Chick Corea Played Seven Shows At The Main Point In 1973 And 1974
Acclaimed jazz pianist, Chick Corea, who died Tuesday at the age of 79, performed on numerous occassions in the Philadelphia area when his career was beginning to take off, in the early 70s.
The Bijou, Playhouse in the Park, and the Academy of Music were among the local venues where audiences could enjoy what the Inquirer’s Jack Lloyd described as “one of the great contradictions in contemporary music.” Lloyd was referring to the contrast between Corea’s “trim haircut” and “modest manner,” and the “avant garde jazz’ that he was playing.
Chick in Bryn Mawr
Chick Corea also performed seven shows in the “cozy confines” of the Main Point, in Bryn Mawr. His first two shows there were on May 24 and May 25 of 1973. At that time, Corea had recorded with, and was performing with various configurations of a band called Return to Forever. The band’s current album, at the time when they first perfomred at the Main Point, would have been “Light As A Feather,” which was released in January of 1973.
I was working as a janitor at that time. I was able to meet most of the talent and was there for some of the Chick Corea shows.
The Main Point so many nights. My friend Christian worked the door while he attended Villanova.
Incubator for many artists.
I was at one of the 1974 shows. Al Di Meola had just joined the band. After the set (they were amazing) they came back for an encore and Chick said that Al had just joined and they had played everything he knew. He asked if anyone would mind if they played one of the numbers from the set again. Needless to say everyone cheered so they did.