Corea's Respectful Improvisation on Powell's Legacy
Post-bop improvisations that honor bebop's language without trying to recreate it.
Chick Corea brought together Joshua Redman, Kenny Garrett, Wallace Roney, Christian McBride, and Roy Haynes to revisit the compositions of Bud Powell, the pianist whose harmonic sophistication and speed fundamentally shaped bebop. Rather than perform these tunes as historical artifacts, Corea's group treats Powell's melodies as departure points for modern improvisations. After stating each theme authentically, the musicians push into contemporary post-bop territory—complex harmonic territory that Powell himself might have explored had he lived longer.
What makes this approach work is the caliber of the soloists. Redman's tenor saxophone and Garrett's alto saxophone find different angles on the same material; Roney's trumpet cuts cleanly through the ensemble; McBride anchors the bass lines with authority while Haynes drives from the drums with precision and swing. There's no imitation here, no backward-looking nostalgia. Instead, each player brings their own voice to Powell's compositions, respecting the source material while sounding entirely contemporary.
The AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow praised the album for avoiding revivalism, noting that all the musicians "sound consistently inspired, making this a very successful and easily recommended project." The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings called it "a small triumph, an understated and affectionate album that gives a clear impression of its subject—as understood by a follower—but without succumbing to sycophancy." This is a late-career Corea date, confident enough to step aside and let Powell's harmonic legacy speak through six strong voices.
Who's playing
Christian McBridedouble bass
Chick Coreapiano
Joshua Redmantenor saxophone
Kenny Garrettalto saxophone
Wallace Roneytrumpet
Roy Haynesdrums
Where next?
More by Chick Corea
Crystal Silence 1973
Romantic Warrior 1976
The Chick Corea Acoustic Band 1989
The Chick Corea Elektric Band 1986
The musicians on this record
Gettin' To It 1994
Christian McBride
plays double bass here
plays double bass here
Wanton Spirit 1994
Roy Haynes
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
Freedom in the Groove 1996
Joshua Redman
plays tenor saxophone here
plays tenor saxophone here
