With Chick Corea (2018)

At 77, jazz piano legend Chick Corea was in unbelievably good shape—agile, sharp as ever, and playing with a mastery that had clearly gone beyond technique and into the realm of pure expression. We met at the 2018 Detroit International Jazz Festival, where I performed his iconic piece Spain.

During our conversation, I asked him whether someone like me, coming from a classical background, could ever truly become a jazz musician. He said, “Absolutely—but you’re missing one key thing: people to play with.”

He explained, “You classical folks practice, but you don’t play. There’s no spirit of play, and because of that, your music can lack spontaneity, and that natural give-and-take. Jazz is a conversation—it needs interaction, unpredictability. You can’t do it alone. You need a crew. And not just a crew—you’ve got to rotate who you play with!”

Coming from someone with 25 Grammy Awards, it was humbling—but it all made perfect sense. Talking to him felt effortless, almost like I wasn’t speaking in a second language at all. It flowed—just like his music.

If you ever want to understand what “genius” looks like, go watch Michel Petrucciani.

But if you want to know what relaxed means—just watch Chick Corea play.