Tones for Joan's Bones,
Chick Corea's first session as a leader, is a blazing, advanced hard bop set from late 1966, with writing that reveals an affinity with
McCoy Tyner's seminal hard bop structures from this period. Tenor player
Joe Farrell and trumpeter
Woody Shaw are ideal for this music. They deliver virtuoso performances that are both visceral and cerebral.
Steve Swallow, while later focusing exclusively on electric bass, often with a melodic, impressionistic approach, is pure thunder here. In a blindfold test his acoustic bass could be mistaken for
Buster Williams'. Drummer
Joe Chambers is all relentless, propulsive energy, but subtle too.
Corea is a torrent of harmonic and melodic imagination, couched in unerring rhythm. Anybody with an interest in this vital and exciting period will find this session indispensable. ~ Jim Todd