Ahead of Lewiston Jazz Festival, Artpark presents Chick Corea & The Spanish Heart Band

Special guest Rubén Blades

Jazz icon Chick Corea and his new Spanish Heart Band, the flamenco-charged eight-man band of Latin rhythm masters, will be joined by special guest vocalist Rubén Blades at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, for a special concert event in the Artpark Amphitheater. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, March 6.

Corea, an iconic keyboardist, composer and bandleader, is a DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master with an astounding 65 Grammy nominations – and 23 wins – in addition to a number of Latin Grammys. 

Since he first played with the Spanish Flamenco guitar legend Paco de Lucia, Corea has built a deep catalog of Latin jazz brilliance, beginning with his modern-classic song “Spain,” and the world-groove-inspired first “Return to Forever” album, featuring "Sometime Ago / La Fiesta."

Madrid’s own Jorge Pardo, an original member of de Lucia’s band, joins Corea on sax and flute, while Niño Josele, who played in de Lucia’s band in the last years, brings flamenco guitar artistry. Michael Rodriguez on trumpet and Steve Davis on trombone form one of the great modern front lines on horns. Corea’s rhythm section – Cuban master Carlitos Del Puerto on bass and drum master of all rhythms Marcus Gilmore – provide the backbone, as rising star flamenco dancer Nino de los Reyes provides the footwork fireworks.

Joining Chick Corea & The Spanish Heart Band as guest vocalist is Latin music icon Rubén Blades, who was at the center of the New York salsa revolution in the 1970s. His landmark albums in classic Afro-Cuban salsa are touched with rock, jazz, pan-Latin and worldwide influences. Blades has collaborated with rock, jazz, pop, hip-hop, reggaeton and salsa artists, and has composed hundreds of songs and dozens of hits, known for their eloquent, socially charged lyrics, colorful characters, and memorable melodies.

"This new band and show will be a mix of all the wonderful and various aspects of my love and lifetime experience with Spanish, Latino and Flamenco cultures and musicians. We will be performing songs and themes from the albums ‘My Spanish Heart’ and ‘Touchstone,’ as well as other compositions of mine in the vibe of these rhythms that have been such a big part of my musical heritage," Corea said.

Front-of-stage and reserved seating (numbered chairs provided) tickets are $37, while general admission (one chair per person carry-in permitted) tickets are $19. Front-of-stage/standing-room-only tickets will not be available for this event

Click here to see a map. Ticket prices include a facility fee; additional fees apply for online and phone orders. Prices in all sections increase by $5 the week of the show (Sunday-Monday).

Tickets can be purchased online at artpark.net, tickets.com, by phone at 1-888-223-6000, or in person at the Artpark box office, 450 S. Fourth St., Lewiston (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays).