Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
Now He Sings, Now He Sobs | ||||
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Studio album by Chick Corea | ||||
Released | December 1968 [1] | |||
Recorded | March 14, 19 and 27, 1968 | |||
Studio | A&R Studios, New York City | |||
Genre | Jazz, post-bop, free jazz | |||
Length | 40:24 Original LP 68:48 CD reissue | |||
Label | Solid State SR 3157 Blue Note 1988 CD reissue {CDP 7 90055 2} | |||
Producer | Sonny Lester | |||
Chick Corea chronology | ||||
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Now He Sings, Now He Sobs is the second studio album by Chick Corea, released in December 1968 on Solid State Records. It features Corea in a trio with bassist Miroslav Vitouš and drummer Roy Haynes. In 1988 it was reissued on CD by Blue Note with eight bonus tracks recorded at the same sessions.[2][3]
All of the tracks on the original album are improvisations based on Corea’s ideas, with some being entirely free improvisations (such as "The Law of Falling and Catching Up" and "Fragments").[4] Vitous and Haynes would reunite with Corea as an acoustic trio on Trio Music (ECM, 1982), Trio Music, Live in Europe (ECM, 1986), and The Trio Live From The Country Club (Stretch, 1996).[5][6][7] The trio also backed saxophonist Toshiyuki Honda on the album Dream (Eastworld, 1983).[8]
The bonus tracks released on the CD include a cover of Thelonious Monk's composition "Pannonica" and the Wood/Mellin standard "My One and Only Love". All eight pieces had originally been issued in 1975 on Circling In, a Blue Note “twofer”.[2]
According to Corea, the album title comes from the I Ching, which contains a section called "Now He Sings; Now He Sobs — Now He Beats The Drum; Now He Stops." He recalled: "The poetry of that phrase fit the message of the trio's music... the gamut of life experiences — the whole human picture and range of emotions."[9]
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
MusicHound Jazz | [11] |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [12] |
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [13] |
DownBeat's reviewer awarded the original release zero stars, refusing to assign a rating because he didn't know what to think of it.[14][15]
In 1999, the single "Now He Sings, Now He Sobs" was given the Grammy Hall of Fame Award.[16]
In a review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the album as "the place where [Corea] put all the pieces in motion for his long, adventurous career," and wrote: "There's an intellectual rigor balanced by an instinctual hunger that makes for music that's lively and challenging while also containing a patina of comfort... it captures the pianist at the brink: it's kinetic, exciting, and filled with endless possibilities."[10]
The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings awarded the album a full 4 stars, calling it "a fine, solid jazz set with some intelligently handled standard material."[12]
The editors of MusicHound Jazz awarded the album a full 5 stars, and writer Ralph Burnett noted that it "features Corea's best original writing and a superb trio."[11]
Will Layman of PopMatters included the recording in his article "The 11 Best Chick Corea Albums," and stated: "Can an artist sum up their career in what was essentially a debut? Yes."[17] On a similar note, The Guardian's John Fordham included the album in his list of Corea's "10 Greatest Recordings," noting that it "found him at a crossroads, pulled between the swing of the classic acoustic jazz-piano trio and the more free-associative future he would soon briefly explore," and praising his "powerful and intuitive partners," who "follow his every move."[18]
Author and drummer Michael Stephans called the album "a piano trio classic," and commented: "Many musicians and listeners alike believe it to be one of the greatest modern jazz trio records ever made. Corea is in top form, and Haynes and Vitous are responsive, supportive, and daring in their accompaniment and solos."[19]
Writer and historian Loren Schoenberg remarked: "it is refreshing to go back to this... to hear how original his style sounded bounding out of the context of the 1960s... Corea's compositions and free-flowing concept set him apart from the pack even at this early date."[20]
The singer Bilal named it among his 25 favorite albums, explaining: "I think that's just one of the best jazz trio albums ever. Mostly every jazz musician I talk to love that album. It's just a classic."[21]
Track listing
All tracks are originals by the performers, except where noted.
Original release
- "Steps - What Was" – 13:53
- "Matrix" – 6:29
- "Now He Sings, Now He Sobs" – 7:05
- "Now He Beats the Drum, Now He Stops" – 10:40
- "The Law of Falling and Catching Up" – 2:28
1988 CD release
- "Matrix" – 6:25
- "My One and Only Love" (Guy Wood, Robert Mellin) – 3:35
- "Now He Beats the Drum, Now He Stops" – 10:34
- "Bossa" – 4:41
- "Now He Sings, Now He Sobs" – 7:05
- "Steps - What Was" – 13:49
- "Fragments" – 4:02
- "Windows" – 3:09
- "Pannonica" (Thelonious Monk) – 2:58
- "Samba Yantra" – 2:39
- "I Don't Know" – 2:40
- "The Law of Falling and Catching Up" – 2:25
- "Gemini" – 4:21
Personnel
- Chick Corea – piano
- Miroslav Vitouš – bass
- Roy Haynes – drums
- Sonny Lester – producer
See also
- Trio Music (ECM, 1982)
- Trio Music Live in Europe (ECM, 1986)
References
- ^ Billboard, December 21, 1968.
- ^ a b "Chick Corea - Now He Sings, Now He Sobs". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ "Chick Corea Discography". JazzDisco. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Harrison, Max; Fox, Charles; Thacker, Eric; Nicholson, Stuart (2000). The Essential Jazz Records: Modernism to Postmodernism. Mansell. p. 462.
- ^ "Chick Corea - Trio Music". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ "Chick Corea - Trio Music Live in Europe". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ "Chick Corea - The Trio Live from Country Club". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ "Toshiyuki Honda: Dream". AllMusic. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ McPhate, Tim (December 3, 2014). "The Making Of Chick Corea's "Now He Sings, Now He Sobs"". Grammy Awards. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Yanow, Scott (2011). "Chick Corea - Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968) album review | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
- ^ a b Holtje, Steve; Lee, Nancy Ann (1998). MusicHound: The Essential Album Guide. Schirmer. p. 277.
- ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 304. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 51. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ "Chick Corea". Jazz Shelf. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ "State Lines: Department of Music to Perform Jazz Combo in Fall Concert" (PDF). Frostburg State University. p. 3. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ "Chick Corea". Grammy Awards. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Layman, Will (February 16, 2021). "The 11 Best Chick Corea Albums". PopMatters. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Fordham, John (February 15, 2021). "Chick Corea: his 10 greatest recordings". The Guardian. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Stephans, Michael (2013). Experiencing Jazz: A Listener's Companion. Scarecrow Press. p. 263.
- ^ Schoenberg, Loren (2002). The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Jazz. Penguin. p. 222.
- ^ Simmons, Ted (February 26, 2013). "Bilal's 25 Favorite Albums". Complex. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
External links
- Chick Corea - Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968) album to be listened as stream on Spotify
- v
- t
- e
leader
- Tones for Joan's Bones (1968)
- Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
- Circling In (1975)
- Is (1969)
- Sundance (1972)
- The Song of Singing (1970)
- A.R.C. (1971) (with Dave Holland & Barry Altschul)
- The Leprechaun (1976)
- My Spanish Heart (1976)
- The Mad Hatter (1978)
- Secret Agent (1978)
- Friends (1978)
- Tap Step (1980)
- Three Quartets (1981)
- Trio Music (1982)
- Touchstone (1982)
- Again and Again (1983)
- Summer Night: Live (1987) (with Akoustic Band)
- Chick Corea Akoustic Band (1989) (with Akoustic Band)
- Alive (1991) (with Akoustic Band)
- Seabreeze (1993) (with Gayle Moran & Lionel Hampton)
- Time Warp (1995)
- Remembering Bud Powell (1996)
- Rendezvous in New York (2003)
- The Ultimate Adventure (2006)
- Super Trio - Live at the One World Theatre, April 3rd, 2005 (2006) (with Steve Gadd & Christian McBride)
- Five Peace Band Live (2009) (with John McLaughlin)
- Further Explorations (2012)
- The Continents: Concerto for Jazz Quintet & Chamber Orchestra (2012)
- The Vigil (2013)
- Trilogy (2013) (with Chick Corea Trio)
- The Musician: Live at The Blue Note Jazz Café (2016)
- Chinese Butterfly (2017) (with Steve Gadd)
- Trilogy 2 (2019)(with Chick Corea Trio)
- Antidote (2019)
albums
- Piano Improvisations Vol. 1 (1971)
- Piano Improvisations Vol. 2 (1972)
- Delphi I (1979)
- Delphi II & III (1980)
- Children's Songs (1984)
- Expressions (1994)
- Solo Piano: Originals (2000)
- Solo Piano: Standards (2000)
- Solo Piano – Portraits (2014)
- Plays (2020)
- An Evening with Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea: In Concert (1978)
- CoreaHancock (1979)
- Chick Corea & Lionel Hampton in Concert (1980)
- Voyage (1984) [with Steve Kujala]
- Play (1992) (with Bobby McFerrin)
- The Enchantment (2007) (with Béla Fleck)
- Duet (2008) (with Hiromi Uehara)
- Orvieto (2010) (with Stefano Bollani)
- Two (2015) [with Béla Fleck]
Gary Burton
- Crystal Silence (1972)
- Duet (1979)
- In Concert, Zürich, October 28, 1979 (1980)
- Lyric Suite for Sextet (1982)
- Native Sense - The New Duets (1997)
- The New Crystal Silence (2008)
- Hot House (2012)
- Circle 1: Live in Germany Concert (1970)
- Circle 2: Gathering (1971)
- Paris Concert (1972)
- Circling In (1975)
- Circulus (1978)
Stanley Clarke
- Children of Forever (1973)
- Journey to Love (1975)
- Rocks, Pebbles and Sand (1980)
- Up (2014)
Miles Davis
- Water Babies (1976)
- Filles de Kilimanjaro (1969)
- In a Silent Way (1969)
- Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2 (2013)
- Bitches Brew (1970)
- Bitches Brew Live (2011)
- Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West (1977)
- Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live at the Fillmore East (1970)
- Miles at the Fillmore – Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 (2014)
- Jack Johnson (a.k.a. A Tribute to Jack Johnson) (1971)
- Circle in the Round (1979)
- Live-Evil (1971)
- On the Corner (1972)
- Big Fun (1974)
Chick Corea
Elektric Band
- The Chick Corea Elektric Band (1986)
- Light Years (1987)
- Eye of the Beholder (1988)
- Inside Out (1990)
- Beneath the Mask (1991)
- Elektric Band II: Paint the World (1993)
- Live from Elario's (The First Gig) (1996)
- To the Stars (2004)
- Live in Tokyo 1987 (2017)
Joe Farrell
- Joe Farrell Quartet (1970)
- Outback (1971)
- Skate Board Park (1979)
Stan Getz
- Sweet Rain (1967)
- What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David (1968)
- Captain Marvel (1972)
Joe Henderson
- Relaxin' at Camarillo (1979)
- Mirror Mirror (1980)
- Joe Henderson: Big Band (1997)
Hubert Laws
- The Laws of Jazz (1964)
- Flute By-Laws (1966)
- Laws' Cause (1968)
- Wild Flower (1972)
- Family (1980)
- Blanchard: New Earth Sonata (1985)
Herbie Mann
Blue Mitchell
- The Thing to Do (1964)
- Down with It! (1965)
- Boss Horn (1967)
Origin
- Live at the Blue Note (1998)
- A Week at The Blue Note (1998)
- Change (1999)
- corea.concerto: Spain for Sextet & Orchestra / Piano Concerto No. 1 (1999)
Return to Forever
- Return to Forever (1972)
- Light as a Feather (1973)
- Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973)
- Where Have I Known You Before (1974)
- No Mystery (1975)
- Romantic Warrior (1976)
- Musicmagic (1977)
- Live (1978)
- Returns (2009)
- Forever [as Corea, Clarke & White] (2011)
- The Mothership Returns (2012)
Wayne Shorter
- Super Nova (1969)
- Moto Grosso Feio (1974)
others
- Sonny Stitt: Stitt Goes Latin (1963)
- Dave Pike: Manhattan Latin (1964)
- Cal Tjader: Soul Burst (1966)
- Pete La Roca: Turkish Women at the Bath (1967)
- Donald Byrd: The Creeper (1981)
- Eric Kloss: To Hear Is to See! (1969)
- Eric Kloss: Consciousness! (1970)
- Larry Coryell: Spaces (1970)
- Sadao Watanabe: Round Trip (1970)
- Marion Brown: Afternoon of a Georgia Faun (1970)
- Richard Davis: The Philosophy of the Spiritual (1971)
- Rolf Kühn Jazzgroup: Going to the Rainbow (1971)
- John Surman: Conflagration (1971)
- Elvin Jones: Merry-Go-Round (1972)
- Airto Moreira: Free (1972)
- Anthony Braxton: The Complete Braxton (1973)
- Richard Davis: With Understanding (1975)
- Dee Dee Bridgewater: Just Family (1977)
- Ron Carter: Parade (1979)
- Gábor Szabó: Femme Fatale (1979)
- Tete Montoliu: Lunch in L.A. (1980)
- Chaka Khan et al.: Echoes of an Era (1982)
- Elektric Band II: Paint the World (1993)
- Like Minds (1998) (with Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland)
- Herbie Hancock: Gershwin's World (1998)
- Avishai Cohen: Lyla (2003)
- Miroslav Vitouš: Universal Syncopations (2003)
- Antonio Sánchez: Migration (2007)
- Hans Glawischnig: Panorama (2008)
- Inner Space (1973)
- The Complete "Is" Sessions (2002)
- Chick Corea/Herbie Hancock/Keith Jarret/McCoy Tyner (1976)
- Chick Corea Compact Jazz (1987)
- Best of Chick Corea (1993)
- Selected Recordings (2002)
- Very Best of Chick Corea (2004)
- Herbie Mann-Chick Corea: The Complete Latin Band Sessions (2007)
- Electric Chick (2008)
- Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown (1989)