Chick Corea’s “Sequel” Trio Album on Concord Jazz

from the Amazon.com Web page for the recording being discussed

In September of 2014, Concord Jazz released a three-CD album entitled simply Trilogy. The title referred to a trio that pianist Chick Corea had formed with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade. This past October Concord released another two CDs as a “sequel” album entitled Trilogy 2. Each CD has six tracks and the entire collection has been taken from recordings of live performances made between 2010 and 2016.

This is definitely straight-ahead modern jazz at its finest. All three of the performers are virtuosos of improvisation; and, having listened to Corea’s solo gig at Davies Symphony Hall this past Sunday night, I was more than adequately prepped for a deep dive into all of that diversity. All of the tracks are generous in duration, meaning that each of the selections holds up to both solo invention and imaginative group accounts of the tune. It is almost impossible for me to try to play favorites, but I was particularly impressed with how the trio could capture the spirit of Thelonious Monk in “Crepuscule With Nellie” without ever thinking about imitating any of Monk’s characteristic turns of phrase. The spirit was there but embodied in the flesh of a later era and aesthetic.

Need I say more?