Some musicians crawl into their comfort zones and stay there, but Chick Corea isn't one of them. Over the years, the pianist/keyboardist has not been afraid to hurl himself into a variety of musical situations. Early Days, a Japanese reissue from 1986, takes a look at some post-bop and avant-garde material that he recorded in 1969. These recordings find Corea playing both acoustic and electric piano and leading a group that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet, Bennie Maupin on tenor sax, Hubert Laws on flute, Dave Holland on bass and two drummers: Jack De Johnette and Horace Arnold. The only participant who isn't well-known is Arnold; except for him, Early Days boasts an all-star cast (although some of the musicians became better known in the '70s than they were in 1969). But despite having an impressive cast, this CD is uneven. There are some noteworthy and enjoyable performances, including the haunting "Waltz for Bill Evans." And it is interesting to hear Corea getting into some dissonant, Cecil Taylor-influenced outside playing on "Converge" and the intense "Sundance." But overall, Early Days is not great. As far as Corea's avant-garde output goes, this CD is not in a class with his work with the short-lived early-'70s combo Circle. Anyone who is interested in hearing Corea playing free jazz would do well to check out the Blue Note reissue Early Circle, which focuses on Circle's AACM-minded explorations of 1970 and is more consistent than this release. Definitely not essential, Early Days is strictly for completists and hardcore collectors.