Chick Corea, RIP

I went through a brief love affair with jazz fusion in the 1970s. How could you not? Some of the most brilliant musicians of their time were the progenitors: Miles, of course, but also notably keyboardists Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. After free jazz exhaustion we were ready for something a little more accessible, something that held out the hope that jazz could once again be a genre with mass appeal. Herbie's forays became foundational to hip-hop; Chick's were a little stranger and goofier... leprechauns, anyone? Ultimately fusion was pretty busted. But with Chick Corea, there is so much more. To me, the free jazz stuff sticks. Especially in the company of musicians like these...