SATURDAY

Video 1-21
Video 1 - Intro
Mark Ruffin: Again, welcome to the Chick Corea Music Workshop and heres the man himself.
Chick Corea: I dont mean to cut you off
MR: Oh please cut me off!
CC: Oh yeah?
MR: Theyre not here to see me!
CC: Thank you, Mark. Now, do you all listen to Mark? Do you know what hes been doing for
years on Sirius Radio? Wow, this mans got a great, great program, man. Its on my horn all the
time, you know.
MR: Thank you, thank you.
CC: You have a wide - youre like me, pretty eclectic, you have a wide
MR: Oh yeah! Youve been an inspiration for that, Mr. Corea. When I was young, from be-bop,
avant garde, fusion, youve done it all! So
CC: Wide variety. Mark Ruffin. Yeah. Thank you, man.
MR: Thank you, thank you.
CC: Alright
MR: Its yours!
CC: Wow, well here we go. You know, we were just Carlitos, Richie and I.. we were just
talking - Im gonna explain now, the audience listening from out there is through here in these
cameras and then you guys are here, so Im gonna focus my attention on you all.
Welcome, good morning. We were talking, Carlitos and Richie and I, were talking, starting this
out, that one of the things I love about getting to do this, and this is the first time weve done it,
real wide and real thorough like this, is the fact that were actually broadcasting, were video

broadcasting, around the world! Were on different continents already. Right? How many
continents are we on, Dan?
Dan Muse: Were on at least four continents so far.
CC: Whats that? At least four. At least four.
DM: Yeah.
CC: And, you know, but its a clean straight line. Its just us to everybody. Theres no
middleman. Theres no commercials. Theres no anyone telling when to start or when to stop,
you know? Its really, its like what I envisioned years ago. I used to want to be, Mark, I used to
want to be a radio DJ. You got a great gig. You got a line to the public and you play and you
hear back from the public. So this is an expanded opportunity to do that. To be with you all out
there and my main intent being to hang with musicians. And to share whatever we have
together and this kind of a hookup, you know? So there you go.
Lets get started by playing something. I thought wed do that. Today were going to - just to try
to have a home base of something to relate to cause we could actually talk about anything. Im
willing to share anything, you know. Rusty, you were at the Lenox thing that we did and it went
all over the place. We covered everything but just to have like a starting point. Were going to
discuss Vigil. Actually, I had a thought last night, Vigil is my new band by the way, ladies and
gentleman, here, let me try this. Visual. You dont mind if I do this, do ya? [draws sketch]
And its, first there was an idea I had. This is like areas we can get into. It was an idea that I had
which then manifested into [draws sketch] to composing some music. Right? And then I thought,
well, gee I want to have this - the idea was to put a band together that could play my music
using these keyboards and the piano and everything I liked to do.
And then I started writing some tunes and pulling some tunes from things I had already written
that would fit into my idea. So then I started writing, but then it was like [draws sketch] then
needing a band, musicians to play with, which, in my life, has been always the most important
thing of anything.
I mean, more important than any of this is the band. This is the living, this is the groove, this is,
without the musicians playing with me, us playing together, nothing happens. You can have as
many great ideas as you want, you know.
So then I went about finding musicians for the band. So when you talk about that, idea,
composing, band, then what we did is we went pretty straight into the recording. You werent
there at the recording, Carlitos, but, Carlitos came later into Vigil. But then we did the record.
Which, I think, I dont know, Mark, did you show the record?
MR: Yes!

CC: You know, one cool thing about the recording? Oh, do I got one here? Oh wait! Ive got one
here. One cool thing about the recording is that its vinyl. Vinyl. Check it out.
Audience: Wow!
CC: Like yours, Elio.
Elio Villafranca: Yeah, yeah.
CC: Yeah, yeah, its vinyl. So, that was another in-house thing that we did. We did the recording
and then the whole idea was to go out and play this music and thats what we did for a whole
year so [writes on chalkboard]. Tour. So thats what were going to be talking about today. Or,
anything else, but thats the starting point. Theres enough in there to talk about for years but,
lets play something. Lets see thats nice.
[start playing together]
CC: Alright.
[begin song]
CC: Alright. Okay. You know, we were fooling around with that before, so, its got nothing to do
with Vigil, or maybe it does, we can put that in the book, right? So what I need to get started,
because I discovered when I did a workshop, that Rusty was at, last, two years ago actually by
now, but I said I was going to do more and were doing more now.
What I discovered then was, to talk about music, you know, like theory, there were some
questions about theory yesterday. Talk about music and try to describe it and try to see how it
works nothing wrong with all of that, we do that as musicians all the time, but really what gets
real is when you show what you mean. Like, if youre trying to tell a friend or another musician
what a piece of music is like, I wrote this piece of music and it kind of, it goes like this and its
got these parts and I wrote it because this and its supposed to create that effect, and so forth
and so on, you can do that.
Its fun in conversation, but if you really want to get the idea across, you sit down and play the
tune. You see, thats what it is. So thats what I want this workshop to be, is just demonstrating
the idea. You say the idea for ten seconds and demonstrate it for much longer. So Im going to
rely on you all out there, and you all in here, to tell me whats on your mind about this kind of
thing were talking about. Were talking about putting a band together, I dont know how many of
you are familiar with the actual recording, Vigil.
Elio Villafranca: I have a question for you.

CC: Okay, we got our first question! This is Elio, my friend.

EV: How you doing?
CC: Yeah, thank you.
EV: Nice to meet you. Okay. My idea was, when I first heard you were doing Vigil, your new
group, whats the difference between this particular project and the project before this one.
Because when I see the configuration, you basically still have the basic configuration for your,
some of the previous work you had and then whats the difference between this particular
project, musically, in relation to your other ones?
CC: Oh yeah, well, you see, once again its hard to put that into words. One thing I can say is
that through the years, these have developed into being my instruments. Especially this one.
The piano to start out with. Then later on, the Fender Rhodes came into my life and 70 1969
or so forth, in Miles Daviss band. And then I had Fender Rhodes in all my projects in the 70s,
80s and 90s and then at one point in, this is just a little aside but Im getting around to it, but at
one point the Rhodes, the physical Rhodes became a little too cumbersome to carry around on
tour, so we sampled it.
I think you all know what sample means, it means we recorded my beautiful Rhodes and we put
it into a format that could be played on this Yamaha instrument [plays a little]. Thats my
Rhodes. So I stuffed it in here. Its digital now. It never goes out of tune, except when this fella
goes out of tune, which is not very often, and then the Minimoog Ive had since the early 70s.
[plays instrument]
So anyway, these became my instruments and then the difference between Vigil actually is not,
and you know, one way to answer what you asked is that theres no difference in my mind
between my former projects and Vigil in the sense that since 1971, when I first put Return To
Forever together, Ive always liked the game of that. To get an idea, compose the music, put a
band together, record and tour. And its always more, feels more solid, more family-like and
more enjoyable to try and have the same group over a longer period of time. But that depends
on a lot of other factors.
We can talk about that, thats interesting, thats a human thing. But in that sense, thats been my
format. And you know what, now that I think of it, thats been the format for many of my heroes.
Thelonious Monk, thats his format. Horace Silver, that was his format. In a greater sense, Duke
Ellington, that was his format. Which is, its a pretty natural format, actually, its nothing unusual.
But now the difference is just in time, I mean, as the new compositions I could go on and on
about that because I just thought of another thing which is that, time, in composition and ideas,
time doesnt make a lot of sense to me. I took some older things that were doing for the Vigil, I
wrote, Galaxy, one of the songs for Vigil, I wrote back in the 80s but it worked for Vigil because
I had never performed it with another band, so

EV: Yeah I know, thats very interesting, and actually what I found also very interesting is that
the fact that even your old compositions that you use in this band, and theres no difference
between the oldest compositions that you use in this band or previous compositions that you
had already composed and the newest one, it feels like a continuation from one to another
which actually comes to the questions of style, or style and approach in terms of writing music
and approaching music in general.
CC: Yeah, yeah. You know, I think an answer to all of that is to take it, to take the moment.
Rather than my suggestion, my successful thing that I do. This is not what everyone should do,
Im saying, but what Ive always done is I just take the moment, like we just did, and we didnt
rehearse that intro! Whatever we played. You just take the moment and you create something
and not think about if its new or - itll be new for the people who have never heard it and itll be
old if, I dont know, if somebody thought they heard it before, I guess.

Video 2 - Sequencing Demos

Mark Ruffin: I have another question from
Chick Corea: Ah, a question. Come on in.
MR: Theyre coming in from all over. People from Canary Islands, Tokyo, Atlanta, New Zealand,
Cologne, Brazil and Argentina.
CC: Yeah.
MR: Okay. Heres a question, this viewer said he heard in an interview that Chick sent
sequenced demos of the songs to musicians. It would be nice if you could show one of those
demos. First, is that true? That you send sequenced songs to musicians?
CC: Yea, you know, for the past year since I got my hands on Logic, the sequencer Ive, Ive
demoed out things for myself and then I think well maybe its a good idea to give the musicians
a basic idea of what I have. So I have made demos.

MR: Did you do that for the Vigil?

CC: I did it for the Vigil. I dont know, can we play that?
Bernie Kirsh: Yeah, which thing do you want to play?
CC: I dont know
MR: They just want you to play a demo.
CC: Play a little bit of the first, the first tune. Play a little bit of, do you have, Galaxy there?
BK: Yeah, its on the fader. On your mixer on the fader
CC: Its where? Its on my mixer? Oh, okay. Its up. [song plays] Oh wait. Oh, start it again. The
mute button was on. Shut it off and start it again, Bernie. Okay, here we go. Heres Galaxy the
original demo. [starts over] You never heard this. The, keep it going. The, rhythm track is just a
total loop. It never stops. I didnt change anything, just its like a click. Yeah. Thats one of them.
[music stops] Theres play a little bit of one other one. Play, Portals. Portals to Forever.
[song plays]
So that was like the demo and then you know we played on top of it and then I turned the demo
off. There was two other demos.

MR: And to follow up, another viewer asked do you make the sequence recordings yourself and
what software do you use?
CC: Oh, yeah, I make it myself. Its a lot of fun. I, a lot of fun, especially doing percussion stuff
but I use Logic. Ive used Logic since it first came out. In fact, we use Logic for, Bernie and I,
use Logic to record the recordings as well.
MR: Wow.
CC: Yea. We dont use ProTools, we use ProTools sometimes to, did we use ProTools on the
project, Bernie?
Bernie: No, not on the Vigil project.
CC: We didnt use ProTools on the Vigil project, just Logic.
MR: I prefer Logic too, man. Its a wonderful program.
CC: Yea. Its very flexible.
MR: Absolutely.

Video 3 - Preparing Improvisation

MR: Number of folks wanted to know about your practice routines.
CC: Oh yeah, pick one out.
MR: Do you have advice on
CC: Okay, this is Denvers.
MR: Yeah, Jerry from Denver.
CC: Jerry from Denver!
MR: Yeah.
CC: Hey Jerry. Okay, Jerry says do you have advice on how to practice getting a new melodic,
or harmonic idea incorporated into your improvised playing? Lets see, how to practice getting a
new melodic or harmonic idea wow. Thats interesting, into my improvised playing. Well you
know, gee, I hate to get overly simplistic about it but I mean a new idea is just a new idea. You
have to be adventurous just to let it come out. Like if we were playing Ill give you an example.
Lets play that vamp again. [begins playing]
So that last little abrasive thing that I played it was a new idea. I made it abrasive just to really
punch up the fact that it - I never played that, did you ever hear me play that before?
[audience laughs]
So, thats rain isnt it? Its really pouring here in Florida.
MR: Theres another..
CC: Okay so, let me just, let me just say one other thing about that just that I suggest to take the
courage to just put out an idea. Like you gotta get your imagination kind of greased up, like
generated. You got to get it going by.
You know whats a great example? I wish I had a little baby two-month old or five-month old or
six-month old, you sit, get a little tot, theyre so great you sit em on your lap and put them in
front of a piano and see what happens. And thats an example of being unafraid to generate
new ideas. Its like theyre generating new ideas all the time, you see? So thats my advice,
Jerry. Just go ahead and try stuff and then whatever appeals to you, there it is. You can use it.
MR: Diane from Toronto wants to know, do you practice your solos before you go into the studio
and how do you warm up?

CC: Oh, practice my solos before I go into the studio and how do I warm up? No, I dont practice
my solos before I go into the studio, but what I do do is I get familiar with the form, I get familiar
with the form and I practice it that way. But if youre going to improvise, you want to improvise
and make it spontaneous.
Well, lets demonstrate that. Lets play Royalty. Royalty is one of the pieces from the
recording. Its a waltz. Lets see. Ill show you the first part of the music. Royalty... Royalty is
dedicated to the great Roy Haynes. As a matter of fact, lets show them, Richie. Nows the
moment. This is a digression everybody.
RB: Its an important digression.
CC: Really cool one. Richies gonna show you I brought this cymbal in. This is a precious
cymbal, speaking of Roy Haynes the piece is called Royalty. You got that, Taylor? Or
someone? And you know it says dedicated to Roy Haynes and in 1967 I worked with the Stan
Getz quartet with Roy Haynes, Steve Swallow, and Stan Getz and the Paiste, the Paiste,
Paiste, I guess they say, its a Swiss Cymbal company, was the first company to make whats
called a flat ride, right. Let me have one of your sticks, Richie. [begins playing cymbals]
Great cymbals! Thanks, Carlitos, you see, Roy assigned it to me when he was over at the
house in 1998. Anyway, I just thought Id show you that. This cymbal was on, just to get a little
nostalgic for a minute, on Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, my trio record. It was also on the first
Return to Forever record, called Return to Forever. It was also on a lot of records after
that, I kept bringing it in to my drummers and I gave it to Richie to play, too.
RB: I should say how amazing it was when I was at your house for the first time and I was on
my way to leave after a few days and I just glanced into the corner on the other side of the room
and I just saw this cymbal lying in the corner and my immediate instinct was Thats the cymbal
from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs.
CC: Oh, yeah?
RB: I had no idea if you had it or if it still existed. I just saw it and I was like Thats the cymbal.
CC: Oh yeah. You seemed to like it right away when you were playing.
RB: Loved this one.
CC: Okay, what were we talking about. Oh, Royalty! We were gonna, whats the persons
name, Mark?
MR: Diane. From Toronto.

CC: Diane from Toronto, I havent forgotten about you. We just took a little side schtick were
going to play this tune, Royalty and were talking about practicing an improvisation. You dont
practice, I dont practice an improvisation, but I do practice a form. So lets first play the form,
maybe if I put it up here so that you can, the camera can get a view of it. Maybe you read
music and you can see this is the form, shows you the form of the tune. There it is. Okay just
the first part, you see. And well do it rubato. [demonstration]
So thats the whole tune once through, see, and thats the form. So its got a couple little
sections to it. So what I would do is, oops, there it is. Yeah. From here to here, so what I would
do is, sometimes is just look over the melody. [plays a little bit] Just get used to the sounds, the
harmonic sounds. [keeps playing] Right? So, and then, start to try to - first thing I do when trying
to build an improvisation is try to find something that logically comes from the melody itself
rather than go [plays on piano] You know? Rather than do that [laughs], do something you
know, lets play it in time and Im gonna try to play the melody, but improvise with the melody a
little bit. The first gradient of improvising is, that I like, is to stick close to the melody. 1, 2, 3. 1,
2, 3. [begins playing] Thats the melody. [continues playing]
So thats one variation is pretty close to the melody, I changed a few notes lets do one more
variation, a third time through. This is Richies first time playing this song. Thank you, Richie.
Alright, 1,2,3. 1,2,3 [plays music]
Okay, so thats an idea of how to kind of work on an improvisation. Of course I knew the form
pretty good already but I hope thats helpful.

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Video 4 - Genre-hopping
MR: Before we get a question from the audience, this is a great question from Spain. How do
you approach flamenco to jazz with musicians that are not familiar with the genre. For example
on the recording of The Ultimate Adventure? Thats a great question.
CC: Alright now, this is from
MR: Spain?
CC: Yeah, Spain, but how do you pronounce the name of that city?
Carlitos Del Puerto: well-va (Huelva)
CC: Huelva. Cause its kind of
CDP: well-va
CC: Huelva.
MR: You see how I avoided that?
CC: Yeah, yeah, we went to Carlitos. Huelva, Spain. Okay. How do you approach flamenco to
jazz with musicians that are not familiar with the genre, for example on the recording of The
Ultimate Adventure? Well there are several, now let me hold on a minute for a second, cause
there are several things to cover here to answer your question from Espaa.
First of all when you say flamenco to jazz, its kind of vague in my mind. Flamenco to jazz, I
mean, I know what you mean by flamenco music, the great Paco De Lucia, who were all
sending love to these days, to jazz, Thelonious Monk lets say. See, I need a specific to
understand a genre. So thats, thats one thing going from flamenco to jazz and then you say
with musicians that are not familiar with the genre meaning the genre of jazz or flamenco.
Well, thats real clearly simple, which is, if you want to get familiar with something, anything, a
genre, or a, like if you wanted to get familiar with Paco De Lucias music, or the kind of flamenco
music that he has created, you would go listen to a lot of his music, watch a lot of his videos.
Unfortunately you cant see Paco play anymore but you can go see musicians whove played
with him play and even better than that, go play with them. You see. Go live with them, go to
dinner with them, hang out. Talk about it. Thats how you get familiar with a genre, or with
anything, you see. So and actually thats I mean yeah, same thing with jazz. See, jazz is a
big, wide term, right? So, if you want to get familiar with Carlitoss music, you have a trio, right?
CDP: Right.

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CC: Did you make a recording yet?

CDP: No, Im doing it right now.
CC: Youre doing a recording?
CDP: Yeah.
CC: So if you wanted to get familiar with the way Carlitos plays or his trio go hang with him!
CDP: For example, I can say a little bit about that since Im from Cuba and you know my natural
tendency is to play Cuban music, but I came to America and I had to learn jazz. So the way, and
I think what Im trying to answer his question is that you got to get familiar with any style that you
encounter, if its jazz or flamenco, or cuban music or african music or rock n roll. Whatever has
that DNA that you gotta get and I mean you dont have to be a complete expert on the matter.
You just get a few of the words that let you speak that language and then
CC: How did you do it though?
CDP: Well, by listening to records and stuff.
CC: Like what records? Im getting specific here.
CDP: Like lets say from jazz, let me see John Coltrane, you know, Thelonious Monk, all
those guys and then, in my case, I went to the bass players.
CC: Can I question you a little bit more?
CDP: Of course.
CC: So when you listened to the records, did you do anything other than listen to them?
CDP: No, I transcribed the lines.
CC: Ah! Whoa, see now thats an important thing because youre talking about really tangling
with the music then. You transcribed the lines, what do you mean?
CDP: That took, and I actually took a lot of, Im going to talk specifically about bass players
which is what I was working on. I love the playing of Garrison of course. I love my favorite
bass player is Ray Brown, so I took a lot of [plays bass], you know? Like his way of approaching
the instrument and that. So I just took a little bit of that but of course cause Im Cuban Im still
going to have a little bit of an accent when Im playing American music. But I guess, but you
know I cant get rid of what I am, you know, I speak like this.

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CC: Yeah, no and its no problem. But heres another question just to give the idea of when
youre talking about immersing yourself in a style. Just off the top your head, give me a number
of, like, when did you start listening to jazz?
CDP: Since Elio and I were in school. That was what, 90s? Early 90s.
CC: In the 90s, okay, so how many hours in total did you spend?
CDP: Thats what we lived, in fact, in Cuba we never practiced Cuban music. It was all
American jazz.
CC: Okay, so you cant even count the hours, its that much. So thats how Carlitos immersed
himself in jazz. What about you, Richie? You come from the other side of things. What did you
first start in?
Richie Barshay: Well, as a drummer, Ive always sort of had access points to all these different
cultural styles of music, so even though I started out playing jazz, like in the schools and the
town where I grew up, in Hartford, Connecticut, you know, Afro-Caribbean music was really
early on, listening to Eddie Palmieri, Irakere.. Listening to drummers like Changuito. And then
really early on, Brazilian music was a big influence for me.
CC: Yeah. So now let me stop you there. When you pick out a specific like, what did you do
when you listened to those records? Did you do anything or did you just listen?
RB: No I did something. Well, its always been interesting to me hearing the different voices in a
percussion section, which is kind of what I make up when I play the drum kit. So I would listen to
a recording, I would pick out different parts and tap them, you know, tap on my leg or
something. And often I would transcribe the parts and some of the students that I give lessons
to, we try to do the same thing. We transcribe and we write out like a sort of a stacked list of the
different instruments in there
CC: And then after you write it out, what do you do with it?
RB: You know, sometimes Ill play it Ill play exactly what I hear.
CC: Do you have an idea?
RB: So Ill hear the clave and then Ill hear one of the drums. [playing] the other drum. The
shaker egg..
CC: Keep going man! [keeps playing]
CDP: So for example, we can say hes not Cuban. Well hes playing that music as if he was a
Cuban. So, I mean, it doesnt really - he knows it.

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RB: Its about absorbing styles.

CC: So I mean, that you can see theres one other part to the question though, Mark. You can
see from both Richies perspective and Carlitos, also myself, I mean, thats how I got familiar
with flamenco music is I ran into Paco De Lucia in 1972 and then I started listening and
studying, I played with Paco, I asked him questions, we worked, I wrote tunes, I played with
other flamenco musicians, I had a band, which you mentioned here, Ultimate Adventure was
recorded with most of my band from what was called Touchstone.
The band was called Touchstone and in that band was Jorge Pardo, who is the flutist who
played for twenty years or more with Paco. And Carles Benavent, the bassist who played for
also twenty years with Paco. So they were in my band. And also Rubem Dantas, who was the
first percussionist that brought, according to Rubem, hes the first guy that brought the cajon into
flamenco music.
So, I immersed myself in it and thats, you can do that on a gradient from listening to being with
the musician. Theres one other point I want to cover which is, you said, for example of Ultimate
Adventure. Well there were musicians of all different styles, Jorge, the flutist was there, Carles,
the flamenco bassist was there, but also Steve Gadd played on that recording. Also, Hubert
Laws played on that recording, whos known as a classical and jazz, great jazz flutist. Airto was
on that recording hes a Brazilian, so there, it was every one of those musicians did a similar
kind of assimilation of all the styles that Richie and Carlitos just talked about. So theres a real
complete answer to your question, man, from Spain.
MR: Okay, we have this diverse audience here, anybody with a question?

Elio Villafranca: I wanted to say something about that. Is it fair to say that then the composition
when you have a group of musicians who have complete different background is it fair to say
the composition informs the style that youre trying to play, in other word, you know sometimes I
play with musicians who are not necessarily Cuban musicians and yet you know you can write
the music in a way that they understand what is exactly to, what is needed to get the feel of the
music that you are trying to play.
CC: Yeah. Yeah, yeah yeah. Absolutely. Take for example, I mean, you can, as a composer,
lets take the composing part, as a composer, theres a step where you write it down or you
envision the piece, like for instance, last night an interesting detail, as I found out that Michael
Jackson used to make demos of the pieces that he wrote and he knew everything about the
piece and he wrote every aspect of the piece but he didnt write it down on paper, he put it down
on a sequencer. But I heard one of the sequences that he did for Beat It. Ill send you the link.
It was very, very interesting because he had envisioned everything. But heres the point, going
back to your question, which is that when you compose something then you give it to a musician
to play now theres a whole other major factor there, which is how how that musician is going to

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respond to the written notes, and do you want him to play exactly what you wrote down or do
you want him to embellish it? Do you want him to make jazz out of it? Do you want him to do
something with it, you see? And that enters into a whole other aspect.
Carlitos, working with Carlitos and Richie, I could say for both of you, if you dont mind me
saying, both are the kind of musicians that I can ask them as a composer I can say, would you
please play these notes for me? And they both know the score paper or know written notation
enough and duplicate my idea enough to play something exactly what I asked. Oh yeah, theyll
try that, you see. But also theyre both incredibly creative and all you have to do is suggest that
to play it your own way and then were off into creativity you know, so, those are the two aspects
of it. The composer can write everything down, but then you have to give it to somebody, a
musician, to see what he does with it cause its essentially a group activity.

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Video 5 - Re-Harmonizing
MR: I got a question from Josh, in Orlando.
CC: Okay.
MR: Do you have any tips for trying out new harmonic approaches when youre re-harmonizing
a tune, whether its your own or someone else.
CC: Huh. Re-harmonizing. Okay. Josh, from Orlando. Okay, Josh. Trying out new harmonic
approaches when youre re-harmonizing a tune. Whether your own or someone elses. Okay
lets get into that. [laughs] Lets see, lets pick a tune. Oh I know what. I made a list of possible
tunes to play. Lets pull out Bemsha Swing. This is, I dont have it, I think I know what the tune
is. Bemsha Swing Its a Monk tune and the reason why I am choosing this one is because its
pretty, its a pretty simple melody, and its a repetitive melody, I dont think I have a copy of it
here. Let me just see real quickly, so that you can look at it. No, its okay, but Carlitos has a
copy. Do you have two copies?
CDP: Well, I wont need it.
CC: Well there are hits for you to look at.
CDP: Oh, okay, Ill need it.
CC: No, no, you ought to hold on, but let me just show the camera though. See, its a simple
tune. Is that a good place to show it? You got that, Taylor? Yeah, you got it? So its a, we call it,
its kind of A-A-B-A. It goes 1-2-3-4 bars, then it repeats the four bars and then it goes to a
different key with the same melody and then it comes back. so its like A, we call the first four
bars, A again we call the second four bars, and then B is different like a bridge, we call the next
four bars, and then the last four bars we call A again, cause its like the first, its a very standard
song form.
But, for re-harmonizing, Monks melody goes like this. [plays] Just the melody itself goes, let me
play just the melody alone. [plays] Yeah. Thats the melody you see, its A-A-B-A. So now I think
Monks original harmonies for this was [plays] something like that. [plays again] But I reharmonized it because I found a little rhythmic lick, that one I got written down, Carlitos? [plays]
Whats that last one?
CDP: I got a D.
CC: [plays] Oh right, right, right, right. Sorry. I was playing something different. So, I reharmonized it with those harmonies. So lets play a couple of choruses like that, and then lets
play one chorus like that and then the next chorus Im gonna start re-harmonizing and you
can

16

CDP: Should I stay on the same pattern?

CC: Up to you, my dear. Okay. 1-2-1-2-3. [begin playing] So, we, I guess we took it out. We
started with Monks basic tune, you oughta, maybe out of curiosity, go to iTunes and find out
Bemsha Swing by Thelonious Monk and listen to the original and then check out what we just
did there.
RB: What was the original recording of that?
CC: I think it was a very early recording by Monk. With a trio, I think. I think there are several
recordings of Bemsha Swing

MR: I think it was the Blue Note so like 52, 53, The Genius of Modern Jazz, I think.
CC: The Genius of Modern Jazz. Thats right! Oh Mark, really good, now whos on that? Art
Blakey?
MR: I was going to say Art Taylor.
CC: Art Taylor, maybe. Okay well, good. Were in that area.
MR: Yeah, were getting close.

17

Video 6 - Composing Creativity

CC: You got another one?
MR: Yes, from New York City.
CC: By the way, if you guys you know, want to, have something, have a question Rusty, you
got a question?
Rusty Evans: You played different, two examples, you played differently when you played with
John Mayer then you did when you were doing Royalty and yet it was still you. When youre
doing a recording, especially like when you Bud Powell or when youre doing a Monk, whats the
balance between keeping it somewhat authentic to the composer, say Monk, but then also
having your spirit, your flavor, your tone, when is it too much of one or the other or
CC: Well I dont know, I mean, well let me survey you, was that too much of one or the other just
then, for your taste?
RE: Oh, no! I thought
CC: [laughs] The reason why I said that is because tastes are very individual.
RE: Yeah, but, like twenty years ago if you did a Monk tune I noticed that you would do more, I
dont want to say Monk cliches, but Monk-isms.
CC: Oh oh yeah. I can do that.
RE: Trying to get the sound like with a Miroslav and Roy and the trios and stuff like that
whereas this, I didnt hear that as much so what
CC: Yeah, I dont know. First of all, one thing I thought of when you asked that is that I find that
its really difficult to think about myself. I mean not difficult. I mean its hard to do it and I mean
its hard for me to evaulate am I me? Is this me? I think the only way I can ever kind of work that
out for myself is if I feel comfortable. If I feel happy doing what Im doing. If Im having some fun,
I guess thats me. Id prefer to have some fun then not. You know what I mean?
So then it becomes a game of what thing to put it into, like that rhythmic lick is something that
Monk might have played one time. I dont think he would have played a vamp continually like
that, so it was kind of a reorganization of it.
RE: But is it a matter of intention then? Like, if you were intending to say, do a Monk piece that
was not very well known to do it with more Monk and less Chick, do you know what I mean or
do you not really think about that?

18

CC: Yeah, I think I know what you mean but I again I think, I think its real subjective. Like, with
you guys here, right here in this studio audience, from one to the other, what you each would
consider a Monkish thing would be completely different, I bet. Do you know what I mean? And
then when Im doing something, I dont think about well, now I sound like Monk, now I sound like
Red Garland although Joe yeah, A little Art Tatum over here.
RE: When youre doing practicing for Royalty you try to get, I dont know if tone is the right
word for it or flavor to get yourself comfortable with the community of that song, you know what I
mean? So it feels loose when youre actually playing it.
CC: I know what youre getting at. Oh Im sorry. I mean I think, what I think youre getting at is
what I said when a musician, as an artist, youre always looking for something.. you know when
youve hit something that you like. Right? I mean, its the magic of life, you goin like this and
then go, Oh that doesnt sound good but hmm, yeah, that, ah, hmm and you hit something you
like. Thats it. Thats the whole of it. and you have to allow yourself a certain amount of freedom
and a certain amount of beingness and validation to yourself to allow yourself to have your taste
and not worry about it, you know? Like am I being too Monk-ish? Or am I being too much
myself? Whatever that would be Am I playing the piano too much like Carlitos plays the bass?
Or something
RE: So its more like the spirit of play?
CC: Yeah, its more just finding out that point where youre flowing with what your imagination is
enjoying to do and put out.
RE: Thank you.
CC: Yeah, Rusty.
MR: Got kind of a related question, from Toronto. When composing do you keep your audience
in mind and adjust for the complexity of the music accordingly?
CC: From Toronto? Okay. Theyve all got Dans face on them but thats not Dan. Thats like an
iPad thing right? Dan is everywhere. From Toronto, when composing do you keep your
audience in mind and adjust for the complexity of the music accordingly? You know, thats a
really good question. I dont have the answer to that. [laughter]
Thats a really good question because thats something that I believe that every artist and every
musician wrestles with or thinks about in one way or the other or any person that creates
anything thinks about. Its a really great subject. I mean that could be a whole book. Which is
the fact of when you create something, like you have radio show. Were all composers, we write
music, we play music, musicians, youre going for what you love, but, if you find what you love,
are you going to be happy being in a room all by yourself, playing what you love to yourself for

19

the rest of your life? I mean, youre a public guy, youve got a radio show. Were out in front of
audiences all the time how much do we care about that? You see.
Now a lot of times I have found, the reason why I say I dont know the answer to that is because
its a constantly changing atmosphere and challenge, but I do know the concept that, for me,
works. Which is, that, you cant compartment it into what I like, period. Or what the audience
likes, period. Either one of those things doesnt work. And the reason is, to me, is because life is
lived as a communal thing. We live life with beings around us, and people. And thats what life
is, people, when you think about it, so to me the act of performance would be a happy result
between the two. I dont want to be unhappy. I dont want to play stuff Im not happy playing, you
see, but I also dont like the idea of creating an effect on others that they go like that or makes
them sick or that they just dont like, you see?
MR: So when youre composing, do you think of that? I think thats kind of the heart of the
question.
CC: Yes, I do think of that. I try to envision what, like if Im going out on tour. Like I have a
whole, after this webcast tonight and today and tomorrow, the next day I pack and April 1st, Im
out for six months and so Im going to be in front of audiences everywhere in the world. So Im
preparing at home, Im preparing my program. The various programs, I have five different
programs coming up actually.
I think about it, like solo, you mentioned Im going to play solo for a couple months so I have an
idea of people that are going to come by to hear a solo piano. What am I going to give to them?
And how will that be? You see, so I do think about it but Ive got to find that balance where
everybody is happy. My best result at the end of a show is when Im blown out, smiling as well
as the band, the band is next, the audience is next, and then the crew and everybody whos
doing the management, everybodys smiling. Thats what I like.
CDP: Theres a crowd favorite though Spain. Everytime we play Spain, its a hit.
CC: So we play it sometimes! We try to play it newly every time, but yeah. Then we do other
stuff that taxes the audiences attention. How about Marcuss drum solos? Or some of your
solos?
MR: Im going to leave that one alone
CC: No, I mean, Carlitos gets out there.

20

Video 7 - Venue Preference

MR: Heres an easy one, I think, Chick.
CC: An easy one?
MR: I think. What is your favorite venue to perform live in, why? Is it acoustic or fan
engagement?
CC: Oh, okay. My favorite venue. You know I like a variety of venues. I like to play to a lot of
different people. I like people to be available to come to the show so whatever city or community
Im in has its venues and whatever the comfortable venue is, of course, thats it. As far as
personal comfort, I think, I dont know, I like clubs. I dont know about you guys
CDP: Youre closer to the people
CC: Yeah, I really like clubs because its intimate, and I dont know, thats why Im liking what
were doing here with this webcast. Its cause its kind of, even though were talking all over the
world, its kind of intimate, you know?
MR: Okay, but the gig in New York is at Town Hall! People arent close as in the club. I mean do
you
CC: Yeah, thats right so its a different environment. So then when Im in a concert hall like
Town Hall or some of these beautiful halls around Europe or anywhere around the United
States, Carnegie Hall or whatever.. I think, for me anyway, and most jazz musicians we - wow!we try to make the environment comfortable and try to turn it into a club, somehow. I did a gig
with Bobby McFerrin recently, we played a beautiful little concert hall and what we did was,
Bobby likes to have the audience be nice and relaxed and loose too, so what we did is sat out in
the audience before the show and talked to people as they came in, just to try and relax it a little
bit, yknow?
MR: Wow!
CC: Wow! It is pouring out! Come on, come on
MR: Cosmic Ra- After The Cosmic Rain!
CC: Thats Stanleys tune.

21

Video 8 - Advanced Composition

MR: You know, at first I thought this question was hard, but then another question came, so its
kind of two questions here. First, is from Fernando from your Lenox workshop. And he wanted
to know, I thought this question was hard, How do you - lost it - think about different parts of
long-form compositions? Okay, but then this question is really good.
CC: Thats Fernando? Okay Fernando, I got that.
MR: And then Adam in London.
CC: Adam in London. Okay.
MR: Could you talk about how you came up with La Fiesta? Im really interested especially in
the waltz-like B section. Its really close to his heart.
CC: Oh okay. Alright. Okay, yeah, thanks Adam and thanks Fernando. I remember Fernando.
How you doing, man? So, what are we talking about?
MR: Long-form compositions.
CC: Long-form composition. You know, when I, one of my inroads Hows the audio doing,
Bernie? With the rain?
Bernie: Yeah, were okay. Its noisy, but were okay.
CC: Yeah, its kind of noisy? Isnt it? Wow! Im gonna keep going. So I remember that one of the
inspirations for long-form compositions, which is like more than just one melody, like other
things that occur after the one thing, then another thing happens, then another thing happens,
was listening to Bela Bartoks composition, Concerto for Orchestra. Concerto for Orchestra
is one of my favorite orchestral pieces and its a gorgeous piece of music and I started to notice
that the way, I never knew Bela Bartok, I think he passed away in the 40s, although we were.
I was born in 41 so we were around the same time in New York, but I think the way he
composed was kind of like an improvisation, hed write some part - listen to his string quartets,
really shows this- and hed write some part and then hed move on to another part and then hed
move on to another part and not particularly feel the necessity to return to a theme to make it
sound balanced or whatever. And somehow would always have a balance but it would have this
flavor of just continuing, just like an improvisation but written out and that really spurred my
imagination. I thought, you know, thats something seems natural to me. So I started writing
songs, writing suites and pieces like that.
MR: So, is this early in your career?

22

CC: This is, yeah, this is way Bartoks music came into my life when I was in high school. Way
back then. In fact Bartok, Bela Bartok and Igor Stravinsky were the two classical composers that
caught my attention cause when I was in high school I would listen to Bach, and I would listen
to Mozart and Beethoven, the classical, who were considered the classical composers but they
didnt reach me at that time. They do now, I must say, but at that time my ears were open for
Bartok and Stravinsky and Alban Berg, and some other more modern composers so that
opened me up to suites. Now the other part of the second
MR: Yep, about La Fiesta
CC: La Fiesta theres sort of a story goes with that, do you know La Fiesta?
CDP: I could know it..
CC: I think Ive got the I think yeah, I think so. I think La Fiesta is in there, isnt it? Maybe
not. I can show you the bridge the bridge is kind of. The bridge has a bunch of changes...
CDP: Hold on, I can find it.
CC: Yea? You can find it on your iPhone?
MR: Modern technology!
CC: Okay well, you know, the first part of La Fiesta is a vamp, of course.
[plays songs]
CC: Now it goes to the bridge. So, now, theres a story about the bridge, the bridge is like [plays]
no, wait a minute, let me do that again [keeps playing] thats right. [keeps playing]
Yeah, so, now but he asked about the composing of it and actually, this melody here, is a little,
is a total rip-off [plays on piano] especially that part, especially this part [plays] that much, that
much actually. This [plays] is different than where I ripped it off from. But is anybody out there,
can anybody else get, well here, let me put it in another key. [plays] What is it? Its [plays]
[audience guessing]
CC: Thats Trane!
EV: Coltrane, right? His solo.
CC: Yeah, thats John Coltrane.
EV: Thats right.

23

CC: John Coltranes a, theres this incredibly beautiful, classic recording of Miles Davis doing
Someday My Prince Will Come. And the story is that Trane visited the studio, he wasnt in the
band at the time, John Coltrane, and that Miles invited him to come out and play a solo, cause
Hank Mobley was in the band at the time and Miles invited him to come and play a solo. And he
played this incredibly classic solo that the opening line of which was [plays part of Someday My
Prince Will Come] and thats not it exactly, its much more beautiful than that.
EV: Thats on the recordings.. Thats on the recordings, too. On the Columbia..
CC: Yeah, that was recorded in New York. So I converted it to [plays]
CC: Yeah, yeah. [audience claps] Yeah, yeah.
MR: Lets give, lets take Bon jia from someone, from Brazil, that wants to ask about
composing. Ive analyzed some of your songs but some of them I didnt find no harmonic
relationship and scales, etc. but it ends perfectly. How do you compose songs that way?
CC: Okay, let me read that again, this is from Brazil? Brazil. Chick, about composing, I analyzed
some of your songs but some of them I didnt find no harmonic relationship in scales. I think I
know what you mean by that etc. but it ends perfect. How do you compose songs that way?
Well, its a way to let go of some kind of box you might have put yourself in. Because, let me
demonstrate, let me see. Well let me just demonstrate. Like if you were, oh lets stay with this.
[plays Someday My Prince Will Come] if you play that first chord and that would be like a scale
that would go with that A major chord. But, for instance, its all a matter of what sounds good to
your ear like [plays something] that would be notes kind of in the scale [keeps playing] but what
if I did this [plays more].
I could get used to that, thats kind of nice. Thats not in the scale. Actually, theres only two
notes that arent in the scale [plays] that one and that one. These two are in the scale. Alright.
Another way to think about any scales that you want is to find a resolution point. Like, if this
remains a resolution point, you can do anything you want. [plays more] Right? Or [plays some
more] or a [plays more] Heres the scale [plays scale] thats the scale. Thats the scale, okay.
Now Im going to do some other scales. [keeps playing] See if we can resolve it again. Now do
that same thing [keeps playing]. Do another one. [more playing]
[finish playing]
CC: So, I hope that gives you some kind of an idea of scales. Like, its whatever sounds good to
your ear, actually and that can free you up. What, you know, I have a, you know, nevermind, Ill
do that later

24

MR: Rusty had a very interesting comment, please, please share.

RE: Well it was just a quote. I think I sent it to you, its actually from the Dalai Lama of all
people, it says Know the rules well so you can break them effectively.
CC: Know the rules well?
RE: Know the rules well so you can break them effectively.
CC: Oh, were philosophical, yes! Okay so, know the rules well so you can break them
effectively. Alright, thank you.
MR: Thats works.

25

Video 9 - Rhythmic Displacement

EV: Chick, let me ask you a question. Could you demonstrate how would you approach, like,
displacement? Melodic and rhythmic displacement. Rhythmic displacement. You know like how
sometimes the melody you are on 4/4, but then sometime the melody has the sense of being in
a different time signature even though you are still on 4/4.
CC: Oh, thats more rhythmic than anything, I think. Like, for instance, okay, how do you, say
the question again. How do you displace melody.
EV: How do you, yeah, I found this in your compositions a lot but also I found that when you
improvising a lot, how you displace the melody. It just has to do with rhythmic, but also you are
applying to melody as well, right? So how would you approach that? How would you, you still
playing 4 and how the melody still feels like youre changing the time signature even within 4.
CC: Lets try this, I want to demonstrate that. [laughs] Lets play a vamp. Carlitos, start off with
this for me [plays] in D. So thats just straight time, right? [keeps playing] So thats a straight
melody right? [continues playing]
I mean, you do that all the time. I mean, I dont know its, you take a phrase and you make it its
own thing. And start it in a different place but always keep, you know. Like a lot of the music I
write, to others ears sounds like theyre in different time signatures 5/4, and 7/4 and usually
theyre not. Usually theyre in 4/4 or 3/4 but the displacement happens on top.
Elio Villafranca: Right, yeah, thats exactly what I was because some of the pieces
CC: Yeah, yeah you take a piece and you it doesnt fit into 4/4 so you kind of string it like that. 3.
You put 3 over 4 or whatever the combination is.
CDP: Fingerprints, the last phrase, ba ba di ba uh ah ah and thats one of the, thats a classic
displacement of yours. Its so difficult and its still in 3.
CC: Its still in 3? Yeah, it sounds like play that lick that you were playing. Heres a
demonstration of a displacement.
RB: Just the loop?
CC: Yea, just the loop.
[plays loop]
CC: This is one [plays].
CC: [laughs] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

26

Video 10 - Choosing Bandmates

MR: Chick, we have to take a break but, I have to ask this question. A lot of good ones are
coming suddenly, too. And I want Carlitos to kind of answer this, too. How do you find the
musicians youve played with over the years? By chance? By seeking them out after hearing
them or references? How does a talent like Carlitos come to find you? Now, you told me a story
just last night. Please, tell that story how you got with Chick.
CDP: Well, okay, so, mine was kind of random. I was doing a gig in Topanga Canyon,
California, and I was playing with, actually Chick told me hes a friend of his, John Densmore.
MR: From The Doors.
CDP: From The Doors, the drummer. And I was playing my gig at Topanga Canyon and when I
finished the gig, and when I turned around, Stanley Clarke was standing behind me. I was like
Wow! Thats Stanley Clarke, wow! So he started talking to me, and he was like, Hey, hey you
sounded great, whatever, and I gave him my number. A few years went by and then I get a
phone call from Stanley.
MR: And that only was the second..?
CDP: Yeah, that was the second time I had spoken to him really. And he said, Man, you know,
Chick Corea is looking for a bass player and I recommended you for the gig, and I was like
kunh! My jaw just.. and thats what happened.
MR: So how do you find bass players?
CC: Thats interesting cause that was a year before I called you. Or two. One year, about.
About something like that. Well, okay, back into the putting of the band together. Theres no rote
way to find a musician. I mean, you look and, but definitely one of the things Ive done through
the years is I ask, you know my musician friends, Ill ask Stanley, Ill ask Bobby McFerrin, Ill ask
Herbie Hancock, Ill ask, you know, whos around playing? Whos playing great? So Ill get some
names.
Now YouTube, of course, is like everybodys on YouTube. You can find out a lot of stuff on
YouTube. Not always though. Especially not up-and-coming guys. So, I dont have a rote way of
doing it but then I dont know, yknow, finally man, I came around to listening to things that
you were doing and I thought, wow, this could really, really work nice, yknow? Wondered, can
he play jazz? and so then, cause I caught you on a lot of things that were latino and then some
rock things. I caught you on a thing that where you were demonstrating something.
CDP: Oh right, right a pedal that a company
CC: A pedal. Yea, it was a nice video. That was a cool video. But you were more like a rocker
on that. So yeah, check this fuzz out

27

CDP: [laughter] Now wait a minute, there was one, at the end of a solo that I did that went
something like that, do you remember? You saw that
CC: I wasnt gonna tell that, should I tell that? [laughs]
CDP: Yeah, say it. Say it. Say it, man.
CC: Okay, alright. So. When Stanley first said Carlitos, you were one of the first guys on the list.
I made a mistake in judgement because I went onto YouTube and put in Carlitos Del Puerto and
up came a gig that Carlitos was doing with Chris Botti and it was a live gig, outdoors
somewhere, and it was a bass solo. An amazing bass solo.
So Carlitos brought his bass out front to play this bass solo and then at the end he got, he really
got his head into it and going up high on bass and like, yknow, creating an effect. Creating a
wild effect and then when the bass solo BAM was over he went yeah! And he went like this and
he swung the bass around.
[laughter]
And he had his hair like that and some stuff jangling down like and I thought Wow, do I want a
guy like that in my band? Im not sure.
CDP: Right! He mentioned that.
CC: But you know, immediately I saw the command of the instrument and the musicality. It was
just that, you know, so I kind of slipped by Carlitos for a while and went to other sources and
you know, and then I came back around to it and I thought to myself, that was a silly way to
judge somebody, by one thing, could have been anything. Then when I got the back story,
which well leave for another time
CDP: Yeah, well leave that, well leave that.
CC: Yeah. Anyway, but then I said, Carlitos, come on lets play and its been great ever since.
CDP: Thank you, man.
MR: Okay, before we take a break and were on the subject, how did you find Richie?
CC: Lets see. Our track is interesting. How did we? I heard.. Somehow I heard stuff that you
were creating around the time that you had Herbie Hancock on your recording. What recording
was that?
RB: Right. Playing with Herbie. That was my first recording, Homework.

28

CC: Homework. Yeah, thats right, yeah.

RB: Yeah. I remember we were doing
MR: And Herbie was on your first record?
CC & RB: Yeah.
RB: That was around the time I was playing in his band from 03 to 07 about. And I remember
the recording had a lot of, like, Indian rhythms and Herbie played some kind of cool keyboard
stuff on it. And then the first thing we did together was that trio recording of yours, the Five Trios
CD.
CC: Oh yeah! Thats right. That was what brought us together. Actually, thats where I found
Hadrien Feraud too, who was the original bassist in Vigil, whos an amazing musician. Do you
know Hadriens playing? Hadrien is amazing.
MR: I just saw him with the Zawinul Syndicate. Man, amazing.
CC: Yeah, Hadrien is amazing and so Hadrien, I invited Hadrien and Richie down to my place
and we made a recording.
RB: Kind of like, a little bit like this. The music was all fresh and new and made it happen.
CC: Thats part of a project actually that went into a crag. Its called Five Trios cause I made a
recording years ago called Three Quartets with Michael Brecker and Steve Gadd that got
around a bit. So then later on I thought, well I, the past year or so I had played in a number of
trios that I had put together so I thought theres at least five trios here. So we created one totally
new at the house with Hadrien and you. That was nice. And then you invited me on to your
recording, recently. So we have a little track there. Thanks for coming down. Are we going to
take a break?
MR: Were going to take a break, yes.

29

Video 11 - Concentration
MR: Chick, youre never late, man. Your timing may be a little, but youre never late, okay?
CC: So, lets see now. Weve taken a break, I had something to say. I forgot what it was. To
everybody. Oh, I know what it was! Weve, Ive, well weve attempted to answer a number of
questions from the viewers and, if you feel like it, I would love to hear from those guys who
asked the questions that I tried to answer. Did I answer your question? Like, write back. And say
like, did your question get answered or did it leave you in another quandary about something
okay? That was what I had.
MR: Weve been having some good questions come lately.
CC: You want to start with a question?
MR: Yes. Heres one. Its this users birthday today, so I thought wed go with that, you know,
but no name. How do you manage your concentration on stage during a performance. Any
advice to avoid nervousness and have confidence during a performance, no matter what the
circumstances or stage are?
CC: Oh, thats a good questions and its an important one. Everyone has this problem one way
or the other. Happy Birthday, by the way da da da dada.. da [plays song] I was gonna give
you more but Thank you, I appreciate the backup. Happy Birthday. Let me see.
How do you manage your concentration on stage during your performance? Any advice to
avoid nervousness and have confidence during a performance no matter what the
circumstances are on stage. Okay you know thats a real good question and my first thought is
your first question answers your question. Because you said how do you manage your
concentration onstage. Well, you do that by managing your concentration on stage, you see?
Actually, I never thought about it too much actually Im thinking about it, but one of the things
that I, a circumstance I like to be on when Im on stage is extroverted. Like, not thinking, not on
myself, cause thats when you could get worried cause its a communal thing youre doing. If
youre with a band or if youre with an audience, thats who youre with. And so, like if youre in a
conversation with somebody, Im looking at you, Im talking to you. Im not thinking about what
Im saying. Im trying to say something to you and so Im extroverted, you see?
CDP: Actually, you said something to me about that when I joined the band. So Ill be playing
and Ill be like this and Chick said to me Carlitos, look at me when were playing I didnt quite
get it when he said it and then when we started playing and I was looking at him, it relaxes you
cause its like what he said, youre having a conversation with someone, you gotta look at them
and it actually creates a synergy in the music, kind of like, cause Im answering to what you
said and

30

CC: Its natural to do, isnt it? I mean if Im talking to you and Im going, Hey Carlitos, how you
doing, man?, like Im talking to you now I mean, mechanically so, it doesnt mean you have
to look, stare at a person
RB: Yeah, but theres also a subconscious being passed I think cause when I was learning
Planet Chia for the first time yesterday, I was having some trouble with the timing and I literally
just looked up at you guys and it happened. Every time that that passage came. Its just getting
passed.
CC: So, I think thats a good simple answer is to keep your attention out on your musician or
your audience or the space. You know? Another thing you could do which I like to do sometimes
is when Im playing at a club or concert hall or wherever Im playing. If I can, I like to get there
early enough to go out on to the stage and just have a look. Like say Okay, well thats how big it
is, theres the corners over there, theres the audience and the balconies are over there. And
just have a look around and fill the space with your attention. Cause you do have the freedom
to put your attention where you want to put it.
When you, its freedom we have. But its also an ability because its a normal thing to let your
mind wander and thats the opposite of concentration. So you have a thought, so now youre
thinking, so where are you? Youre inside your head or something, right? But you dont want to
be thinking, you want to be out. So just try to keep your attention out, like do that a little bit. It will
probably relax you. You know?
RB: Would it be useful to repeat, there was an exercise you gave me once, you said you do
about like feeling the space, like say this big and then the size of this room. Do you often think
about that or was that just a one time...
CC: Well no, thats sort of a, if you want to break down a space, like where you put your
attention has to do with space. Thats the idea. So, you create spaces by deciding to look in a
certain way. Like if I want to look at Carlitoss iPhone, I could put my space, go down.. boom.
Now Im looking like that. Right? So now if I want to ask Carlitos a question, boom. Im over
there where the space is this big. Or if I want to see how the audience is doing, boom, Im, the
space is theirs. So attention has everything to do with space. Thats the idea and so you could,
once you know that, once you notice that, you can work on it. Go, well, you know youre being a
car, driving, like youre feeling whatever.. drowsy or whatever you just decide to look outside the
car. Right? Its the easy way to wake up. Oh! Theres a field over there and theres a house over
there and theres and so forth. Its a space, yeah. Okay. So I think we covered that one pretty
good. [laughter]

31

Video 12 - Musical Independence

MR: At what point in your career did you know you wanted to be your own artist? i.e. not just
play in other bands, but write your own compositions and develop your own style? From Byron,
from United Kingdom.
CC: Bironi, Bironi, from the U.K. Okay, Bironi, let me read that out again. At what point in your
career did you know that you wanted to be your own artist? Not just play in others bands but
write your own composition and develop your own style?
I dont know. actually, wow, youre making me think. Back, back. Actually, there was a recording
that I made in - Im gonna spot the year now - it was 1946. I was born in 41 so you do the math.
I was a little guy and, in fact, Bernie and I, Bernie you remember when we pulled that recording
of me when I was five years old.
Bernie: Oh yeah.
CC: For that project? That project was called what was that called?
Bernie: It was a box set.
CC: It was a box set Beyond Forever. Beyond Forever, it was a collection. You know that one,
Rusty? I think three people have that collection.
RE: Didnt your dad record that? Wasnt that your father that recorded that?
CC: Yeah, exactly! Exactly. Thats the recording Im talking about - Wow! Rusty really knows my
stuff. Anyway, when I was about five years old, my dad had a vinyl recorder like, what do you
call them, you used to cut vinyl. Thats how you made records back then. You could buy them
like a consumer. You could buy a flat, shiny, disc and then you have a microphone and you can
see the vinyl being cut. The stuff comes off, you know.
Reason why Im bringing this up is that theres two versions of it. The first version my dad made
my announce Hello, Im Chicky Corea and this is, Im going to play for you blah blah blah
again and then I made a second recording cause I wasnt happy with that one and I said, the
second recording says Hello, this is Chick Corea and Im going to play this song now my way
and I remember I had my own way of, I wanted to play it, I forget what it was, but that was the,
you shot me back to the first time I had that thought of being my own artist, you know what I
mean? Of, like, not accepting completely what someone suggested that I do, but do it the way I
do it and since then that was always, I guess, the main thing I loved to do is just find out what I
like to do and pursue that and do that and Ive done that ever since.
GM: Miles Davis story. Miles Davis.

32

CC: What story, my dear?

MR: Miles Davis.
GM: Miles. Miles Davis. What did he tell you to do?
CC: What did he tell me? I shouldnt.. Thats my wife, Gayle. Hi Gayle. What story?
GM: When you were with Miles, what did he whisper in your ear?
CC: Oh, I cant say that publicly, what he..
GM: No, not that one! Not that one! No, sweetheart, not that one, the other one! He said you
were improvising a lot. And uh..
CC: Tell me what it was I forget
GM: He said go get your own band!
CC: Oh! No, I dont want to tell thats yeah, Gayle, yeah.
[laughter]
CC: But that was Miles decision, not mine.
GM: No, but that was an encouragement to do it.
CC: You could say it was an encouragement. At the time it didnt sound like an encouragement.
GM: Oh, I see.
CC: Yeah, Ill explain it more for when we go home and have dinner later.
GM: I thought the water was, the glass was full instead of empty.
CC: Yeah, okay, okay. Anyway, you know, I dont know, have you done that your whole life?
Tried to be your own artist?
CDP: Not really, Ive been playing with different people so but now after all these years I said
like Wow, I really want to do something. Thats why Im doing my own record now.
CC: Yeah, good. But I mean, even when you play with others, when you interpret the part the
way you want to interpret it.

33

CDP: Well you gotta be accommodating I mean, if youre playing somebody elses music you
cannot go and say Oh I think I should play it like this. You know? You gotta be accommodating
to the person that wrote it
CC: Well what about when you go like this? [demonstrate]
CDP: Ah, no. [laugh] Thats a show! Thats giving them a show. Thats different.
CC: Yeah, I see. What about you, Richie? Did you make a decision at some point?
RB: Yeah. You know, Mark asked me that question earlier and my first thought was, like,
somewhere in middle school, maybe when I was like 10 or 12 getting really into drums where
doing something different appealed to me first. You know? Something about, Oh I dont really
care if that cymbal sounds a little different than, like, this guy or that that way of approaching a
phrase so I think there has to be like, you know, it would be interesting for everyone to think
of where they first saw that seed of like, Hey this is me, this is different.
CC: Or you know, that, or you could also, a person could just all of a sudden decide anytime no
matter what age he is, is that, to validate his own viewpoint. To say Well yeah, well this is the
way I really feel about things so Im going to do this, or Im going to create that.
RB: Yeah, look at so many, you know, so many revered musicians that did it in such a different
way.
CC: Absolutely.
RB: Like we played Monk before.
CC: All our heroes were like that.
RB: And just, yeah. especially if its the slow... like I think thats one where a lot of
discouragement can come in. If I get to a musical product really slowly, you know, if it like takes
me a long time and other people got to it quicker, but its all going to come out differently in the
end, your musical statement, even if it took a long time, right.
CC: Yeah, time doesnt have much to do with having your own viewpoint, I mean its a different
subject, you know. So I hope that answered your question. I dont know how to demonstrate that
but I dont know, give me an instruction and then Ill do it my own way.
CDP: Me?
CC: Yeah, give me some kind of instruction, like play something, like youre the leader now and
you have to tell me to do something.

34

CDP: Wow Can we do this off camera? [laughter] Its your band man, tell me what to do.
CC: Well, no, you know. I was just trying to demonstrate, like, having your own viewpoint. I
mean, I, I dont know how to not have my own viewpoint. Like even if you told me to do
something, like play something straight, play the exact notes on that page, that could be an
instruction. If I decided to do it, it would still be my own viewpoint, Ill say, yeah Ill do that
boom, you do it.

35

Video 13 - Chord Voicings

MR: How do you develop your chord voicings like Bud Powell used shell voicings, Bill Evans
used a lot of quartet voicings
CC: Quartal? Quartal.
MR: Quartal voicings. Thank you and rootless
CC: Rootless, without roots.
MR: Without a root.
CC: Yeah, alright, lets see. Mike from New Jersey, thanks Mike. I gotta read it again. I have to
reread it. How did you develop your chord voicings like Bud Powell used shell voicings - Im not
sure what that is, a shell voicing- do you know what a shell voicing is?
Elio Villafranca: Yeah, its like root, 7
CDP: Root-7, 3-9
CC: Oh you mean like that? [plays] Like that. Okay. I never heard that term before. And Bill
Evans used a lot of quartal voicings.. that means voicings built in fourths. Quartal, I guess
because so did McCoy Tyner, right?.. Yea and rootless voicings. So a voicing with roots
would be [plays] and then a voicing without roots would be [plays] okay just to let the audience
know what were doing. How do you develop it? Well, you have to, it goes back to a very simple
instruction that I hate to give cause its so utterly simple, but its the first thing I think of, which is
you have to think for yourself. In other words, you have to decide what you like so if youre
searching for voicings, lets play, lets see.. Let me show you this tune. This is a Bud Powell
tune, by the way Oh, we cant do Bud Powell? We cant do Bud Powell Its publishing. Well,
Im trying to think of a tune that has a progression like that Well lets just do [plays] what we
were doing [plays] again, just repeat it.
[band plays]
CC: [laughs] Yeah, so [plays] thats another way to do it. [plays] I guess you just have to search
around and find out what you like. Once you know what chords youre looking at or what the
progression is, this ones like this [plays] like how many different ways you can play that is
endless. So you use your ear and you find out like.. [plays] Theres a voicing. [plays more] the
clustered voicings [plays] and then on the A you can do something like this [plays] these are all
clustered. Or you could do something real simple like [demonstrates] Alright, so, you just keep
going with that.

36

Video 14 - Re-Harmonizing Part 2

MR: Josh from Colorado who asked us a pretty general question earlier is now down to
specifics. I want to go back to the first question first. His first question, Do you have any tips for
trying out new harmonic approaches when youre re-harmonizing a tune, whether its your own
or someone elses? Remember he asked that question?
CC: Yeah, I remember that.
MR: So then he comes back and he says, On re-harmonizing, that makes sense what was
said, but I was more curious in complete harmonic deviation. i.e. your acoustic bands treatment
of Spain in 88 or 89. You knew Spain was going to happen, right?
CC: Oh, gee, you know that particular piece I cant- I dont recall it right now, but I know- I mean
I cant play it for you right now, but a complete change, its almost like writing a new tune. Its
like the concept of a tune but its a, its a different tune. Like
MR: Like, someone here suggests, how about Bud Powell? I mean re-harmonizing Bud Powell.
Your tune.
CC: Oh yeah. Okay, so now Bud Powell, alright, do you know Bud Powell? Did we play that?
CDP: No, we never did. Lemme see if I can find it.
CC: Oh, hah! Trying to see a way to show some re-harmonization.
CDP: Yeah, we can play it.
CC: Oh yeah? You have it there. Amazing! Okay, lets try it. [plays] Im gonna re-harmonize that
[keeps playing] Now Im gonna try and re-harmonize that. [keeps playing] Hang in there! [keeps
playing] Back to the original. [keeps playing] I dont know if thats a good demonstration of what
were talking about because I think what you meant was just going and take that tune and make
a different tune out of it, which I couldnt do because you were playing the basic changes.
CDP: Why dont we do Spain? Why dont we do something with Spain?
CC: Well that- you mean change the?
CDP: Re-harmonizing
CC: See, thats not what he means, I think I think he means to take the tune and rewrite it. I
think thats what you mean, right?.. I mean I can do endless variations on [begins playing]
[plays Spain]

37

CC: [laughter & applause] I have no idea whether that answered your question at all because I
was trying to you see, when you have a structure like that, thats so set, I dont know whether
its re-harmonization any more. Cause you follow the song and youre in the song and [plays]
theres no way I can play that phrase without doing something like [plays] but then there, I dont
like that cause that
CDP: Sounds good!
CC: Yeah, you like that? Ill play some more. Okay. Re-harmonization. Re-harmonization. Reharmonization. That means that you have to have a harmonization that youre re-harmonizing.
So you have to have something to start with that youre changing, right? So that thing that
youre starting with has to be known enough, so that when you change it, someone will know
youre re-harmonizing. Otherwise, nobodys gonna know youre re-harmonizing.
RE: Know the rules well so you can break them effectively.
CC: Boom! There you go. Yeah, lets do another one Mark. I hope that answers your question
man. Write back and let me know.
MR: This is from Mark W from Pennsylvania. If you would, elaborate and demonstrate how
chords and interval choices can change the mood color and be utilized as a tool for deeper
expression. And do you think of keys as colors?
CC: Yes to all that, in a simple thing. If you were to elaborate, demonstrate how chords and
interval choices can change the mood color and be utilized as a tool for deeper expression. All
very subjective, man, but I understand where youre going. This is Mark from
MR: Pennsylvania.
CC: Mark W from Pennsylvania. Do you think of keys as colors lets see how we can do
something with that. Like intervals. Intervals. Lets do a single note. [plays] This is single note.
[plays] now double note. [plays] let me try something different [plays] Theres a tritone, its nice..
[plays] that changes the color. Its a tritone. [keeps playing] Now try this [demonstrates]
friendlier, okay? [keeps playing] Fourths, fourths. [keeps playing] Fourths. Now, theres an
interval thats a major 7. [keeps playing] I dont know if that is thirds or clusters.. I mean they
give different moods thats for sure. Tempo can give a mood too. Like..
[plays]
CC: [applause] Yeah, different intervals, different tempos.. You can do a lot to change the
mood. I mean the basic thing that changes the mood though is you changing the mood. Cause
you can play a fast tempo and be sad at it I think, cant ya?

38

MR: I think you answered the question very well though.

CC: Well, well see for him.
MR: Right, well what about the last part, do you see keys as colors?
CC: Yeah, yeah, keys are colors. Uh, lets see..
[break]
CC: Oh, I cant do that either.
RB: Isnt D minor the saddest key? D minor.
CC: Thats what someone said. Someone said. Anyway, I dont know how to demonstrate that
right now. Keys definitely are different. I went to standard tunes, which we cant do right now.
MR: In your book, youCC: Can I explain that Bill? To the audience, to the viewers?
Bill Rooney: Absolutely!
CC: Yeah, this is- theres a legality about copyright.
MR: Its the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Its what its called.
CC; Wow, you know that.
MR: Im a victim of it.
CC: Oh thats right, radio stations. So, in broadcasts, you have to have legally the right to play
because theres royalties, I mean composers and lyricists they
MR: And because youre on the internet, thats the way it works. You have to abide by the
Digital Millenium Copyright Act, just like I do.
CC: Oh the internet has different rules than radio.
MR: Oh yeah! They go by the Telecommunication Act of 1934. We go by the Digital Millenium
Copyright Act of 2000.
CC: Is it a little bit more open?

39

MR: No.
CC: Its closed.
MR: Yes, yes, yes.
CC: Oh, I see. I had no idea. But anyway, there are certain composers that I- that we have
clearance and certain- Most of the standard song composers we dont have clearance for so I...
MR: If this was radio Chick, you could do anything you want. If it was regular terrestrial radio.
CC: Oh really? Oh okay. Is that a vote for like doing a radio program?
MR: It would be great!
CC: Sometime well do it

40

VIDEO 15 - CREATING SCALES

MR: In your book you create, you mention creating your own scales. Could you give an
example of a scale you created and how you apply it to improvisation?
CC: Well, yeah, who is this?
MR: It doesnt say.
CC: Oh okay. I get that about scales. Alright. We demonstrated that earlier, I dont know if you
were here but you can - a scale is basically a group of notes that goes from one point to another
point, up or down, is a scale. Like, actually, even an arpeggio is a scale. [demonstrates] the
difference between a scale and arpeggio is a matter of intervals, so- [plays]
Everybody knows that scale, right? But when youre dealing with scales, youre dealing again
with what sounds good to you, so I remember the improvisation that we did. I forget what key it
was but lets do I remember the same vamp, lets do it again. [plays vamp]
Okay, so heres a scale. [keeps playing] Theres one scale. [demonstrates] Okay, heres another
scale [demonstrates] Theres more notes in that one. [plays] Theres a new note [plays] Now
new scale. [plays] New, new scale. [plays] New scale. [plays] Okay, now Im going to invent
some different scales. E. [plays] See, now Im putting a B flat chord on top of a E chord.
[demonstrates] Okay, I put an A flat chord. [finish playing]
So scales are whatever you make out of them, I guess. Thats what it looks like to me, right?
[plays] I was just fooling around, okay. Scales, scales.
MR: Heres Lucas are you?
CC: I just got a little joke cause my wife Gayle is here. Gayle Moran Corea. Gayle, you know
my first recording is called Tones For Joans Bones. And weve decided to make a new song
called Scales for Gayles Nails. [laughs] So those scales were for you, my dear.
GM: Thank you.

41

Video 16 - Composing From Short Ideas

MR: Lucas from Utah wanted to know Do you have compositional advice on how to turn a
really clear but short musical idea into a full piece?
CC: Wow.
MR: And that kind of dovetails with a question that I want to know. Have you ever been in a jam
session and taken a little piece and turned it into a tune?
CC: Well, we do that all the time, dont we?
CDP: Ornette Coleman, no? I cannot say the tune, right? The name of the tune?
MR: You can say the name, you just cant play it.
CDP: Lovely Woman, was the name of the tune. Or was it.. Thats right! Damn..
MR: Horace Silver, Lonely Woman.
CDP: No, no. It was Ornette Colemans.
MR: It was Lonely Woman. Songs called Lonely Woman
CC: yeah I meanCDP: I quote it online [hums song.]
CC: Right, right, right, right
CDP: And he wrote something like that.
CC: Oh, thats right. Thats from- but you didnt know it was Lonely Woman.
CDP: Yeah, thats right. I didnt know.
CC: Anyway, hes asking a different thing. He wants to know how to make a simple- lemme read
it
CDP: From a riff.
CC: Lucas from Utah, hello Lucas. Do you have compositional advice how to turn a really clear
but short musical idea into a full piece? I mean the answer literally is in your question. Which is
you take a short, clear idea and you turn it into a full piece. Its really what you do, right? I dont

42

know. Theres no method to do that. If you have a concept of a full piece, like maybe thats the
idea of having a motif that goes through all kind of other changes and stuff and then you use
that motif again. That same lick comes back and then you go through all this stuff and then the
lick comes back and somehow you put that together into a composition.
CDP: Why dont we do something like that. Just play a motif.
CC: Lets do something- well take a simple lick and well turn it into something.
[Plays music.]
CC: [laughs] Well, you know, I mean, that was a throwdown. Obviously. So, at the organization
of the whatever, but it just demonstrated it out-just with the three of us, different textures that
you could get into. We could have explored different tempos more. But it was just an idea of
taking through a landscape of different things and arriving back with the motif again.
MR: From that same motif. But you also threw in there the motif from, 500 miles high. Right?
CC: Did I? [all laugh]
MR: You didnt even know it, right?

43

Video 17 - 500 Miles High

CC: You want to come sing, Gayle? Lets do, 500 Miles High. Were going to do a piece for
you with Gayle. Just for a jam. And then any questions you guys have, well answer after that,
okay? Here. Gayle Moran Corea. Hello. Im getting you a microphone.
GM: Okay.
CC: Now, youre going to be coming out of there. [Gayle sings] Im going to turn you on here.
Try that. Hows that? Is that good?
GM: Mmhmm
CC: Do you want some reverb?
GM: Please. Por favor.
CC: Some reverb, Bern?
GM: Thats good. Oh good, it was on.
[Plays 500 Miles High]
GM: [sings] Someday you'll look into his eyes then there'll be no goodbyes and yesterday will
have gone. And you'll find yourself in another space, 500 miles high
You'll see just one look and you'll know he's so tender and warm, you'll recognize this is love,
and above the stars you will always be
Be sure that your love stays so free then it never can die, just realize this is truth and above the
clouds you will always be, 500 miles high
Someday you'll look into his eyes then there'll be no goodbyes and yesterday will have gone.
And above the stars you will always be, 500 miles high
One day, you'll look into his eyes then there'll be no goodbyes and yesterday will have gone.
And above the stars you will always be, 500 miles high [vocalizes]
Someday you'll look into his eyes then there'll be no goodbyes and yesterday will have gone.
And youll find yourself in another space, 500 miles high.. na na na
Be sure that your love stays so free then it never, never can die, just realize this is truth, 500
miles high, 500 miles high, 500 miles high, 500 miles high, 500, 500 miles high [vocalizes], 500,
500 miles high, 500 miles high
44

GM: Thank you. Thank you. Its always new. Always new. The composer.
CC: Thank you, my dear. Okay. Now I want to know if we have any questions.

45

Video 18 - Improvisation
MR: More questions?
CC: Yeah, sure.
MR: We got questions. How bout one from your hometown. Chelsea, Massachusetts.
CC: Chelsea? No kidding.
MR: Yeah. Can Chick recommend any devices or techniques for improving how to play outside
the changes?
CC: Wow. See, heres a- thats great. But this is great, its from- Chelsea is my hometown.
Chelsea, Mass. So, its nice someone is trying to figure out how to play outside the changes in
Chelsea. Thats nice. WellRE: Werent you named after a street there?
CC: Whats that?
RE: Werent you named after a street there?
CC: Thats right. Theres Chick Corea Way in Chelsea.
MR: Wow, go Chelsea!
CC: Actually, it was the street that I grew up on. Everett Avenue. Okay, well once again the
answer is in your question, but Ill try to talk about it a little bit. Can Chick recommend any
devices or techniques for improving how to play outside the changes?
The idea is play outside the changes. So youve got a set of changes and then you just play
outside them. No really. Im not trying to- Im not trying to be insolent or anything. You just play
outside them.
So, and you have to experiment and then find what you like. And then flow it around in and out
and then eventually, break the barrier down between the changes and outside the changes.
Cause you could have the changes and outside the changes, theres going to be a line that
says, those are outside the changes and these are inside the changes. So you have to have
this line.
So eventually what you have to do is get rid of the line, you see? Cause if Im playing in C
minor, lets see what we have in C minor? Nothing. [Plays music.] Were in C minor here. Basic
changes. [Continues.]

46

You got a choice between that note [plays note] Lets say thats the changes. The C minor.
Okay, now if you put a- if you make a melody like this, its in the change. Now if you put- now
that note technically is outside the changes. But you use it melodically like that. Theres a name
for that. Its called a passing tone. [Continues.]
Theres another note- new note. [Continues.] Now remember, we started with that. [Continues.]
Then we added this. Then we added that note too, so I know we gotta go all the way.
[Continues.] Its funny but no matter how far you go out, if you return to the basic change then it
always kind of sounds right. [Continues.] Yeah, so Elio you had a comment.
EV: Yeah, I think I was gonna say.. I think a lot of these questions are academic questions.
Cause in school actually you find that the students are taught to really think scholastically, then
its really hard for them sometimes to how to break that boundary. And sometimes for them- if
you tell them Oh you know, just play whatever feels right. They hear you, they listen to your
records and everything sounds so good or any or every of their heroes records, everything
sounds so good, but they dont know how to put it together because they can sound something,
they could play something and they dont feel they dont sound as good as the recording.
CC: I really believe that the answer to that is a spiritual question and its a question of starting to
trust yourself. And theres no way, theres no particular rote method of getting at that. So, you
could give reams of advice saying, Think for yourself, Trust yourself What your tastes are
what its all about You have to be the judge of what you like and what you dont like, and then
you have to be willing to present that to the world. Not only to think it but to be it to the world.
Like, if you like that, you play that and take the consequences or whatever they might be. Do
you see what I mean?
Theres no rote answer to that. There are religions all through the ages have tried to answer that
question of how to be yourself and were still working on it. But that is the simple answer. But
sometimes I have discovered with a pretty bright person, if you just mention that, they can go
with it. Certainly kids who are not stuck so much. Younger people, if you just say Well just play
it how you hear it. Play what you want. As kids were brought up with incredible regimentation.
Think about when youre a tot, you have- your mother does everything for you. Place you here
and wash you and put you to bed and feed you and so forth. Then you grow up and you're still
very regimented by parents, lovingly so, hopefully, and you go to school and its the same thing.
Heres the curriculum. You must learn how to do this and that. and its hrrrr.
So its easy to get in a box. Isnt it? Its simple to get in a box. But sometimes I find with a bright
person, whos secretly thinking, Gee, you know, I dont really like that. What I like is this. You
just say, Well its okay to like this. And theyll go Oh, Really? Okay But it takes a kind of a
freedom already, you know what I mean? But its a tricky question.
EV: Yeah, Im just going to add something. And this is something that might sound rhetorical.
But when youre improvising, do you think about compositions? Im not talking about the tune
itself, Im talking about when you're improvising, would you see your improvisation as a

47

composition on its own? Like are you developing, its almost like an extension of something, or
you-?
CC: I could think of it that way, but when Im playing, Elio, I dont think about it at all. Whether
its a composition or not a composition. Cause sometimes I find that there's a balance between
presenting something that goes in very easily, like a familiar melody you play for people and you
play it very lovingly. And people, you know that theyre going to receive it like that. Sometimes
you dont want to cause that kind of effect. Sometimes you want to cause an kind of effect of,
like, making a person go like that, you see. But its a choice every moment, when youre on
stage, or when youre writing a song.
What kind of effect to create, you see? Theres a wide open grass. Its like what we were talking
about earlier, which is that music and life is a social thing. Its about all of us. So, its a game.
You make these choices all the time. All the time, you see? But thats a little philosophical there,
Im sorry.
MR: Wow.

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Video 19 - Music Education

MR: I read that Chick unsuccessfully attended Columbia and Juilliard. Was wondering what is
Chicks philosophy about formal music education versus just developing oneself on your own?
CC: Oh boy. Ah.. Okay, well, like heres the thing. Its real easy to be critical. Cause that just
sets you up- sets the person youre criticizing up as an opponent. Its real easy to be critical. Its
more difficult to really have a look and see that were all part of the game, right? So in other
words, you have- I think you have people in education in schools and colleges and jazz school,
any kind of school. Just like you have people outside of education who are trying to do well and
learn. And theres no rote procedure on that, see.. see?
Like, you can go to school. Ill take the example. When I graduated high school, I was given a lot
of advice by my teachers and by elders. They said Look, go to get a really good liberal arts
education cause you can always do music but this will give you good grounding. I wasnt sure
what that meant but everyone wanted me to do that. And I got good marks in school because I
had a good memory. Not because I learned how to do it.
But I could spit out the answer, do you know what I mean? So I really went to New York, I grew
up in Boston, in Chelsea. And I went to New York because thats where I wanted to go. Thats
where all my musical heroes were.
So, Columbia University was kind of an excuse for me to get to New York, to tell you the truth,
because I had no, really, aspirations to learn what was on the curriculum. So thats why I didnt
last long at Columbia.
Now thats not saying you cant go to Columbia University and learn something. You could go to
any school and learn something. But you have to have thick skin. Thats my cheap advice.
And thick skin meaning- that you have to realize that the information coming your way, no
matter how impressive the name of the author is or how thick the book is or how much its been
used, that its another viewpoint. Its not your viewpoint, youre getting another viewpoint.
I dont care what the book is, and an artist, to be an artist, you have to learn to evaluate
everything that comes your way in your own viewpoint. Like How can I use that? Does that
make sense to me? Can I turn that into something I can use? And thats what I call thick skin.
Cause its coming at you. See, you got a curriculum there. You got like these things and these
people have been successful and theyre telling you and basically they're telling you you dont
know these things because you have to learn them now.
Anyway, you know, I dont want to- its not a rant or anything, its just a viewpoint that says, you
can learn any way you want to learn. And you can go to school. You can go on the internet. You
can not look at anything. But the proof is your own success at what you want to accomplish. If
you're getting there, thats the point.

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MR: Wow. You dont have to be a musician to learn from Chick Corea. Just life lessons, okay?

MR: How do you develop your chord voicings like Bud Powell used shell voicings, Bill Evans
used a lot of quartet voicings
CC: Quartal? Quartal.
MR: Quartal voicings. Thank you and rootless
CC: Rootless, without roots.
MR: Without a root.
CC: Yeah, alright, lets see. Mike from New Jersey, thanks Mike. I gotta read it again. I have to
reread it. How did you develop your chord voicings like Bud Powell used shell voicings - Im not
sure what that is, a shell voicing- do you know what a shell voicing is?
Elio Villafranca: Yeah, its like root, 7
CDP: Root-7, 3-9
CC: Oh you mean like that? [plays] Like that. Okay. I never heard that term before. And Bill
Evans used a lot of quartal voicings.. that means voicings built in fourths. Quartal, I guess
because so did McCoy Tyner, right?.. Yea and rootless voicings. So a voicing with roots
would be [plays] and then a voicing without roots would be [plays] okay just to let the audience
know what were doing. How do you develop it? Well, you have to, it goes back to a very simple
instruction that I hate to give cause its so utterly simple, but its the first thing I think of, which is
you have to think for yourself. In other words, you have to decide what you like so if youre
searching for voicings, lets play, lets see.. Let me show you this tune. This is a Bud Powell
tune, by the way Oh, we cant do Bud Powell? We cant do Bud Powell Its publishing. Well,
Im trying to think of a tune that has a progression like that Well lets just do [plays] what we
were doing [plays] again, just repeat it.
[band plays]
CC: [laughs] Yeah, so [plays] thats another way to do it. [plays] I guess you just have to search
around and find out what you like. Once you know what chords youre looking at or what the
progression is, this ones like this [plays] like how many different ways you can play that is
endless. So you use your ear and you find out like.. [plays] Theres a voicing. [plays more] the
clustered voicings [plays] and then on the A you can do something like this [plays] these are all
clustered. Or you could do something real simple like [demonstrates] Alright, so, you just keep
going with that.

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Video 20 - Fingering
MR: This is a great question. Could you demonstrate, by some examples, the concept of the
fingers as 10 little drummers which you point out in your book?
CC: Oh yeah, thats simple. Yeah, I think I did that on some time real soon. Thats real simple.
You got a camera over here? Youve got 88 tuned drums, right? [plays keys] Hit a drum, Rich.
[Richie hits drum]
See? Yeah, yeah [Continues.] Well thats a different way to do it. [Continues.] And then the
drum works a certain way where you hold it down, it sustains, which is kind of cool. Then if you
go like that [hits key] you get that kind of sound. You could play it soft [hits keys] and you could
play it loud. And you strike it with a finger. [Continues] Its like two drums. Or I could do the
same note. [Taps key] See? Same note. [Continues] piano has to have a good response to be
able to do that. [Continues.] Or you could do- like, play that on the drum. No, play it with the
sticks.
[Plays drums]
Yeah, right. Right? So you could go [plays piano.] And so forth. So you just conceive of your
fingers as sticks like [continues.] Do like that, right? [Continues.] So thats the idea. But then you
can make melodies, too. [Continues.] So, thats the idea.
MR: I have a question about your two-hand technique.
CC: Okay, I think we got one more.
MR: One more?
CC: Yeah. One more and thenMR: How do you, from a pianistic technical standpoint, control the relative volumes of the notes
you are playing? And are there certain notes of a complex two-hand chord that you generally
use?
CC: Certain notes of a- alright Dave. This is Dave from New York. Hello Dave.
MR: Hey Dave.
CC: How do you, from a pianistic technical standpoint, control the relative volumes of the notes
you are playing? Well, hand me a stick Richie. Its the same as doing this. [Taps drum.] Thats
how you would do it. I dont know another way of controlling the volume other than touching it
lighter. [Taps keys.]

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You know, theres a trick I learned from Vladimir Horowitz, one of the great pianists of all times, I
think. Technically and emotionally, hes one of my favorites. Horowitz said, like for instance, on
the piano, the pedal- oops, the pedal on the left is called a soft pedal because you got three
strings and a hammer and if you move that soft pedal the hammer moves- the pedal moves the
whole keyboard to the right and so it gets it so that it either plays the soft part of the hammer or
it plays only two strings and they call it a soft pedal. They call it a soft pedal. But Horwitz says,
that if you want to get a really soft sound out of the piano, the best way to do it is not use the
soft pedal. But use a soft touch. That way its hitting all three strings and youll get the richer
sound. And then the soft pedal you can use for other.
Like this is without the soft pedal. [plays piano] This is with the soft pedal. [Plays piano] Its a
little muffled.. without [demonstrates].. with [demonstrates] See? So you got the soft pedal and
you got mainly your pressure at the piano. I think that was it.
Was there something else in that? Certain notes of a complex two-hand chord that you
generally use? I dont think so. I dont think of it that way so Id have to say I dont think about it
that way. Certain notes of a complex two-hand chord. No. Unless you mean bringing out an
inner note which is tricky to do on the piano. Like if you have a chord like this- its made up of
these notes, right? [Plays notes.] So, that note sticks out. Or [continues] its hard to do, though.
It takes some control. I dont know if you meant that. Anyway, thats an interesting point to end
on, isnt it?

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Video 21 - La Fiesta, Outro

MR: We had a request to end on a song. Someone wants you to end onCC: Oh yeah? Why dont we play- what do you want to play? Want to playCDP: La Fiesta?
RB: Humpty Dumpty.
CC: Oh, Humpty Dumpty.
MR: La Fiesta is what the request was.
CC: La Fiesta?
MR: Was the request.
CC: Oh yeah? Who requested that? Oh Carl? For Carl.
CDP: Lets do it.
CC: We gotta do La Fiesta. So, are you okay with the bridge?
CDP: Yes.
CC: Yeah, well do a little bit of La Fiesta. By the way, once again, you guys that stuck around.
Thanks a lot. Its great fun. Keep the comments coming in. We wanna know- cause basically,
basically this is fun but itll be more rewarding if I know that its helpful cause thats what Im
trying to do. Thats what were trying to do. Were trying to be helpful to you guys. So send us in
all your comments like about how were doing things. Is it too loose? Too tight? Whatever, you
know? Okay, La Fiesta.
[Plays La Fiesta]
GM: Ole!
CC: [applause] Yeah, Carlitos! Yeah man. Yeah Richie! Thank you man. Mark! Thank you man.
Thanks for everything. Great day. Elio, thank you! Rusty, thank you. Thank you guys. Thank you
for coming, Carl. That was for you man. Alright, see you all tomorrow.
Carl: Thank you so much.
n

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