Chick Corea has long been a lord of improvisation. Whether in a solo or group context, his abilities to make magic out of thin air have never failed to impress. He also pioneered the relatively late growth of two-piano improvisation, by running with players such as Herbie Hancock, Friedrich Gulda, Nicolas Economou, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. For his first ECM recording in 27 years, Corea was teamed with Stefano Bollani for an advanced course in two-piano improvisation.
The two have been playing together since 2009, mostly at Italian jazz festivals. The performances captured on Orvieto are from the Umbria Jazz Winter Festival, where the duo played several nights of concerts. The musical program they have chosen reflects their eclectic roots. Between such Corea/Bollani originals as the opening "Orvieto Impression No. 1" and closing "Blues In F," the pair cover a big mass of stylistic ground.
The beginning of these is the bossa nova king Antonio Carlos Jobim, and his "Retrato Em Branco E Preto." Corea and Bollani`s fingers seem to dance round each other in the first few bars of the tune, then descend in for a riveting display of the melody, all the while never losing mass of what the former is doing. The near-telepathic interplay between the two is fully on display here. As Bollani has stated, "It is as if one mind were controlling four hands."
An early highlight comes when the two tackle Fats Waller`s classic "Jitterbug Waltz." The air has ever been a large piano showcase, and in this environment, both Corea and Bollani give it their all. Another universally acclaimed jazz legend is Miles Davis, and he is honored here with a rendering of "Nardis."
Both Chick Corea and Stefano Bollani seem to have been looking toward South America a bit this night. They admit a second Antonio Carlos Jobim track here, "Este Seu Olhar," as easily as a Corea original, "Armando`s Rhumba."
With their concluding "Blues In F," the two finish as they began, with some wonderfully inventive improvisation. Their styles run the artistic gamut and are on display not alone on this final piece, but throughout the 75-minute concert. Chick Corea and Stefano Bollani are both outstanding improvisers, and the validation of it is good here on Orvieto. Here`s hoping they get out of Italy for a bit, and get some of this trick to a US tour soon.
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