Corea To Play 80 Shows at Blue Note During Historic Residency

By Bobby Reed I Jun. 21, 2016

As part of his lengthy residency at the Blue Note this fall, Chick Corea (left) will perform on Oct. 19–23 with his Elektric Band.
(Photo: Ernest Gregory, courtesy Chick Corea Productions)

Chick Corea will perform the most elaborate birthday residency in jazz history this fall when he plays 80 shows over the course of eight consecutive weeks at The Blue Note in New York City.

The pianist/keyboardist, who turns 75 on June 12, will celebrate the milestone with the most ambitious residency in the jazz venue’s history, playing The Blue Note from Oct. 19 to Dec. 12. He’ll perform two shows each night (at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.).

Presale for American Express cardholders begins on June 8, and tickets go on sale to the general public on June 23.

The residency, which will feature at least 15 bands, begins Oct. 19–23 with a series of shows by the Chick Corea Elektric Band, featuring the leader on keyboards alongside saxophonist Eric Marienthal, guitarist Frank Gambale, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl.

That will be followed by an Oct. 26–30 stint that celebrates the music of Corea’s most famous former employer, Miles Davis. The band will include Corea (keyboards), Kenny Garrett (saxophones), Wallace Roney (trumpet), Mike Stern (guitar), Marcus Miller (bass) and Brian Blade (drums).

The Nov. 2–3 shows will focus on music from the 1981 album Three Quartets, while the Nov. 4–6 shows will highlight music from 1976’s The Leprechaun. Drummer Steve Gadd, who played on both albums, will perform at all the Nov. 2–6 shows.

The concerts during the month of November will be a testament to the immense diversity of Corea’s oeuvre, as he explores electronica music (Nov. 9–10), flamenco (Nov. 11–13), big band sounds with the 13-piece Trondheim Jazz Orchestra (Nov. 16–17), piano duets with a different pianist each night (Nov. 18–20) and collaborative performances with vibraphonist Gary Burton and the Harlem String Quartet (Nov. 22–23).

Following a break for the Thanksgiving holiday, Corea will present his Origin II lineup on Friday through Sunday, Nov. 25–27. The leader will play piano with Ravi Coltrane (saxophones), Steve Wilson (saxophone and flute), Steve Davis (trombone), Carlitos Del Puerto (bass) and Marcus Gilmore (drums).

The historic residency will conclude with two bands— one that’s acoustic-oriented and one that’s more electric-based—playing the music of Return To Forever.

The Nov. 30–Dec. 4 shows will include Corea, Coltrane, flutist Hubert Laws, bassist Avishai Cohen and drummer Lenny White. (Details for a Dec. 7 show have not yet been announced.) The Dec. 8–12 shows will include Corea, White, guitarist John McLaughlin and bassist Victor Wooten.

“From the level of talent that will be presented to the number of shows to the overall duration, this is an unrivaled residency,” said Steven Bensusan, president of Blue Note Entertainment Group. “You never see an artist take residency in a venue for this amount of time consecutively, and on this scale.”

“Though most importantly, the fact that it commemorates our longtime friend and legend Chick Corea’s 75th birthday makes this truly special, especially given Blue Note’s deep relationship with Chick over the past 30 years,” Bensusan added. “We’re looking forward to making history with Chick this fall.”

American Express card members can purchase tickets in select markets before the general public beginning Wednesday, June 8, at 1 p.m. EDT through Thursday, June 23, at 12:59 p.m. EDT.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday, June 23, at 1 p.m. EDT. All tickets can be purchased at the Blue Note website or by phone at 212-475-8592.