Further Explorations

On Further Explorations, Chick Corea is joined by Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian for a live recording that pays homage to Bill Evans. Motian and Gomez both played with Evans, who in the early '60s changed the way piano trios work by replacing the prevailing keyboard-plus-accompanists approach with three-way interplay. The new album, whose title refers to the landmark 1961 Evans release Explorations, was recorded at the Blue Note club in 2010. It includes material written by and associated with Evans, along with other material. The trio swings fiercely on Evans' “Peri’s Scope,” livened up with breaks by Motian and Gomez. “Song No. 1,” a previously unrecorded composition, is another lovely Evans ballad with rich harmonies. A ten-minute take on Monk’s “Little Rootie Tootie” starts with an engaging stretch of free improvisation before heading into the piece’s theme. Evans’ “Turn Out the Stars” and the standard “But Beautiful—Part 1” feature extensive bowed-bass workouts by Gomez, and things wrap up with the Gomez-penned “Puccini’s Walk.” Corea shines throughout.