Chick Corea Elektric Band was a jazz fusion band, led by keyboardist and pianist Chick Corea and founded in 1986 in New York City. The band was nominated twice at the Grammy Awards.[1] The sixth band album, a tribute one named Chick Corea Elektric Band II - Paint the World and released in 1993, received an additional nomination the next year.[2] The group reunited in 2003, and Corea died in 2021.
The band’s typical line-up was cemented in 1987's Light Years, with Frank Gambale replacing Scott Henderson as a full time member, and saxophonist Eric Marienthal joining the group.[4]
The third album was Eye of the Beholder, released in 1988.[5] The material for the fourth album, Inside Out, released in 1990, was Corea originals.[5][6] The last album featuring the band's traditional line-up was Beneath the Mask, released in 1991.[7]
For the next album, Elektric Band II: Paint the World released in 1993, only Corea and Marienthal returned from the original line-up.[8] Gary Novak became the new drummer, Jimmy Earl took the bass, and Mike Miller played guitar.[8] The album's style is jazz-oriented.[9]
The tribute album and return of original lineup[edit]
In 1996, the band recorded a version of "Rumble" from West Side Story for the tribute album The Songs of West Side Story; this saw Weckl and Gambale returning.[10] John Patitucci returned in 2004, restoring the band to its original lineup for To the Stars.[5][11]
