Three Quartets

Last updated
Three Quartets
Chick-Corea-Three-Quartets-album.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 1981
RecordedJanuary/February 1981
StudioMad Hatter Studios Los Angeles, California
Genre Post-bop, jazz
Length39:08 (original album) / 61:03 (CD reissue)
Label Stretch Records
Producer Chick Corea
Chick Corea chronology
In Concert, Zürich, October 28, 1979
(1980)
Three Quartets
(1981)
Trio Music
(1982)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Three Quartets is a studio album released in 1981 by jazz pianist Chick Corea, in collaboration with tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker, bassist Eddie Gómez and drummer Steve Gadd.

Contents

Composition

All compositions are by Corea who wanted to create an album of quartets like the many string quartets of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Impressionist periods, but with jazz instrumentation.

"Quartet No. 1" uses a 1-chord (G altered) solo vamp over a rock beat in 3/4, and a repeated theme that uses stacked fourths. The second track, "Quartet No. 2 (Part I)" is a ballad, dedicated to jazz pioneer Duke Ellington, incorporating many of the Western classical harmonies and tensions that Ellington used in much of his playing. "Quartet No. 2 (Part II)" is dedicated to jazz saxophone legend John Coltrane.

Track listing

All compositions by Chick Corea except as noted.

  1. "Quartet No. 1" – (10:16)
  2. "Quartet No. 3" – (9:41)
  3. "Quartet No. 2" - Part I (Dedicated to Duke Ellington)" – (7:09)
  4. "Quartet No. 2" - Part II (Dedicated to John Coltrane)" – (12:01)

The CD reissue contains several tracks that were recorded during the same sessions as the original album but not released at the time. These are:

  1. "Folk Song" – (5:51)
  2. "Hairy Canary" – (3:43)
  3. "Slippery When Wet" – (6:02)
  4. "Confirmation" (Charlie Parker) – (6:17)

Corea plays drums on "Confirmation" instead of Steve Gadd.

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Chart performance

YearChartPosition
1981 Billboard 200 179 [3]
1981Billboard Jazz Albums17 [3]

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References

  1. Yanow, Scott. "Chick Corea - Three Quartets (1981) album review | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  2. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide . USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp.  51. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.
  3. 1 2 "Chick Corea - Three Quartets (1981) | Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.