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57ChickCoreaElectric Keyboardistof the YearBy Aaron CohenElectricKeyboard/Synthesizer161 Chick Corea147 Herbie Hancock119 Uri Caine76 John Medeski60 Craig Taborn23 Jim Baker20 Wayne Horvitz15 Gil Goldstein14 Geoffrey Keezer14 Lyle Mays13 Hiromi13 Jason LindnerIt’s no accident that two of Chick Corea’sbest-known bands have been named Circleand Return To Forever (RTF). The winnerof this year’s Critics Poll in the ElectricKeyboard/Synthesizer category has alwaysbeen a step ahead of the next technologicaltrends. But during 2008 and 2009, he’s alsobeen going back to his own past, and showinghow much his associations from the 1960s and’70s mean to today’s jazz audiences.Last year, Corea appeared on DownBeat’scover as RTF’s classic lineup of himself, AlDiMeola, Stanley Clarke and Lenny Whitereconvened for a wildly successful tour. Thereunion has already resulted in the 2-discReturn To Forever Returns (Eagle Records) andthe DVD Return To Forever Returns: Live AtMonreux (Eagle Eye). A few months ago, hejoined up with guitarist John McLaughlin—hiscolleague from Miles Davis’ seminal work infusion—to form the Five Peace Band with suchyounger musicians as Christian McBride andKenny Garrett along with drummer VinnieColaiuta (alternating on some live gigs withBrian Blade). This group’s self-titled live discwas released this year (Concord).When he had the chance to take a shortbreak between tours, a relaxed-sounding Coreamade it seem like his own joviality and wiseobservations make him as much of a magnet forhis new crew as his landmark music.Like his take on a seemingly easy life on theroad with the Five Peace Band.“One of the beauties of making music andworking with artists in general—especially injazz—is that age sort of disappears,” Coreasaid. “We’re commonly linked with the traditionswe love and when we get together, theredoesn’t seem to be any age barrier. Especiallyonstage. On the bus, I don’t follow the TVshows that the young guys had been watching—andI’ll be talking about Steve Allen—but, musically, the energy of the young guys isrefreshing. It’s a nice exchange between whatJohn calls us old hippies and the young cats.”Still, it’s the ties between those old hippiesthat made the Five Peace Band happen afterseveral years of percolating.“I could roll it back to the ’70s when Johnand I were running around with our bands andwe became good friends since we first met,”Corea said. “Around 1969 we played a little bittogether, recorded with Miles and developed amutual admiration for each other that lastedthrough the decades. We always—in one wayor another—would mention wanting to dosomething with each other. And while we sat inwith each other, we never really did a projecttogether. Then, when my schedule opened up, Iproposed this project to John and it clicked inand we tried to nail a schedule down and itcame together.”Corea also mentions his 60th birthday celebrationin December 2001 at New York’s BlueNote as his incentive to reconvene RTF anddive into building new performance opportunitieswith musicians like McLaughlin. Thatthree-week event included Corea performingwith veteran colleagues like Michael Brecker,Roy Haynes and Gary Burton, new partners likeGonzalo Rubalcaba, and such groups as Originand his Akoustic Band. In his unique method ofmaking his releases unabridged, the resultscomprised the 10-DVD box set Rendezvous InNew York (Image Entertainment) in 2005.“When I had that celebration at the BlueJOS KNAEPEN40 DOWNBEAT August 2009