CHICK COREA — Is (review)

CHICK COREA — Is album cover Album · 1969 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
darkprinceofjazz
I found a vinyl copy of "Is" the other day, while I do have the CD, I don't believe I have listened to it more than once, It is has been years since that first listen, My tastes for free jazz have grown, and I don't remember caring much for it back then, probably 10 years ago at least, but now the music makes much more sense, and compared to the Return to Forever music, shocking, to say the least.

A great line up comprises the album Is, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Bennie Maupin on tenor sax, Hubert Laws on flute and piccolo, Dave Holland on Bass, Jack Dejohnette and Horace Arnold on drums and Corea on piano and electric piano.

What I am struck by, is the searching free spirited nature of the music, at time is does seem to come unhinged, and even lost a bit, I am left thinking this music sounds like a rehearsal, or a jam of sorts, things are being worked out and brought to the fold, some things work better than others, but as a whole piece of music, though not refined, it shows a thirst to create something new, I don't remember hearing to many free jazz albums with the electric piano so prominently used, it is interesting to hear it cut through the mix, Corea and Holland really seem to be feeding off of each other, certainly not a perfect album, but easily worth a listen, or two.
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darkprinceofjazz wrote:
more than 2 years ago
I did have that Connoisseur's series issue double disc, Complete Is sessions, Inner Space and Is, and a few alternate takes, I traded it away years ago, It's rather expensive right now on the secondary market, This second listen to Inner Space and Is, 10 years ago My exposure to that style was in it's infancy, it sure made more sense 10 years later.
snobb wrote:
more than 2 years ago
One of not so many Corea's albums I didn't listen. As some other his works from late 60s-early 70s (especially avant-garde jazz ones) it's a rare album to find. I expect that as well as Arc,Circle's and few others this album should be quite unpredictable and "more interesting than pleasant to listen".Need to try harder and find it one day...

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