The Manhattan Transfer went decidedly contemporary with The Offbeat of Avenues at #3. Jeff Lorber co-wrote and produced “10 Minutes Till the Savages Come,” David Pack and Michael McDonald helped write “A World Apart,” and Donald Fagen wrote “Confide in Me.” The album’s “Sassy” would go on to win the Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance. And check out the debuts: Fourplay’s self-titled first album was already at #6 on its way to #1. At #7 was Candy Dulfer’s debut, Saxuality. Dulfer had already scored an international crossover hit alongside Eurythmics’ David A, Stewart with the instrumental “Lily Was Here,” which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Saxuality would reach #22 on the Billboard 200 and earn Dulfer a Grammy nomination. And at #11, saxophonist Warren Hill was beginning his career with his debut, Kiss Under the Moon.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums

Week of October 12, 1991

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More than three decades after helping Chick Corea redefine the acoustic piano trio, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl are returning to that musical conversation.

The longtime Corea collaborators have formed a new trio with Georgian pianist Beka Gochiashvili for For Chick, a 12-track album honoring the late jazz innovator. Recorded during three days at Brooklyn’s Bunker Studio in December 2025, the project mixes music associated with the Chick Corea Akoustic Band, lesser-known pieces from Corea’s catalog and two newly written compositions.

Gochiashvili is not simply stepping into Corea’s seat. A Corea protégé who has also performed with Stanley Clarke, the pianist previously joined Patitucci and Weckl for the 2022 world premiere of Corea’s Concerto for Trio in Budapest. That shared history gives the new group a foundation of its own.

Patitucci and Weckl first played together in Corea’s Elektric Band before joining him in the Akoustic Band. The trio’s self-titled 1989 debut won the Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group, while the subsequent live album Alive earned another nomination.

For Chick is being prepared as separate listening experiences for double vinyl, CD and streaming. Early previews include Corea compositions “Humpty Dumpty” and “Windows.”

Select U.S. performances are planned for late 2026, followed by broader touring in the United States, Europe and Japan in 2027. Dates and the album’s release schedule have not yet been announced.

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This year has been an especially good year to celebrate this all-star band. The original five Elektric Band studio albums, from 1986-1991, have been released in a deluxe 10-LP box set and a new live recording of the band on the road has been issued.

The Elektric Band, led by the late legendary pianist and composer Chick Corea, emerged in the mid-1980s as a groundbreaking force in contemporary jazz. Corea, a 27-time Grammy winner and Jazz Master of the National Endowment for the Arts, assembled a lineup including John Patitucci, Dave Weckl, Eric Marienthal, and Frank Gambale. Each of those musicians, talented in their own right, would springboard to new career highs. It was truly a remarkable band.

I still haven’t quite forgiven myself for not seeing them when they were in town around 1991.

The 10-LP vinyl box set compiles the original five GRP studio albums, presented in gatefold jackets with printed inner sleeves and restored artwork in a deluxe slipcase. This limited-edition release, for the first time, reinstates the albums to their original full running order. Additionally, the set includes reproduced memorabilia from Chick’s private archive, offering a comprehensive tribute to the Elektric Band’s creativity, innovation, and musicianship.

The Future Is Now live recording was compiled by Chick before his passing. This 3-LP vinyl and 2-disc CD album captures the band on tour from 2016-2018. It features in depth liner notes from Corea and all of the Elektric Band members.

I’m a fan of things coming full circle and these serve as a fitting closing chapter for this memorable group.

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