Jazz great Chick Corea who worked with the likes of Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock during a career spanning-decades died aged 79.

Corea died from a rare form of cancer which had only recently been diagnosed, according to a message posted on Corea's official website.

A pioneer of jazz fusion and the fourth most nominated artist in Grammys history, the musician left a message for fans which he had written before his death. He wrote: "I want to thank all of those along my journey who have helped keep the music fires burning bright.It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It's not only that the world needs more artists, it's also just a lot of fun."

He also thanked his "amazing musician friends" who he called his "family" and said that creating music alongside his peers had provided the "richness" in his life. In his career, Corea won 23 Grammys and was the fourth most-nominated artist in Grammys history.

Tributes poured in from fellow artists around the world, including Yusuf Islam formerly Cat Stevens who called him "one of the most innovative and inspired musicians I ever had the privilege to work with".

Corea was a multi-faceted musician, working as a composer, keyboardist, bandleader and occasional percussionist. He was a part of Miles Davis’s band in the late 60s and appeared on key Davis albums such as In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, A Tribute to Jack Johnson and On the Corner.

Mumbai was lucky to hear him perform a live set in 2018. He played in Mumbai and Delhi. At the Mumbai concert, played at the Rang Mandir in Bandra, Corea played solo piano. A memorable part of that concert was his invitation to pianists in the audience to join him in performance. Louiz Banks joined him, and they played a memorable duet.