When you think of the most important pianists in jazz over the past 40 years, Chick Corea’s name comes immediately to mind. From his work with Miles Davis and his formation of Return to Forever in 1971 Marchto his duets with vibraphonist Gary Burton, Corea (who just happens to have been born in my hometown of Chelsea, Massachusetts) is a player whose talent transcends musical boundaries. On Saturday evening, you can hear Corea live when he performs a solo concert at the Vilar Center for the Performing Arts in Beaver Creek.

At the Vilar Center, the pianist, with 15 Grammy Awards to his credit, performs at 7:30 p.m. ($65, 888-920-2787). Of course, along with his playing, Corea is also a composer of note. No matter how many times I’ve heard “Spain,” “La Fiesta” or “500 Miles High,” I still want to listen to them one more time.

Before Corea joined Davis in1968, he displayed his Latin-jazz side working with Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo. And on the subject of Latin jazz, trombonist Wayne Wallace wraps up the four-day “Cuban Music Experience” at the University of Colorado Denver on Friday with a 7:30 p.m. concert at the King Center on the Auraria campus with percussionists Michael Spiro and John Santos and bassist David Belove.

Wallace’s current CD, Bien Bien on Patois Records (with Spiro and Belove), has played to strong reviews and includes tunes from John Coltrane, Eddie Harris, Sonny Rollins and Duke Ellington along with originals by Wallace. While not on that disc, Santos is leading figure in Afro-Latin sounds and has recorded with a wide range of musicians including Cuban pianist Omar Sosa (who will be at Mount Vernon Country Club on April 14) in addition to his discs with his group the Machete Ensemble.    

Returning to Saturday, pianist Don Grusin is back in his hometown of Denver for an appearance at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln, at 7 and 9 p.m. with bassist Paul Warburton and drummer Jill Fredericksen ($15, 303-839-5100). Unlike his older brother Dave, the younger Grusin didn’t immediately follow a career in music. Instead, he became an economist who did research in Mexico before moving to the San Francisco area to teach. While there, he also played piano with Azteca and bands led by Pete Escovedo and Quincy Jones.

In 1975, he became a full-time musician; and a few years later, he began a long association with guitarist Lee Ritenour. During his time in Denver, Grusin was very friendly with Warburton. So, Saturday, represents an engaging reunion of the bassist who has been such an important fixture on the area’s jazz scene and the pianist whose chops go well beyond his crossover reputation.

Also this weekend, trumpeter Bob Montgomery brings a quintet to Dazzle on Friday that celebrates the music made famous by the quartet led by baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan featuring Chet Baker’s trumpet. Joining Montgomery at 7 and 9 p.m., there’s baritone saxophonist Clare Church, bassist Ken Walker, drummer Mike Marlier and pianist Ben Markley who adds a little twist to the music produced by Mulligan’s quartet that had no piano ($15).

Additionally, the musical week finds:  Zakir Hussain and the Masters of Percussion at the Boulder Theater, 2032 14^th St. in Boulder, on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ($32.50-$43, 303-786-7030); a quintet led by guitarist Matt Fuller and bassist Jean-Luc Davis that features trumpeter Ron Miles and has Greg Harris on vibes and piano and Josh Moore on drums at Dazzle on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ($10); and singer/guitarist Laurie Dameron at the Burnsley, 1000 Grant, starting at 7 p.m. before she takes off for a tour of New Zealand.  

On a final note: March is going to be a very good month for the music. Coming up at Dazzle during the third month of the year, there’s guitarist Brad Shepik (with John Gunther), trombonist Wycliff Gordon (with Dave Corbus), Paul McCandless (with Art Lande), pianist Robert Glasper’s group Experience and the knockout trio of trumpeter Miles, guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Brian Blade. On top of that, guitarist Larry Coryell brings his Bombay Jazz Project band to Mount Vernon Country Club and singer Dianne Schuur performs at the Seawell Ballroom at the Denver Performing Arts Complex for the American Council of the Blind of Colorado during the month. Also, there’s a Summit Jazz concert with clarinetist Ken Peplowski and guitarist Howard Alden and saxophonist Maceo Parker at Cervantes.

And the sounds continue to roar in April. At Dazzle, you will find trumpeters Randy Brecker (with Convergence), Cuong Vu and Tomasz Stanko, pianists Hal Galper, Cyrus Chestnut and Rob Mullins, trombonist Curtis Fuller (with Keith Oxman) and saxophonists Benny Golson and Tia Fuller all on tap, while the Boulder Theater offers guitarist Larry Carlton.  

Normanprovizer@aol.com