NEW YORK (AP) — Chick Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy Awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79.
Corea died Tuesday of a rare form of cancer, his team posted on his website. His death was confirmed by Corea’s web and marketing manager, Dan Muse.
“Throughout his life and career, Chick relished in the freedom and the fun to be had in creating something new, and in playing the games that artists do,” said a statement on his website.
FILE – Chick Corea poses in the press room with the awards for best improvised jazz solo for “Fingerprints” and best jazz instrumental album for “Trilogy” at the 57th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2015, in Los Angeles. Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79. Corea died Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, of a rare for of cancer, his team posted on his web site. His death was confirmed by Corea’s web and marketing manager, Dan Muse. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) 
FILE – Jazz Pianist Chick Corea is shown in this Jan. 15, 1975 photo. Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79. Corea died Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, of a rare for of cancer, his team posted on his web site. His death was confirmed by Corea’s web and marketing manager, Dan Muse. (AP Photo, File) 
FILE – Chick Corea performs with Eddie Gomez and Brian Blade perform during their concert in Moscow, Russia, on May 15, 2017. Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79. Corea died Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, of a rare for of cancer, his team posted on his web site. His death was confirmed by Corea’s web and marketing manager, Dan Muse. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr., File) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 26: Chick Corea, winner of Best Latin Jazz Album poses in the press room during the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images) 
FILE – Jazz pianist and composer Chick Corea poses for a portrait in Clearwater, Fla., on Sept. 4, 2020, to promote his new double album “Plays.” Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79. Corea died Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, of a rare for of cancer, his team posted on his web site. His death was confirmed by Corea’s web and marketing manager, Dan Muse. (Mike Carlson/Invision/AP, File) 
FILE – Jazz pianist and composer Chick Corea poses for a portrait in Clearwater, Fla., on Sept. 4, 2020, to promote his new double album “Plays.” Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79. Corea died Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, of a rare for of cancer, his team posted on his web site. His death was confirmed by Corea’s web and marketing manager, Dan Muse. (Mike Carlson/Invision/AP, File) 
FILE – Chick Corea performs at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards on Jan. 26, 2020, in Los Angeles. Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79. Corea died Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, of a rare for of cancer, his team posted on his web site. His death was confirmed by Corea’s web and marketing manager, Dan Muse. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File) 
FILE – Chick Corea accepts the award for best improvised jazz solo for “Fingerprints” at the 57th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2015, in Los Angeles. Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79. Corea died Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, of a rare for of cancer, his team posted on his web site. His death was confirmed by Corea’s web and marketing manager, Dan Muse. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, File)
In 1968, Corea replaced Herbie Hancock in Miles Davis’ group, playing on the landmark albums “In a Silent Way” and “Bitches Brew.”
He formed his own avant-garde group, Circle, and then founded Return to Forever. He’s worked on many other projects, including duos with Hancock and vibraphonist Gary Burton. He recorded and performed classical music, standards, solo originals, Latin jazz and tributes to great jazz pianists.
Last year, Corea released the double album “Plays,” which captured him at various concerts armed simply with his piano.
“Like a runner loves to run because it just feels good, I like to play the piano just because it feels good,” he told The Associated Press at the time. “I can just switch gears and go to another direction or go to another song or whatever I want to do. So it’s a constant experiment.”
The double album was a peek into Corea’s musical heart, containing songs he wrote about children decades ago as well as tunes by Mozart, Thelonious Monk and Stevie Wonder, among others.
Corea is the artist with the most jazz Grammys in the show’s 63-year history, and he has a chance to posthumously win at the March 14 show, where he’s nominated for best improvised jazz solo for “All Blues” and best jazz instrumental album for “Trilogy 2.”
AP Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu contributed to this report.
