Chick Corea - Spain

**Gitfiddler** · 09-08-2019, 03:17 PM

Chick Corea's "Spain" is one of my all time favorites. Here are the 1975 Down Beat Poll Winners performing this classic:

Chick Corea - keys; Hubert Laws - flute; Bill Watrous - trombone; George Benson - guitar; Stanley Clarke - bass; Lenny White - drums; Introduced by Quincy Jones.

**Jazzstdnt** · 09-09-2019, 12:19 AM

Dug that, thanks. I remember 1975 quite well. This one is great too.

**West LA Jazz** · 09-09-2019, 01:30 AM

One of my all time favorites too.

**fep** · 09-09-2019, 10:19 AM

And just in case anyone has been living under a rock, Al Jarreau wrote brilliant lyrics to the tune in that I believe he captured the mood and rhythm so well with the lyrics, not easy I would think with such an involved melody... they sit in the song so well. I love singing along with his lyrics not that I'm much of a singer but it sure is fun.

**mr. beaumont** · 09-09-2019, 10:23 AM

I had a real tough time memorizing the syncopated melody part to Spain--then I learned Jarreau's lyrics and it was easy. Really taught me something.

**Sam Sherry** · 09-09-2019, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by Gitfiddler

Chick Corea's "Spain" is one of my all time favorites.

Oh yes.

Chick recorded it several times with meaningful distinctions. As much as I love the original RTF version (and Stan, and the "Light As A Feather" album, and that band), the Akoustic Trio developments are also wonderful:

**AndyV** · 09-09-2019, 01:20 PM

The Jarreau performance is terrific! Over the years, I've taken several passes at learning the syncopated/clapping section and gone down in flames each time. Sigh.

More cool versions ....

**Woody Sound** · 09-12-2019, 12:27 PM

Had this LP years ago, love it. Rhythm kicks in around 1:30.

**fep** · 10-30-2020, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by AndyV

The Jarreau performance is terrific! Over the years, I've taken several passes at learning the syncopated/clapping section and gone down in flames each time. Sigh.

More cool versions ....

Just listened to that. Stevie's solo is amazing.

**West LA Jazz** · 11-01-2020, 12:30 AM

These algorithms are something. An hour or so after I read this, I get this recommendation. Tom Quale does something a little different with his version of Spain.
It's worth a watch.

PS: Keep tackling the hand clapping part of the song. With all due respect to the melody, it's probably the best section of the song with that syncopated rhythm.

**wolflen** · 11-01-2020, 04:39 PM

[QUOTE=West LA Jazz;1072037]These algorithms are something. An hour or so after I read this, I get this recommendation. Tom Quale does something a little different with his version of Spain.
It's worth a watch. /QUOTE]

Quale is Australian and works mostly on the Europe and Asia side ..Govan also tours (or did) mostly on that side of the pond ..both have influenced my playing alot.

this is a very good study in this style of playing..you can slow down the speed of the vid

**West LA Jazz** · 11-01-2020, 09:16 PM

[QUOTE=wolflen;1072282]

Originally Posted by West LA Jazz

These algorithms are something. An hour or so after I read this, I get this recommendation. Tom Quale does something a little different with his version of Spain.
It's worth a watch. /QUOTE]

Quale is Australian and works mostly on the Europe and Asia side ..Govan also tours (or did) mostly on that side of the pond ..both have influenced my playing alot.

this is a very good study in this style of playing..you can slow down the speed of the vid

I like both Govan and Quale. Govan tours like crazy but I didn't realize Quale worked across Europe. Makes sense though. Quale's technique is nice. A hybrid of using the pick and the three remaining fingers whereas Mateo Mancuso is essentially using five fingers ala classical guitar on the electric guitar. I've noticed that Mancuso increasingly uses a damper to control the sympathetic ringing of the strings while he plays.

**newsense** · 11-02-2020, 05:14 AM

Originally Posted by wolflen

Quale is Australian .....

I don't like to nit-pick, but the guy in the video is Tom Quayle (not Quale) - he was born in Bristol, England and studied in Leeds, England, where he is still based. His bio doesn't mention Oz and he doesn't have an Aussie accent, so not sure where the Australian thing comes in, unless I missed part of his bio.

**christianm77** · 11-02-2020, 06:06 AM

Australian??? Lol.

**christianm77** · 11-02-2020, 06:10 AM

Mind you it’s a common mix up with Americans. Some people seem to think John Oliver is Aussie.

I put it mostly down to Americans not giving a shit haha.

But no I can see the similarities of accent and humour that could be easily confused by someone from a relatively alien culture like the US.

**christianm77** · 11-02-2020, 06:28 AM

I do love it in American shows when a character is introduced as being from somewhere Americans may of heard of like Liverpool while sporting a strong London accent or something. (Liverpudlians have a very distinctive regional accent.)

TBF I don’t know how well we’d do with US regional accents.

Or when the majority of American actors attempt a Brit accent. (I’m the reverse can be just as bad for Americans, although the dominance of US culture I think helps with for Brits I think. It’s like learning music...)

**dot75** · 11-02-2020, 11:09 AM

watched all of these - Spain'd out...

Saw Corea last year with the Spanish Heart Band, Nino De Los Reyes danced the hell out of it...can't find a video of that so here's this...Warning no Corea content.

**docsteve** · 11-05-2020, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by fep

Just listened to that. Stevie's solo is amazing.

Love Stevie. I once had a band called Stevie and The Wonders

BTW did you notice that all of the soloists went into some speed licks at the beginning of the second chorus, except for the female keyboard player? Discuss at length at the Eric Gale thread