Chick Corea’s late ’80s/early ’90s re-entry into the jazz fusion realm helped to revitalize a genre he had a hand in shaping during the ’70s, and his Chick Corea Elektric Band vehicle spawned the careers of several jazz savants. But after five albums together from 1986 to 1991, the Chick Corea Elektric Band was no more. Chick Corea, however, wasn’t quite done with scratching the electric jazz fusion itch, and he quickly put together a new Elektric Band to keep the electrified jazz thing going a little bit longer.
Thus, by 1993 the Chick Corea Elektric Band II was born. Guitarist Mike Miller, bassist Jimmy Earl, drummer Gary Novak replaced their respective predecessors Frank Gambale, John Patitucci and David Weckl. Saxophonist Eric Marienthal stayed on board, and Corea soon took his quintet into the studio to record a new set of (mostly) new Corea originals. Paint the World came from those sessions and was released in 1993.
There are many similarities between Elektric Bands Mk 1 and Mk 2, starting with the high demands placed on the bass/drums rhythm section and the acumen needed to keep up with a world-renowned musician. Miller, Earl and Novak weren’t regarded on the same level as Gambale, Patitucci & Weckl but they were able to get the job done, a tall task given the complexity of Corea’s compositions and arrangements.
Given these parallels, it’s interesting that for Paint the World Corea steers clear of synthesizers as a lead instrument, a constant companion during the first iteration of the Elektric Band. Well, there is one exception: “Final Frontier” (video above), which is an update on the heart-racing electro-bop of “Got a Match?” from the first, 1986 CCEB debut. It’s officially presented to American audiences for the first time here, as it was previously available only in the European and Japanese editions of the original CD’s.
Elsewhere, chops are present but mostly stay in check, as Corea evidently sought to soften some of the sharp edges and dwell on nuance. It’s a record that compared to the first edition band, doesn’t flash as much but also isn’t so stuck in its time period. With lots of real jazz seeping in, Paint the World dodges that ‘smooth jazz’ tag.
Miller is a rock guitarist but he is almost as apt to reach for his acoustic guitar as he is an electric one. Corea, for that matter, relies heavily on his acoustic piano. Indeed, the Elektric band is almost as much acoustic as it is electric.
“Paint the World” is almost a straight jazz song and fusion jazz song playing side by side: Corea’s leading piano lives very much in the traditional vein while Miller, Earl and Novak go in a funkier direction. But instead of the opposing streams colliding, they manage to syncopate.
“Tone Poem” boasts interesting chord changes and the classic tone and lithe artfulness of Corea’s Rhodes piano. “CTA,” an old Jimmy Heath number covered countless times since the early 50s, gets an updated treatment from the CCEB2, while the Earl/Novak rhythms section slips a very modern, nervous rhythm underneath, Corea’s electric piano is bopping right along to Heath’s classic strain, while Marienthal applies Sanborn licks over it and Miller rocks out.
The through-composed “The Ant & The Elephant” sees Chick back on piano giving this song a modern jazz flair. “Ritual” is at times full-on straight jazz and Corea’s piano is so pliant and lively over a melody that’s moody and elaborate.
“Blue Miles” rides on a Chicago blues shuffle, and there’s nothin’ too fancy here, just Corea blues riffing on electric piano, followed by a Robben Ford styled lead from Miller. The theme on “Space” is straightforward but Earl’s bass figure adds the right measure of complexity for Corea and Miller to improvise over.
Corea and Miller trade licks on the tense “Ished,” a song that’s like the original Elektric Band where everyone gets to show off a bit. Composing songs with a Latin flavor is an approach Corea has used to great success throughout his career, and “Spanish Sketch” is such an occasion, mildly recalling one of his own standards, “Spain.”
Paint the World would prove to be the only outing for the Chick Corea Elektric Band II; Corea soon afterward refocused on acoustic jazz and he would eventually reconvene the original-lineup Elektric Band in the 2000s. With all that this legendary pianist had accomplished in music up to his 2021 death, the Elektric Band II’s short run barely qualifies as a blip. More than thirty years later, it’s perhaps time to reassess this band. Chick Corea’s rejiggering of the fusion jazz formula toward the jazz direction with generally sharper songwriting has made Paint the World hold up well over the years.
Candid Records is reissuing Paint the World on June 28, 2024 on CD, via streaming, and – for the first time – on double disc vinyl.
*** Chick Corea Elektric Band CDs and vinyl on Amazon ***
- Ron Miles – ‘Old Main Chapel’ (2024) - June 19, 2024
- Chick Corea Elektric Band II – ‘Paint the World’ (1993, 2024 reissue) - June 14, 2024
- Devin Gray – ‘To the Point’ [EP] (2024) - June 13, 2024
