The 1961 song that had an “incredible impact” on jazz great Chick Corea: “Musical mastery”
Miles Davis’s 1961 recording of “Someday My Prince Will Come” had a profound effect on Chick Corea as he was beginning his career as a jazz pianist. Corea later said the performance inspired him through its musical mastery, emotional freedom and the way the band’s melodies and groove worked together.
After leaving Columbia University and Juilliard to pursue jazz, Corea was building his reputation by sitting in with local bands. Davis’s version appeared on the album of the same name and featured John Coltrane, returning for the last time to record with Davis, alongside pianist Wynton Kelly, drummer Jimmy Cobb, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley and bassist Paul Chambers. Dave Brubeck and Bill Evans had also recorded the Disney song before Davis.
In short
- Miles Davis’s 1961 recording inspired Chick Corea.
- John Coltrane reunited with Davis for the session.
- Corea praised the band’s freedom and musical communication.
Explained simply
Miles Davis was a leading jazz trumpeter and bandleader whose groups brought together prominent musicians and shaped the music’s development. “Someday My Prince Will Come” began as a song in Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; jazz musicians, including Dave Brubeck and Bill Evans, had recorded it before Davis.
Chick Corea was a pianist starting out in jazz after leaving university and music school. Davis’s recording featured pianist Wynton Kelly, saxophonists John Coltrane and Hank Mobley, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb. Corea later described the performance as an influence on his approach to melody, rhythm and musical expression.