CHICK COREA — The Mad Hatter (review)

CHICK COREA — The Mad Hatter album cover Album · 1978 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
gatot
If you want to know how great Chick Corea composed his music, go straight to track number 8 of this album "Dear Alice". Well, you may want to start with track 7 as opener for better enjoyment of Dear Alice. Oh man ...I think this is the best jazz music composition that I have ever found on planet earth which really blew me away at first listen when I got the cassette version by the time it was released in 1978. The first time I had this album I was only interested to play Tweedle Dum and Dear Alice only because it's really great and fulfill my taste.

Tweedle Dum is basically an atmospheric intro which features mostly Gayle Moran's great vocal combined with string section. But at the end of this short track there is a very wonderful piano fills by Corea that remarks the great intro of Dear Alice. Dear Alice enters seamlessly right after Tweedle Dum finishes. It's really a wonderful transition and I really enjoy this transistion from Tweedle Dum to Dear Alice.

Dear Alice starts off with a memorable piano fills by Chick Corea in an ambient way followed nicely with acoustic bass solo. Oh an ...it's really a nice combined work of bass and piano (that plays at background). Drums starts to enter the scene, making the music in a jazz beat mood while acoustic bass still play its role in very inventive way - sort of going crazy really. The piano than wraps up the nice intro followed with great voice of Gayle "Good afternoon my dear Alice. Please don't think I have malice ....." ...oh man ... it's really great and I bet you love this part! The brass section then enters the music that is now moving in a nice crescendo with relatively fast tempo. Sometimes it changes to staccato mood when brass section plays their part. The flute then plays as soloist while at the background there are bass, drum, and piano that do not seem to play in the same direction but combined together they form a very beautiful harmony. The music is quite complex but it delivers great melody as well as harmony. And now Chick's turn to play his piano solo augmented by great brass section works. At approx minute 7:32 - 10:02 there is a segment where all instruments, especially bass, drums and piano that play in different direction but still deliver wonderful composition. Oh my God ....!!!! I cannot believe human being can create such a great composition like this one! AT the end of the track I usually replay the track again, starting from Tweedle Dum.

Sorry for writing so long only to appreciate those two tracks. It does not mean the other tracks are not good. The Woods, Humpty Dumpty and The Mad Hatter Rhapsody are good tracks. But Dear Alice is the best composition that Chick has ever made altogether with Compadres of Touchstone album. Dear Alice deserves a flawless composition - a true FIVE STAR composition. Overall, this album deserves four stars.

Gatot Widayanto
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Francesca Avant-Garde Jazz
DAVID MURRAY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Dave’s Picks Volume 50 : The Palladium, New York, NY, 5/3/77 Jazz Related Rock
GRATEFUL DEAD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tough Stuff Post-Fusion Contemporary
IIRO RANTALA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mike Holober & The Gotham Jazz Orchestra : This Rock We're On - Imaginary Letters Third Stream
MIKE HOLOBER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Simon Nabatov Quartet feat. Ralph Alessi : Lovely Music 21st Century Modern
SIMON NABATOV
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Tough Stuff
IIRO RANTALA
js· 34 minutes ago
This Rock We're On: Imaginary Letters (EPK)
MIKE HOLOBER
js· 12 hours ago
Koscha's Delight
SIMON NABATOV
js· 12 hours ago
Songs My Mom Liked EPK - Anthony Branker
ANTHONY BRANKER
js· 3 days ago
“INFLUENCES” by Jared Hall, trumpeter & composer
JARED HALL
js· 3 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed