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Jazz pianist Corea, vibraphonist Burton to stage live concerts

By Korea Herald

Published : June 3, 2014 - 20:36

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Legendary American jazz pianist Chick Corea and renowned vibraphonist Gary Burton will together make their way to Korea to stage two live concerts next week.

The jazz musicians will perform at the Suseong Artpia Yongji Hall in Daegu on June 13 and at the Blue Square Samsung Card Hall in Seoul on June 14. The upcoming concerts will mark the duo’s first visit to Korea since 2007.

Chick Corea, 73, is considered one of the greatest living jazz pianists, alongside some of the biggest names in the field including Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and McCoy Tyner.
Chick Corea (left) and Gary Burton will perform at Suseong Artpia Yongji Hall in Daegu on June 13 and at Blue Square Samsung Card Hall in Seoul on June 14. (PMG Global) Chick Corea (left) and Gary Burton will perform at Suseong Artpia Yongji Hall in Daegu on June 13 and at Blue Square Samsung Card Hall in Seoul on June 14. (PMG Global)

A 20-time Grammy winner, Corea is the fourth-most-nominated artist in the history of the Grammys, with 61 nominations to date. With an eclectic style that embraces Latin jazz, hard-bop, classical, avant-garde and fusion, he remains an inventive and influential member of the international jazz scene.

Born in Massachusetts, Corea first began playing the piano at the age of 4. He grew up in a musical household, as his father was a professional trumpet player. After graduating from high school, Corea moved to New York City in the 1950s to study at Columbia University and later The Julliard School, and became immersed in the city’s jazz community.

In 1968, Corea joined the Miles Davis Quintet, replacing Herbie Hancock, and partook in several influential albums by Davis including “In a Silent Way,” “Bitches Brew” and “Miles Davis at the Fillmore,” emerging as a master of jazz fusion.

In 1970, Corea left Davis to form the group Circle with bassist Dave Holland, saxophonist Anthony Braxton and drummer Barry Altschul. A year later, he formed the immensely successful jazz fusion band Return to Forever, together with bassist Stanley Clarke. The band is credited with revolutionizing crossover jazz and producing a number of standard jazz songs such as “Spain.”

Gary Burton, 71, is a renowned American jazz vibraphonist who has played a key role in expanding the playing range and scope of the vibraphone and marimba with his famous four-mallet technique and the “Burton grip.” He has also taught at the Berklee School of Music, where he mentored many young artists including American jazz guitarist Pat Metheny.

Corea and Burton have been working together for over 40 years. The two first met in 1972, and have since released several duet albums including “Crystal Silence,” “Duets” and the live concert album “In Concert, Zurich,” to become a notable crossover duo in the jazz scene.

In 2012, Corea and Burton released the collaborative jazz album “Hot House,” and won two Grammy Awards for the standard bebop jazz track “Hot House” and “Mozart Goes Dancing.” The album includes a range of compositions by Corea himself and other famous artists including jazz pianist Thelonius Monk as well as Beatles members John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

The duo’s upcoming concerts in Korea will showcase live performances of many of the songs from this Grammy-winning album, among others.

Tickets for the Chick Corea and Gary Burton concert can be purchased through Interpark. Prices range from 50,000 won to 110,000 won. For more information, call PMG Global at (02) 749-1300.

By Sohn Ji-young (jiyoung.sohn@heraldcorp.com)