Jake Harper
The Vigil is an album recorded by Chick Corea and his band of the same name, released on 6 August 2013. The album peaked at number 4 in the Billboard Jazz albums charts and won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. Chick Corea is an American jazz composer, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. He is considered one of the major piano voices to emerge in jazz during the post-John Coltrane era.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the Band | Vigil |
| Name of the Album | The Vigil |
| Artist | Chick Corea |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Release Date | 6 August 2013 |
| Number of Tracks | 7-8 |
| Band Members | Tim Garland, Charles Altura, Hadrien Feraud, Marcus Gilmore |
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What You'll Learn
Chick Corea's band members
Chick Corea, born Armando Anthony Corea, was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and percussionist. He is considered one of the foremost jazz pianists of the post-John Coltrane era. Throughout his career, Corea played with many bands and musicians, both as a member and a collaborator.
In the early 1960s, Corea began his professional recording and touring career, playing with Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Blue Mitchell, Herbie Mann, and Stan Getz. In 1966, he recorded his debut album, "Tones for Joan's Bones". In 1968, Corea recorded the highly regarded trio album, "Now He Sings, Now He Sobs", with drummer Roy Haynes and bassist Miroslav Vitouš. In the same year, he also began recording and touring with Miles Davis, appearing on several of Davis' studio albums. As a member of Davis' band in the late 1960s, Corea participated in the birth of jazz fusion.
Corea formed his own band, Return to Forever, in the 1970s. He also collaborated with other musicians during this time, including his second wife, vocalist and pianist Gayle Moran, with whom he recorded multiple albums.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Corea continued to explore different musical styles and collaborate with various musicians. He signed a record deal with GRP Records in 1986, releasing ten albums between 1986 and 1994. This included seven albums with the Chick Corea Elektric Band, two with the Akoustic Band, and a solo album, "Expressions".
In 2008, Corea collaborated with Japanese pianist Hiromi Uehara on the live album "Duet". In 2015, he reprised the duet concert series with Hancock, incorporating synthesizers into their repertoire.
Corea formed a new band, Chick Corea & The Vigil, which included bassist Hadrien Feraud, drummer Marcus Gilmore, saxophonist, flautist, and bass clarinetist Tim Garland, and guitarist Charles Altura.
Throughout his career, Corea played with over 20 different groups and won numerous Grammy Awards. He was known for his musical innovations and expertise, which influenced a wide range of musicians.
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The Vigil album release date
The Vigil is an album by Chick Corea, released on 6 August 2013. It is an eight-track album that peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Jazz Albums charts. The album features a young quintet including multireedist Tim Garland, guitarist Charles Altura, bassist Hadrien Feraud, and drummer Marcus Gilmore. The album also features guest appearances by Ravi Coltrane, Stanley Clarke, and Pernell Saturnino.
The music on the album was written specifically for these musicians, particularly with regard to the rhythms, which shift often and traverse a range of styles, from bop to funk. The album opens with six clacks of Gilmore's sticks, highlighting his importance as a drummer. "Pledge for Peace," with Ravi Coltrane on tenor saxophone, pays tribute to John Coltrane's early modal explorations, while "Legacy," the album's final cut, showcases Garland's full-throated tenor and Altura's angular guitar playing.
The Vigil is Corea's first album with new material in decades and is considered some of his richest writing and arranging. It is also his most exciting music in many years, featuring virile new writing that Corea has not offered in a quarter of a century or more. The title of the album is a reference to the group of musicians he assembled for the recording, depicting a knight astride a horse, gazing at a celestial unicorn.
The album cover has been criticised for its resemblance to sci-fi novel cover art, but the music has been praised for its fusion of various styles, including fusion and bop, electric and acoustic. Corea's use of different instruments, such as the grand piano and the Yamaha Motif keyboard, adds to the diverse sound of the album. "Galaxy 32 Star 4" is a full-on prog-jazz track with pounding chords and compositional intricacies, while "Royalty" is a measured acoustic post-bop tune dedicated to Roy Haynes, Gilmore's grandfather.
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The Vigil album tracks
The Vigil is an album by Chick Corea, released on 6 August 2013. It peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Jazz Albums charts and won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
All eight tracks on the album were written by Corea himself. The album features Corea on the Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand piano and synthesizers (Yamaha Motif XF8 and Minimoog Voyager). It also features Tim Garland on the bass clarinet, flute, soprano saxophone, and tenor saxophone.
The album received positive reviews from critics. John Kelman of All About Jazz commented that "The Vigil is certainly Corea's best electric album in decades... he's not made a single recording of new material anything like The Vigil in decades". Thom Jurek from AllMusic praised the band and the writing, calling it "some of Corea's richest writing and arranging in years". John Fordham of The Guardian also complimented Corea's performance, stating that he is "on scintillating form here".
Other reviews include Steve Greenlee from JazzTimes, who stated that the album features "the most virile new writing that Corea has offered in a quarter-century (or more)", and Hernan Campbell from Sputnikmusic, who summarised that Corea is "like a mad scientist at work in this album, combining the elements that made his previous albums so enthralling... and breathes life to a new embodiment of masterful ingenuity".
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The Vigil album reviews
The Vigil is an album by Chick Corea, released on 6 August 2013. It peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Jazz Albums charts and won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
John Fordham of The Guardian praised Corea's piano playing, stating that the pianist, "sounds on scintillating form here". Thom Jurek from AllMusic commended Corea's writing and arranging, stating that the album reflects "some of Corea's richest writing and arranging in years". John Kelman of All About Jazz agreed, stating that it is Corea's "best electric album in decades". Hernan Campbell from Sputnikmusic described Corea as "a mad scientist at work in this album, combining the elements that made his previous albums so enthralling".
The Vigil is also the name of an album by the band Vigil, released in 1987. The album has been described as "a very typical, extremely 1987 New Wave album (a little bit goth, a little bit synth-pop, a little bit post-punk)". It has also been called "elegant take on goth-lite tinged post-punk".
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The Vigil album cover art
The Vigil is an album by Chick Corea, released on 1 January or 6 August 2013, that won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. The cover art depicts Corea as a knight on horseback, looking towards a unicorn, resembling the hero of a science fiction novel. This art is a nod to Corea's 1976 album with his band Return to Forever, titled Romantic Warrior. The album's title, The Vigil, refers to the vigil of jazz's elder statespersons honouring their pasts, while the music itself is about celebrating and reinventing.
The album cover for The Vigil has been described as "ridiculous" and akin to the cover art of a 1973 prog-rock album. However, critics acknowledge that the music contained within is far more exciting than the cover might suggest. The album has been praised for its dynamic rhythms, drawing from various styles such as bop and funk, and showcasing Corea's dazzling technical facility.
The Vigil serves as a testament to Corea's versatility, incorporating both electric and acoustic elements. He employs a range of instruments, including the grand piano and the Yamaha Motif keyboard, to evoke diverse sounds, including those reminiscent of the 1970s. The album also showcases Corea's talent for writing and arranging, with critics noting that it features some of his richest and most exciting work in years.
One notable track from the album is "Pledge for Peace," which pays tribute to John Coltrane and showcases Corea's affinity for Spanish music through its rumbling sheets of sound. Another standout track is "Portals to Forever," a 16-minute masterpiece with intricate rhythms, overlapping themes, and grand ambitions. This track, in particular, highlights the influence of Corea's band Return to Forever.
Overall, The Vigil album cover art, while perhaps unconventional, belies the exceptional musical content within. The album marks a progression in Corea's career, synthesising his past explorations and propelling his creative vision forward.
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Frequently asked questions
The album was released on August 6, 2013.
The band comprised drummer Marcus Gilmore, French bassist Hadrien Feraud, British multireedist Tim Garland, and guitarist Charles Altura.
Corea's band was an international electric band that was not just a fusion group. The music was written specifically for these musicians, particularly the shifting rhythms that traverse a range of styles, from bop to funk.
Some notable songs from the album include "Galaxy 32 Star 4", "Royalty", "Legacy", "Pledge for Peace", and "Portals to Forever".
Yes, 'The Vigil' peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Jazz albums charts and won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
