Chick Corea Elektric Band

Chick Corea Elektric Band was a jazz fusion band, led by keyboardist Chick Corea. The band was nominated twice at the Grammy Awards.[1] Chick Corea Elektric Band II received an additional nomination in 1994.[2]

Chick Corea Elektric Band
At the Blue Note in New York City. Left to right: Eric Marienthal (saxophone), Chick Corea (keyboard), Frank Gambale (guitar), Victor Wooten (bass), Dave Weckl (drums)
Background information
Genres	Jazz fusion
Years active	1986–2017
Labels	Stretch, GRP
Members	Chick Corea † John Patitucci Frank Gambale Dave Weckl Eric Marienthal
Past members	Victor Wooten Scott Henderson Carlos Rios Gary Novak Jimmy Earl Mike Miller Jamie Glaser Mike Pope Ric Fierabracci

The band's typical line-up, in addition to Corea, was Eric Marienthal (saxophone), Frank Gambale (guitar), John Patitucci (electric bass), and Dave Weckl (drums).[3] This was the line-up for the band's second album, Light Years (1987).[4]

The third album was Eye of the Beholder.[5] The material for the fourth album, Inside Out (1990), was Corea originals.[5][6] The last album featuring the band's traditional line-up was Beneath the Mask (1991).[7]

For the next album, Elektric Band II: Paint the World (1993), only Corea and Marienthal returned from the original line-up.[8] Gary Novak became the new drummer, Jimmy Earl took the bass, and Mike Miller played guitar.[8] The album's style is jazz-oriented.[9]

In 1996, the band recorded a version of "Rumble" from West Side Story for the tribute album The Songs of West Side Story; this saw Weckl and Gambale returning.[10] The original members reunited in 2004 for To the Stars.[5][11]

The band toured North America with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones in 2017.[12]

Corea died of cancer at his home in the Tampa Bay area of Florida on February 9, 2021, at age 79; he had only recently been diagnosed.[13]