Performers; Chick Corea – piano & synth. percussion, palmas; Jorge Pado – flute, sop. sax, palmas; Carles Benavent – bass, palmas; Rubem Dantas – percussion, kalimba, palmas; Tom Berchilein – drums, palmas; Hassam Ramry – Egyptian tabla; Auxi Fernandez & Tomasto Moreno Romero – flamenco dancers & palmas
Studio: Chick Corea Productions DVD-7026-9
Video: 16:9 color
Audio: DTS 5.1, DD 5.1, 2.0
Extras: Behind-the-scenes foot
age of the preparation for the show; “The Making of the Ultimate Adventure” featurette – on the recording of the CD version, with Steve Gadd, Hubert Laws, Airto Moreira, Vinnie Colaiuta and others
Length: 121 minutes
Rating: *****
Multitalented Chick Corea has been into creating music with a Spanish flavor since at least before his 1975 LP “My Spanish Heart.” His “Spain” has become a jazz standard. In this special live concert on the stage of the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona he brought together his Touchstone band of mostly flamenco/jazz musicians from around the world, although on the sessions for the CD released at the about the same time he used some different and better-known musicians.
The stimulus and scenario for the concert presentation is a story by Corea’s guru – Scientologist L. Ron Hubbard. Corea enthusiastically describes it as a variation on the Arabian Knights. He doesn’t describe the entire scenario – thankfully – since Hubbard’s sci-fi tales don’t compete with the great sci-fi authors. Never mind, the music is terrific – an exotic blend of jazz, flamenco, North African and Middle East cultures with much accent to the percussion groove – emphasized by hand clapping (palmas). There is a long duet between Corea on piano and Rubem Dantas on thumb piano that is an amazing exhibition of topflight improvisation. An added element that makes the whole enterprise even more of a visual adventure is the occasional participation of the two young flamenco dancers, who perform not only on the board designed to amplify their zapateado foot sounds but also moving thru the various musicians as they are playing.
The grand finale of the whole thing is an extended improvisation with the two young dancers on Corea’s own gorgeous Spain, in a medley with Rodrigo’s theme from his Concierto de Aranjuez – also performed by Miles Davis, Jim Hall and many others. It is an inpiring conclusion to the evening, and even perhaps superior musically and visually to much of what was presented earlier. The images and audio are excellent thruout.
Corea is to be applauded for his constant efforts over the years to venture out of the strictly commercial fusion jazz bag he is known for and to experiment with various classical/jazz/world music genres. I’m still knocked out by his astounding ten-CD set “Rendezvous in New York” with which I was so impressed a couple years ago, and now (although a bit late) I’m happy to recommend this equally rewarding visual and sonic achievement!
– John Sunier
