I figured this might make a good thread. Two of the biggest names in Jazz piano during the late '60s and '70s, both having worked with Miles Davis in the past, and both with very respectable recording and performing careers continuing to this day.

So, in general, who do you prefer? Who do you feel has the better catalogue? Who do you feel was the better player? Discuss.

Herbie, all the way. Beside all his recordinngs as leader, there is all the great sidework with others. He also composed, a lot of what you could call, jazz standards.

Two of Miles' greatest disciples. Two men who have also come up with some of the cheesiest sounding synth sounds in the 70's

These are easily two of my favorite musicians in the jazz/jazz fusion world. It seems that basically these two particular keyboardists are the reason I listen to jazz at all. I came in, as I've said at least once before, via the "side door" of jazz fusion - most importantly, the albums Headhunters and Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. I find much of the later work to be a little cheesy, I admit, particularly Chick's Elektric Band albums in the early 90's (great band, but it was very by-the-numbers sounding, a characteristic that seemed to plague most of what I heard from GRP records). I do like Dis Is Da Drum, however.

It's hard for me to be truly objective about this, quite frankly. I like the work Hancock did with Miles better than Chick's work with same (that quintet was incredible), and I like Herbie's overall fusion output better than Return To Forever (most of the RTF stuff I also dug). It's fair to say that Herbie was more funk oriented and Chick more rock oriented, but I just find myself popping in Herbie from the Sextant-Man-Child more than Hymn and an album that I wouldn't trade for the last glass of clean water on earth - Romantic Warrior.

Maiden Voyage and the Prisoner get regular play in my rotation, but so do Chick's Akoustic Band albums (which did come many years later). Corea, to me, appears more techinically proficient. I remember the first time I heard his rendition of Miles' "Nefertiti", and I told my brother "If he wants to call that 'Nefertit', more power to him." That's how far beyond me Chick is. The Akoustic Band stuff does Miles proud on more than one occasion. But for sheer enjoyment, I'd have to go with Herbie. I feel he has been more consistent from a songwriting standpoint for longer stretches of time, I find I simply "enjoy" his music a little bit more, and hey, he did music for the Fat Albert cartoon

didn't Herbie and Chick both work on "Bitches Brew"?

I take Herbie anyday, perhaps because I'm only vaguely familiar with Corea's catalog.

I hate Chick Corea, so Herbie Hancock wins by default.

I also really like most of Herbie's 60s music. Especially his piano playing in the early-mid 60s Miles Davis band.

I'm actually going to side with the majority on this one -- in general, I enjoy Corea's playing style more than Hancock's, but Hancock's catalogue is far superior, in my opinion.

i havnt heard much of corea myself but a im for the herbie