You can always expect some of the best musicianship anywhere from a Chick Corea album. Bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl are two of the most renowned musicians at their instruments, and guitarist Frank Gambale, with his burning “sweet picking” style, isn’t far behind. Saxman Eric Marienthal has matured considerably in Corea’s ranks. So, musically speaking, Beneath the Mask is typically solid. The only question is, “What is Chick doing now?”

The new Corea is geared more towards commercial jazz, if you can call it jazz. Even though his music has always been pre-composed, his new material provides even less of a vehicle for improvisation. It does maintain an intense level of musicianship, but the compositional element of the old Corea has given way to a more groove-orientated sound. Corea, like the rest of the world, is getting funky (another musical element to which the world is indebted to New Orleans); on several numbers, Patatucci slaps the bass and Gambale scratches the guitar while drummer Weckl’s busy hands could confound an octopus (although his playing is subtle and seemingly effortless).

Highlights include “One of Us Is Forty,” a driving funk tune with busy Fender Rhodes rocking from Corea and a catchy chord melody. Corea falls into an increasingly familiar tour-de-force rock-out formula here, with everyone playing in unison on fast, pumped-up lines at the front of the stage. Left over from his Return to Forever days, this formula is what he uses to end his sets. “Illusions” starts with spacious chords in a repeating bass riff, goes into a fast groove, then to the tour de force formula and into a Spanish segment reminiscent of much of Corea’s past work. “A Wave Goodbye” is a spacy, reflective rainy day piece with a sad saxophone melody. “Charged Particles” is more serious, classically-influenced fusion, with fast straight rhythm melodies and a grinding keyboard part, under an evil guitar solo.