CHICK COREA ELEKTRIC BAND: TO THE STARS

It's odd enough listening to an album deeply inspired by the "creative mastery" of cultist-author-creep L. Ron Hubbard (I would hope and imagine that this kind of disparagement toward this kind of person does not go against community standards)... But right off the bat, we are presented with musical creativity and mastery by a collection of some of the best musicians Fusion and Jazz in general have to offer. It's immediately clear and it is wonderful. I am wide-eyed and... bushy tailed? Regardless, you have to admit, from the time of RETURN TO FOREVER's middle period I presume to the end of Chick's life, he was inspired greatly by the Sci-Fi works of his "religion"'s founder. We got some mighty tasty, spacy jazz-candy from it. For better or worse. I'll take the better if I can be honest with myself (if just getting the better is at all possible).

Seriously, how could anyone not be absolutely floored by what they are hearing here (listen to the opener, "Check Blast," and tell me that isn't some of the most exciting Fusion you have ever heard). Even when the songs are ok or "old hat," of course we are presented them with excellence.

At this point, I must mention the interludes, "Port View" pts. 1-7, acting as stage-sets to a world outside our own. These are beautiful, short pieces and really help the whole album breathe. [It is nearly 70 minutes in total.] The weakness of these tracks' inclusion, in my opinion, is that it only sometimes does much of anything to tie things together. And they certainly don't successfully offset the "full song" tracks that are seriously just ok (even when they are, I feel I'm repeating myself, excellently performed).

Notable tracks: 1, 6, 8 (beautiful, acoustic jazz), 12 (Wow! Epic.)

True Rate: 3.5/5.0