CHICK COREA / DEAR ALICE FROM ROMANTIC WARRIOR WITH SPANISH HEART LIVE IN SYDNEY 1978 STEREO SOUNDBOARD (2CDR)

Chick Corea – piano, keyboards
Dave Liebman or Joe Farrell – saxophones, flute
Gayle Moran – vocals, keyboards
Al Vizzutti – trumpet
Bob Zottola – trumpet
Ron Moss – trombone
Jim Pugh – trombone
Paula Hochhalter – cello
Judy Geist – viola
Carol Shive – violin
Charles Veal – violin
Eddie Gomez or Rick Laird – bass
Steve Gadd or Tom Brechtlein – drums

DISC 1
1. NITE SPRITE
2. GLEBE ST. BLUES
3. TWEEDLE DUM
4. DEAR ALICE
5. DUEL OF THE JESTER AND THE TYRANT

DISC 2
1. SPANISH FANTASY Pt. 1
2. SPANISH FANTASY Pt. 2
3. SPANISH FANTASY Pt. 3
4. SPANISH FANTASY Pt. 4
5. SPAIN

This release bears a somewhat enigmatic title—something along the lines of "To Alice, from a Romantic Warrior, with the Spirit of Spain." For a Chick Corea fan, however, the title makes perfect sense the moment you look at the setlist. The performance features major, suite-like compositions drawn from three distinct albums: *The Mad Hatter*—a concept album with a unique vision even by Chick Corea’s standards; *Romantic Warrior*—a masterpiece by Return to Forever; and *My Spanish Heart*—a work deeply imbued with the Spanish influence that became a hallmark of Chick’s style. "Dear Alice," "Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant," and "Spanish Fantasy" are absolute must-listens. Any one of these would be enough to serve as a highlight of a live concert—and here, you get all three. Has there ever been a live album so packed with such substantial material? To top it off, it’s captured in high-quality stereo soundboard audio. It is, quite simply, flawless. If you are a fan of jazz-fusion, this is an absolute must-have—and for Chick Corea fans, it goes without saying. Incidentally, the identity of the musicians who performed on this occasion has been a subject of debate among fans; as of early October 2021, it remains unconfirmed whether it was Steve Gadd or Tom Brechtlein, Joe Farrell or Dave Liebman, and Eddie Gomez or Rick Laird. See if you can tell the difference for yourself. In any case, Chick Corea passed away in February 2021, and Rick Laird has also since departed. I offer my deepest condolences, along with my profound respect for the magnificent music they left behind.