Circle (jazz band)
Encyclopedia
Circle was an avant garde jazz
ensemble active in 1970 and 1971. The group arose from pianist Chick Corea
's early 1970s trio with Dave Holland
on bass and Barry Altschul
on drums and percussion with the addition of Anthony Braxton
in a leading role on several reed instruments
. The group earliest (and only studio) recordings were made in 1970 for the Blue Note
label but not released until 1975 under Corea's name. A live double album appeared on the ECM
label in 1972. These recordings document a period in which Corea's work was steeped in the jazz avant garde, prior to his complete shift to the jazz fusion
orientation.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
ensemble active in 1970 and 1971. The group arose from pianist Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
's early 1970s trio with Dave Holland
Dave Holland
Dave Holland is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for 40 years....
on bass and Barry Altschul
Barry Altschul
Barry Altschul is a free jazz drummer who gained fame in the late 1960s with the pianists Paul Bley and Chick Corea.-Biography:...
on drums and percussion with the addition of Anthony Braxton
Anthony Braxton
Anthony Braxton is an American composer, saxophonist, clarinettist, flautist, pianist, and philosopher. Braxton has released well over 100 albums since the 1960s...
in a leading role on several reed instruments
Reed (instrument)
A reed is a thin strip of material which vibrates to produce a sound on a musical instrument. The reeds of most Woodwind instruments are made from Arundo donax or synthetic material; tuned reeds are made of metal or synthetics.-Single reeds:Single reeds are used on the mouthpieces of clarinets...
. The group earliest (and only studio) recordings were made in 1970 for the Blue Note
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
label but not released until 1975 under Corea's name. A live double album appeared on the ECM
ECM (record label)
ECM is a record label founded in Munich, Germany, in 1969 by Manfred Eicher. While ECM is best known for jazz music, the label has released a wide variety of recordings, and ECM's artists often refuse to acknowledge boundaries between genres...
label in 1972. These recordings document a period in which Corea's work was steeped in the jazz avant garde, prior to his complete shift to the jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
orientation.
Discography
- Circling InCircling InCircling In is a double LP by jazz pianist Chick Corea featuring performances recorded between 1968 and 1970, including the first recordings by the group Circle, which was first released on the Blue Note label in 1975...
(Blue NoteBlue Note RecordsBlue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
, 1970 [1975]) - originally released under Chick Corea's name with additional tracks from Corea's earlier recordings. The Circle tracks were also released as Early Circle (1992) - CirculusCirculus (album)Circulus is a double LP by jazz pianist Chick Corea, featuring performances recorded in 1970 by what would become known as the group Circle, which was first released on the Blue Note label in 1978.- Reception :...
(Blue Note, 1970 [1975]) - originally released under Chick Corea's name - Circle 1: Live in Germany Concert (CBS/Sony Japan, 1970) - originally released under Chick Corea's name in Japan
- Paris ConcertParis Concert (Circle album)Paris Concert is a live album by the short-lived jazz group Circle, which consisted of saxophonist Anthony Braxton, pianist Chick Corea, bassist David Holland and drummer Barry Altschul, recorded in 1971 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
(ECMECM (record label)ECM is a record label founded in Munich, Germany, in 1969 by Manfred Eicher. While ECM is best known for jazz music, the label has released a wide variety of recordings, and ECM's artists often refuse to acknowledge boundaries between genres...
, 1971) - Circle 2: Gathering (CBS/Sony Japan, 1971) - originally released under Chick Corea's name in Japan