After a banner year in 2008, this year Chick Corea has succeeded with another whirlwind of significant accomplishments. An NEA Jazz Master and a legendary pianist/keyboardist with an expansive résumé replete with musical triumphs over the course of his four-decade-plus career, Corea has once again indefatigably distinguished himself.

He toured internationally with old band mates and new (from the reunion of seminal fusion band Return to Forever to the co-founding of Five Peace Band with guitarist John McLaughlin), delivered a full slate of recordings (including the double-album Duet with pianist Hiromi and live sets documenting both RTF and FPB concerts), embarked on bold solo adventures (a tour in Europe that also featured duets with Italian pianist Stefano Bollani) and garnered renewed recognition (including the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Album, The New Crystal Silence, the live duo project with Gary Burton).

A prolific composer and innovative artist par excellence, Corea has explored an extensive range of music. Best known for his grand contributions to the jazz library (the full spectrum of idioms from acoustic to electric, bebop to avant-garde), he has also delved successfully into classical (including concertos with symphony orchestras) and Latin (winning a Latin Grammy for his collaboration with banjoist Béla Fleck, The Enchantment).

“Creating music is my lifeblood … and having completely different ways of approaching music keeps things interesting for me,” says Corea, who adds, “I’ve managed to avoid falling into the habit of doing the same thing over and over again.”

Inspired by working with RTF members Stanley Clarke (bass) and Lenny White (drums), Corea has reunited with them as a trio for a worldwide tour, beginning at the Hollywood Bowl (Sept. 2), continuing in Europe (Oct.-Nov.) and concluding in Japan (Nov.-Dec.) and Singapore (Dec. 5).