Rumble (4:04)
A2. Side Walk (Chick Corea/John Patitucci/Dave Weckl) (3:48)
A3. Cool Weasel Boogie (6:43)
A4. Got A Match? (5:38)
B1. Elektric City (4:07)
B2. No Zone (5:29)
B3. King Cockroach (6:56)
B4. India Town (5:06)
Composed and arranged by Chick Corea unless noted.
Original CD version
A1. City Gate
A2. Rumble
A3. Side Walk
A4. Cool Weasel Boogie
A5. Got a Match?
A6. Elektric City
A7. No Zone
A8. King Cockroach
A9. India Town
A10. All Love
A11. Silver Temple
The Players
Chick Corea (Yamaha KX88/TX816’S, Synclavier, Linn 9000, Fairlight, midi Rhodes/TX816’S, mini moog, Yamaha GS1, DX7/TX816’S, gong), John Patitucci (Pollman acoustic bass, Smith/Jackson 6 string bass, Fender Jazz bass), Dave Weckl (Yamaha & Simmons drums, percussion, Linn drum) with Scott Henderson (guitar on track 7), Carlos Rios (guitar). Engineered and mixed by Bernie Kirsh. Executive album producer: Ron Moss. Executive producers: Dave Grusin & Larry Rosen.
The Pictures
Art design by Dan Serrano, Andy Baltimore and David Gibb. Cover logo design by Michael Manoogian. Color photography by Glenn Wexler, B&W photography by David Moore.
The Plastic
Released on elpee, cassette and expanded compact disc in 1986 in the US and Canada (GRP, GRPA/GRC-1026, GRPD-9535), Brazil (GRP, 290002), Germany (GRP, 91026) and Japan (GRP, VIJ-28069). Reached #6 on the US Jazz charts.
- Re-issued on compact disc in Japan (Universal, UCCU-5178).
- Re-issued on expanded compact disc on November 24, 2003 in Japan (Universal) with 3 bonus tracks.
