Chick Corea’s first unaccompanied album initiated the solo piano idiom at ECM, and proved to be extremely influential. Alongside music created in the moment, some powerful melodies are explored here, not least that of “Sometime Ago”, soon to be a theme song for the Return To Forever band. “I found it quite easy to select what I felt was the single best disc [of 1971]. Chick Corea’s Piano Improvisations Volume One is a true masterpiece of music and a very important album” – Michael Cuscuna, Record World.
After spending a year with the avant-garde quartet Circle, Chick Corea's desire to communicate to a wider audience led to him deciding to break up the unit. His first post-Circle recordings were two LPs of piano solos. Vol. 1 features six of his originals including the eight sketches of "Where Are You Now?," and the debut of the future standard "Sometime Ago." These performances are sometimes a bit precious, but they succeed in being acccessible and serve as a transition between Circle and Return to Forever. - Scott Yanow
Tracks
01. Noon Song
02. Song for Sally
03. Ballad for Anna
04. Song of the Wind
05. Sometime Ago
06. Where Are You? - A Suite of Eight Pictures-Picture 1
07. Where Are You? - A Suite of Eight Pictures-Picture 2
08. Where Are You? - A Suite of Eight Pictures-Picture 3
09. Where Are You? - A Suite of Eight Pictures-Picture 4
10. Where Are You? - A Suite of Eight Pictures-Picture 5
11. Where Are You? - A Suite of Eight Pictures-Picture 6
12. Where Are You? - A Suite of Eight Pictures-Picture 7
13. Where Are You? - A Suite of Eight Pictures-Picture 8
CHICK COREA piano
All music composed by Chick Corea
Recorded on April 21 and 22, 1971 at the Bendiksen Studio, Oslo
ECM Records – ECM 1014