(Concord Jazz)
The late jazz great’s trio are captured in all their unplugged brilliance in this live recording from 2018
In the whole history of jazz, I can’t think of a piano, bass, drums trio that has played with such whole-hearted togetherness as Chick Corea’s Akoustic Band: Corea on piano with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl. All three were in Corea’s Elektric Band too, but the unplugged intimacy of the trio brings their music closer, revealing much fascinating detail. Corea died in February, aged 79, so this double album, from 2018, is presumably their last recording.
They’re all in terrific form here from the start, passing ideas around and apparently reading each other’s minds. It’s noticeable that, apart from Corea’s introductions, there’s very rarely an actual solo, when only one is playing. Instead, one instrument comes forward while the others put in comments and asides, often setting off a whole new chain of melodic ideas.