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Possibly one of the most difficult questions for me. Some days it's Corea; other days it's Hancock.

You can have them both.

I'll take Barry Harris, Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell any day.

I'd easily vote for Herbie as well.


What about Chick or Jarrett?

I'm glad I don't have to pick.

But if I had to, Herbie.

Hancock, but in both cases I am judging based on their early work. Herbie before, with, and just after Miles by a mile.

On a simplistic level, I'd pick Herbie for acoustic and Chick for electric. But I love the former's electric work as well (though not the electronic Rockit shit), and ditto for Chick's acoustic work.

In terms of pure techniquey chops, Chick absolutely dazzles me and always has. I love his Latin-influenced percussive style.

In terms of elegant musical fluidity, including comping and soloing, most times I'd take Herbie.

On the two Corea/Hancock duet albums, it's a draw, and that's my final word on the subject. They both played essential roles in various eras of Miles' music.

Tom Storer wrote:I'm glad I don't have to pick.

But if I had to, Herbie.

I'd put it this way too I think....ask me another day and we'll see

Herbie. For a non-musical reason.

I watched Chick being interviewed at the old Jazz Education convention when it was at the NY Hilton. (I've already forgotten the name of the defunct organization that sponsored them). He said he was working on a project of composing music for a movie based on a book by L Ron Hubbard. He explained that L Ron Hubbard was his "favorite author."

It's a shitty AND inaccurate (but maybe funny) parallel, but it's a little like a Nazi saying liked Hitler because he was his "favorite painter."

Tom Storer wrote:I'm glad I don't have to pick.

But if I had to, Herbie.

I'm with Tom and Mike here.

This phenomenal trio album skews my view a bit though.

Hancock is my choice. I've never been a fan of Corea's.

Scott Dolan wrote:You didn't know before that that he was a huge Dianetics fan?

I think he even dedicated his album, Time Warp (which is actually quite good, BTW), to Hubbard.

I did know he was a Scientologist. I just thought that rather than saying that (or even that he was a "Dianetics fan") he spun it into "L Ron Hubbard is my favorite author."

I love the recent Chick Corea, he is putting out his best work right now. He gets my vote.

Scott Dolan wrote:You didn't know before that that he was a huge Dianetics fan?

I think he even dedicated his album, Time Warp (which is actually quite good, BTW), to Hubbard.

Different strokes.....I HATED that album

I'll join the pack here: Herbie Hancock for me. Both of them are absolute monsters on the keyboards. But ultimately Herbie reached higher artistic pinnacles, at least in the 60s through the mid-70s. His achievements from those years are just incredible, not taking anything away from Chick's great early albums. I forgot who it was who once wrote that, if Herbie Hancock had died in the early 70s, we would be speaking of hime in the same sort of voice as we do of Bud Powell and Art Tatum. He only later revealed himself to be a mere mortal.

Tom Storer wrote:I'm glad I don't have to pick.

But if I had to, Herbie.

I think so, too.

I've always listened to more Chick then Herbie, and I too love them both.

IT was Chick who I first saw that turned me on my head.

In terms of today, hands down it's Chick. He's done so many good things lately, his trio with McBride and Blade was absolutely stellar. Chick, Stanley and Lenny were phenomenal, and seeing him with Stanley and Jack DeJohnette was unreal.

I love Herbie, but almost feel like he's been retired for the last 10 years. He's put out recordings, but nothing really of note.

He still plays great.

Chick seems to still be searching and trying new things. Not a fan of the new fusion CD.... The Vigil.

Now, throwing Jarrett in the mix.... nothing better than the Jarrett Trio with Peacock and DeJohnette.....

Scott Dolan wrote:You didn't know before that that he was a huge Dianetics fan?

I think he even dedicated his album, Time Warp (which is actually quite good, BTW), to Hubbard.

Virtually all his albums have some shout out to L.Ron. I separate the man and his talent from his personal beliefs.

Herbie.

If it was 1965, I'd say either (e.g., Chick with Blue Mitchell). Today, I'm not enthusiastic about either.

I did chat with Chick briefly at a public performance once. Seemed more down to earth than I'd have thought. But this was based on five minutes.

peterdubya wrote:Now, throwing Jarrett in the mix.... nothing better than the Jarrett Trio with Peacock and DeJohnette.....

Now there's a debatable assertion!

It's obviously hard to quibble about the skills of any of those three. That each is a top-notch musician is undebatable. But to me, the whole is less than the sum of the parts. I find it a sterile perfection. They leave me cold.

Many are deeply moved and excited by the Jarrett Trio. Me, not at all.

Tom Storer wrote:

peterdubya wrote:Now, throwing Jarrett in the mix.... nothing better than the Jarrett Trio with Peacock and DeJohnette.....

Now there's a debatable assertion!

It's obviously hard to quibble about the skills of any of those three. That each is a top-notch musician is undebatable. But to me, the whole is less than the sum of the parts. I find it a sterile perfection. They leave me cold.

Many are deeply moved and excited by the Jarrett Trio. Me, not at all.

I'm with you on this one, Tom. The Jarrett trio operates at a high level and consistently sounds impressive, but usually leaves me cold as well.

I'm not a fan of everything recorded with Jarrett's trio, but certainly like a lot of it.

I may start another thread on piano trios, because I have another favorite to share and discuss ... Enrico Pieranunzi. Our friend "Sand" (aka Helge Sandvik) turned me on to him a decade or so ago, and I've become a huge fan.

Note: I just looked over and noticed that it's my 500th post. Wow.

For me Herbie (simply for the music).

I do love Corea on an acoustic piano (and on electric with Miles), but I boycott his releases as a leader for his association with the criminal Scientology cult. I wonder how many lives Chick has managed to destroy, both as a Dianetics auditor and recruiting tool.

erwbol wrote:For me Herbie (simply for the music).

I do love Corea on an acoustic piano (and on electric with Miles), but I boycott his releases as a leader for his association with the criminal Scientology cult. I wonder how many lives Chick has managed to destroy, both as a Dianetics auditor and recruiting tool.

My guess is that he has enriched far more lives than he has destroyed.