Light Years

Description

For the second album of The Elektric Band, Chick Corea - the revered 27-time Grammy Award winner and master of jazz from the National Endowment for the Arts - entered the studio with Dave Weckl on drums, John Patitucci on bass, and two new musicians who would solidify the classic lineup of the group, guitarist Frank Gambale and saxophonist Eric Marienthal. More produced than its predecessor, Light Years features several sequence-driven tracks, reflecting Corea's attempt to reach a broader audience with tighter, funkier, and more communicative music than what he had recorded on The Chick Corea Elektric Band in 1986. The title track, irresistibly catchy and crisp, is a prime example of Corea's more commercial aspirations for the album, with Patitucci laying down a fat, funky groove with some hefty slap bass lines (a distinct flavor of the era), and Marienthal's sharp alto sax strutting above. Not only did this groove-focused piece captivate listeners, but it also won a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards. Originally released on GRP Records in 1987, the album also includes the dreamy contemporary jazz offerings of "Second Sight" and "The Dragon," the sequence-driven "Time Track," "Flamingo," featuring Carlos Rios on guitar, and the electrifying and highly complex techno tour de force, "Kaleidoscope." Produced by Corea, with his long-time engineering partner Bernie Kirsch, the album features detailed notes from jazz writer Bill Milkowski, providing context and explicit technical notes to the listening experience.