| Jazz |
The pianist and the banjo player collaborated for a long time, and for some of you, it might feel like déjà vu. Here’s why, as Béla Fleck explains: Remembrance, a new double album that has just been released, is an emotional final document on the deep creative and personal relationship that banjoist Béla Fleck and pianist Chick Corea first presented in the form of an album with The Enchantment, which won a Latin Grammy in 2007. The album includes three unreleased compositions by Corea, as well as five short free improvisations, or impromptus, that Fleck infused with written music. “We pushed this duo to new horizons before running out of time,” says Fleck, who produced Remembrance. “Here, we have another interesting look at Chick Corea, at the different ways he could play, which we wouldn’t have had otherwise. There are a lot of great Chick Coreas, but this one is different.”
The recordings on this album were made during the duo’s magical tours in 2019 and also through sound files exchanged virtually during the Covid period. And Béla Fleck continues: “We pushed this duo to new horizons before running out of time,” says Fleck, who produced Remembrance. “Here, we have another fascinating look at Chick Corea, at the different ways he could play that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. There are a lot of great Chick Corea pieces, and this one is different.” Ultimately, Corea’s unreleased pieces might be the most touching element of the collection. These pieces include “Enut Nital” (or Latin Tune, written backwards); “Continuance,” an older work that resurfaced in the duo’s setlist; and the bittersweet dance of the title song. “‘Remembrance’ is just one of those perfect Chick Corea songs,” says Fleck. “It reminds me of a New Orleans funeral march, even though it has a Latin component, like everything he usually did.”
This is a unique document, a real reference on part of Corea’s collaborative work with another artist. Once again, it’s Béla Fleck who finds the right words: Corea’s death in 2021, at 79, from cancer, devastated the jazz community, which saw the pianist as a constant international presence, a vibrant musician who never stopped touring and recording. “It was a profound shock,” says Fleck, who also released an inspired live project with Corea, Two, in 2015. “It was one of the special relationships of my life. He was so kind to me, so helpful, and I learned so much from him.”
The influence of an artist like Chick Corea, who marked an incalculable number of jazz musicians over decades, now that the pianist is no longer here, this look back at these creations takes on a new meaning, settling into the historical musical longevity on which theorists will certainly linger, dissecting each piece of sheet music. But the reality is simpler, and you can hear it on this album—the humanity, the warmth, the friendship, well beyond the talent that everyone recognizes in him. Another truth also emerges, once again showcasing the immense talent of Béla Fleck, who brings more than just nobility to his instrument—a naturally impressive album and also “essential” in our eyes. I’ll let Béla Fleck conclude this review: “He found the good in everything,” adds Fleck. “I’m just so happy to be part of it all—happy to have been with him, and happy that there’s still more to share.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, May 17th 2024
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