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Pianist Chick Corea had worked with tenor saxophonist
Stan Getz
in 1966-67. When Corea bumped into Getz in Spain around 1971, Corea proposed working with him again. So it's not surprising that when Getz returned to the U.S. in 1972 after several years in Europe, he picked Corea to play in his group for his first U.S. engagement. The group also included several of Corea's band mates—then-young bass prodigy Stanley Clarke and Brazillian percussionist Airto, plus
the powerful percussion innovator, Tony Williams. After a three week live engagement in New York City, the group went into the studio on March 3rd, 1972 to record
Captain Marvel.
The album featured five compositions by Chick Corea plus Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life." Several of Corea's tunes show a Spanish influence. Chick played Fender Rhodes using his distinctive percussive electric keyboard style—building up sounds via fast single line runs and repetition. Getz's playing is strong and inspired here. As he did here, Getz often worked younger musicians during the 1960s and 1970s and seemed to draw inspiration from their energy and often used their compositions as well.
This new, remastered edition includes two unissued alternates and one unissued tune ("Crystal Silence"), plus new liner notes by Chick Corea (plus the original notes) and is well worth hearing.
[Sidenote: Captain Marvel was recorded in between sessions for the first albums by Corea's group Return to Forever. RTF recorded their eponymous CD for ECM on February 2 & 3, 1972. One of the tunes on that album "Crystal Silence," is included here as a bonus track. Two of Corea's tunes that are on Captain Marvel—"500 Miles High" and the title track were later recorded for RTF's second album, Light as a Feather, which was recorded in October, 1972 for Polydor.]
Release Date: 5 August 2003
Stan Getz:
Captain Marvel (Columbia/Legacy)
1. La Fiesta (Corea) - 8:26
/ 2. Five Hundred Miles High (Corea) - 8:12
/ 3. Captain Marvel (Corea) - 5:09
/ 4. Time's Lie (Corea/Potter) - 9:48
/ 5. Lush Life (Strayhorn) - 4:16
/ 6. Day Waves (Corea) - 9:43
/ 7. Crystal Silence [*] (Corea/Porter) - 7:47
/ 8. Captain Marvel [*] (Corea) - 5:18
/ 9. Five Hundred Miles High [*] (Corea) - 9:29
// (* = bonus tracks)
Personnel:
Stan Getz (tenor sax) /
Chick Corea (electric piano, Fender Rhodes) /
Stanley Clarke (bass) /
Tony Williams (drums) /
Airto Moreira (percussion)
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last update 21 February 2004