“Eternal Child” – Jazz on Nylon #2

Beautiful music for a beautiful Thursday. Today’s selection features guitarist Samantha Wells’ version of Chick Corea’s “Eternal Child,” a composition from Chick Corea Elektric Band’s 1988 album, Eye of the Beholder.

Of course, Corea is a giant in jazz, & more specifically in the fusion genre. In a career that began in the 1960s, Corea first came to prominence as a member of the Miles Davis band, he transitioned to leader with his recording Tones for Joan's Bones in 1966. In the 1970s Corea formed the seminal fusion band, Return to Forever. The first version of the band featured Corea on piano, singer Flora Purim, her husband Airto Moreira on drums & percussion, Joe Farrell on saxophone & flute, & Stanley Clarke on bass. The band debuted with their self-titled album in 1972 & released a total of total of seven albums before disbanding in 1977. After a period of involvement in other projects, Corea put together the Elektric Band in 1986. The main line-up for this group included Frank Gambale on guitar, Dave Weckl on drums, Eric Marienthal on sax & John Patitucci on bass. Patitucci was later replaced by Victor Wooten.

Samantha Wells was born & raised in Italy, & while in school studied classical guitar with Sergio Notaro at Centro Romano della Chitarra in Rome. Wells later studied with Emanuele C.Torrente of Conservatory Cherubini & Andrés Segovia school of Florence, Italy, & Joao Luiz Lopes of Brazil Guitar Duo. She now lives in California & is an active performer. Wells is also versatile, as she seems equally at home with the Classical repertoire & with arrangements of both jazz standards & pop songs for classical guitar. For you guitar players out there, Wells offers a transcription of her arrangement of “Eternal Child” on her website for $10.00. I’d also recommend her YouTube channel. Not all of Wells’ videos are available for embedding, so pay her channel a visit to listen to her version of “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” & Pat Metheny’s “Letter from Home.”

& in the meantime, hope you enjoy this lovely rendering of Corea’s beautiful song.





Image links to its source on samanthacwells.com