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Return to Forever

Miles Davis' electric bands in the late ‘60s (featured on such classic albums as In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew) served as the incubator for several pioneering jazz fusion bands, including Tony Williams’ Lifetime, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter’s Weather Report and Chick Corea’s legendary Return to Forever, whose lifespan stretched from 1972 to 1977 with three different versions of the band. After a touring absence of more than 25 years, the potent jazz-rock flagship quartet edition of Return to Forever returns in 2008. This highly anticipated reunion will see the group’s classic lineup"Corea on keyboards, Al Di Meola on guitar, Stanley Clarke on bass and Lenny White on drums"embark on an expansive summer tour with dates in Europe and the United States. A special Return to Forever anthology featuring remixed and remastered tracks from the classic albums Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, Where Have I Known You Before, No Mystery and Romantic Warrior will also be released to coincide with the tour. And a concert DVD could well be released, featuring the band revisiting the material from their years together. After Corea left Miles’ employ, he helped found the avant-garde acoustic quartet Circle with saxophonist Anthony Braxton, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Barry Altschul. The band worked from 1970-’71, but Corea sought a new, less-esoteric direction where he could express his music to larger audiences"in a band committed to communicating the purity of sound, the challenge of improvising on complex compositions and the exploration of melding the jazz tradition with rock music. The time was ripe for what followed. Return to Forever launched in 1972 with its self-titled debut featuring a quintet that Corea assembled, comprising Joe Farrell on flute and saxophone, Airto Moreira on drums and percussion, Flora Purim on vocals, and Stanley Clarke on bass"the only RTF member who served in all three editions of the band. With a Brazilian tinge imbued in the fusion, the first album featured such noteworthy tracks as “Sometime Ago,” “Crystal Silence” and “La Fiesta.” Later that year, the same RTF lineup delivered its follow-up, Light As a Feather, renowned as one of the band’s best recordings. Tunes included such Corea classics as “Spain,” “500 Miles High” and “Captain Marvel.” In 1973, when Airto and Flora left RTF to start their own band and Farrell also took his leave, Corea enlisted a new lineup to explore a harder-edged rock-jazz fusion.

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Radio & Podcasts

1974: King Crimson, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham and Miles Davis

Read "1974: King Crimson, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham and Miles Davis" reviewed by Len Davis


1974, fifty years ago with King Crimson, Isotope, Larry Coryell, Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Return To Forever, Joe Farrell, Jerry Goodman with Jan Hammer, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Jaco Pastorius with Pat Metheny, Bruce Ditmas and Paul Bley. Playlist King Crimson “Red" from Red (Island Records) 00:00 Isotope “Rangoon Creeper" from Illusion (Gull) 06:47 Larry Coryell “Bird Fingers" from Eleventh House with Larry Coryell (Vanguard) 13:34 Miles Davis “Rated X" from Get Up with ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Miles Davis, Return To Forever, Jeff Beck and Jan Hammer

Read "Miles Davis, Return To Forever, Jeff Beck and Jan Hammer" reviewed by Len Davis


Today's show includes music from Miles Davis, Return To Forever, Jan Hammer, and Jeff Beck. Also, new and recent music from Antonio Quijano, Fractal Sextet with Stephan Thelen.PlaylistMiles Davis “Fat Time" from The Man With The Horn (CB) 00:00Return To Forever “Sorceress" from Romantic Warrior (CBS) 08:07Jeff Beck “You Never Know" from There And Beck (Epic) 16:05Jan Hammer “Bambu Forest" from Oh Yeah (Nemperorl) 24:15Antonio Quijano “Headlong" from Black Crow Move To NYC (Anderson Shelta) 32:11Antonio Quijano “Funk ...

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Radio & Podcasts

John McLaughlin, Return To Forever, John Patittuci and Larry Coryell

Read "John McLaughlin, Return To Forever, John Patittuci and Larry Coryell" reviewed by Len Davis


We open todays program with live music from Abstract Logix's New Universe Music Festival, Return to Forever Live, Third Rail Live Across Europe . Favourites with John Patitucci, Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey and Lenny White and from the Netherlands, Lale Larson, and Sebastiaan Cornelissen with Gary Willis. Playlist John McLaughlin “Recovery" from New Universe Music Festival (Abstract Logix) 00:00 John McLaughlin"Mother Tongues" from New Universe Music Festival (Abstract Logix) 09:05 Third Rail"Highway 86" from Live Across Europe (Aerohead) ...

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Interview

Return to Forever: Back, Bold and Badass

Read "Return to Forever: Back, Bold and Badass" reviewed by R.J. DeLuke


This article was first published at All About Jazz in June 2008. The word has long been out and the 2008 reunion tour of Return to Forever, one of the standard bearers of the jazz-rock fusion movement of the 1970s, is well on its way. Intricate, emotive and—yes—loud music that hasn't really been heard from the band in some 32 years, is being played and enjoyed live once again. With great vigor, to say the least. The tour ...

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Extended Analysis

The Mothership Returns

Read "The Mothership Returns" reviewed by John Kelman


When keyboardist Chick Corea announced--following a successful world tour of his reunited 1970s-era fusion juggernaut Return to Forever, which, featuring guitarist Al Di Meola, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White, included a high octane 2008 performance that was one of the best-attended in the Ottawa International Jazz Festival's three-decade history--that he'd be reuniting the earlier incarnation of the group responsible for Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (Polydor, 1973), there was plenty of buzz. He ultimately became the ...

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Film Review

Return To Forever: Returns - Live at Montreux 2008

Read "Return To Forever: Returns - Live at Montreux 2008" reviewed by John Kelman


Return to Forever Returns: Live at Montreux 2008 Eagle Eye Media 2009 With one of the most successful tours of 2008 behind it--and the two-CD set Returns (Eagle Records, 2009) released to document the event--the reunion of fusion powerhouse Return to Forever-- keyboardist Chick Corea, guitarist Al Di Meola, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White--appeared to be over. No surprise, however, that the group's triumphant performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival was also recorded, ...

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Album Review

Return to Forever: Returns

Read "Returns" reviewed by Doug Collette


The reunion of jazz-rock fusion pioneer Return to Forever was a much-ballyhooed event before, during and after it took place in 2008. As captured on the double-CD Returns, it's easy to see why it attracted old school fusion fans plus prog music aficionados of all ages.

In purely technical terms it is a tour de force. Each man in this group--keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White--is a master of his respective instrument, ...

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Recording

Audio Fidelity To Release Two Jazz-Fusion Classics On Hybrid SACD By Weather Report And Return To Forever

Audio Fidelity To Release Two Jazz-Fusion Classics On Hybrid SACD By Weather Report And Return To Forever

Source: Glass Onyon PR - William James

Marshall Blonstein's Audio Fidelity will be releasing Weather Report, Tale Spinnin' and Return to Forever, Musicmagic on Hybrid SACD. Both recordings are considered essentials from the jazz fusion era of the mid-'70s. Recorded in early 1975, Tale Spinnin', Weather Report's fifth studio album is filled with sunny textures of Latin and African flavors. The album stands with anything recorded during the period for the range of fresh, intriguing originals by the band's co-founders and principle composers, the keyboardist Joe Zawinul ...

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Performance / Tour

Return to Forever w/ Zappa Plays Zappa | Fall Tour | Review | Pics

Return to Forever w/ Zappa Plays Zappa | Fall Tour | Review | Pics

Source: JamBase

By Eric Podolsky Show Review: Return To Forever with Zappa Plays Zappa :: 09.22.11 :: The Warfield :: San Francisco, CA When Return To Forever announced in 2008 that they were reuniting for the first time in 25 years, jazz buffs and fusion geeks rejoiced. The ensuing world tour was a grand success, and proved (somewhat surprisingly) that there still existed a dedicated audience ravenous for the band's formula of hard-hitting, masterfully executed jazz-rock. And while RTF's 1970s fusion contemporaries ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz This Week: Return to Forever IV with Zappa Plays Zappa, Wild Cool and Swingin', and More

Jazz This Week: Return to Forever IV with Zappa Plays Zappa, Wild Cool and Swingin', and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

While indie rock fans at least have this weekend's LouFest to enliven their late August existence, jazz and creative music listeners in St. Louis have fewer options during the annual interregnum between the end of various summer concert series and the start of the fall presenting season. But rather than complain about what's not happening, instead let's call attention to those intrepid jazz musicians who are treading the proverbial boards to bring us some cool sounds during these dog days. ...

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Performance / Tour

Return to Forever Performing at Bank of America Pavilion in Boston on Thursday, August 11

Return to Forever Performing at Bank of America Pavilion in Boston on Thursday, August 11

Source: MassJazz: Jazz in Massachusetts

Return to Forever, one of the most formidable jazz ensembles of modern times, is performing at the Bank of America Pavilion along Boston's waterfront this Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45-$80 and can be ordered online. Premium tickets are also available for $133.50. The band includes Boston native Chick Corea on piano, Stanley Clark on bass, Lenny White on drums, Jean Luc Ponty on violin, and Frank Gambale on guitar. Opening act is Zappa Plays Zappa. ...

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Video / DVD

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Previewing Return to Forever IV

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Previewing Return to Forever IV

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, let's check out some videos of Return to Forever, who are coming to St. Louis later this month to perform at the Fox Theatre on Thursday, August 25. (Zappa Plays Zappa will be the opening act.) This version of the band, dubbed RTF IV, features keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White, plus guitarist Frank Gambale and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty in place of guitarist Al DiMeola, who took ...

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Performance / Tour

Win Free Tickets to See Return to Forever, Zappa Plays Zappa on Thursday, August 25 at the Fox Theatre

Win Free Tickets to See Return to Forever, Zappa Plays Zappa on Thursday, August 25 at the Fox Theatre

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

The Fox Theatre is conducting an online promotion to give away free tickets to the concert by Return to Forever IV (pictured) and Zappa Plays Zappa on Thursday, August 25. The winner gets a pair of tickets and also will receive “an autographed Return to Forever set list." To enter, go here, read the rules and complete the online form, which asks for contact info and the name of your favorite RTF album. The contest ends at 11:59 p.m. on ...

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Recording

Return to Forever - The Complete Columbia Albums Collection

Return to Forever - The Complete Columbia Albums Collection

Source: Sound Insights by Doug Payne

After a prodigious session career in the 1960s, several solo albums that toyed with both the traditional and freer forms of jazz and a mercurial period of experimentation with Miles Davis between 1968 and 1972, pianist and composer Chick Corea crystalized the notion of his first “group" endeavor, to be known as Return to Forever. Corea recorded his blueprint for the concept with his tremendous Return to Forever album for ECM Records in February 1972. The album collected the talents ...

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Interview

Something Else! Interview: Lenny White, of Return to Forever

Something Else! Interview: Lenny White, of Return to Forever

Source: Something Else!

Fusion jazz drummer Lenny White is prepping for a reunion with the newly expanded Return to Forever, which will make 32 stops in the U.S. beginning in Pittsburgh on Aug. 7. The newest members are former Mahavishnu Orchestra violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and guitarist Frank Gambale. But White's life away from a band he's played with off and on since the early 1970s has remained as hectic as it is varied. After releasing the well-regarded Anomaly, his first solo album in ...

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Event

Return To Forever IV Unveils Historic New Lineup For 32-City Tour & A Stop At LA's Greek Theatre

Return To Forever IV Unveils Historic New Lineup For 32-City Tour & A Stop At LA's Greek Theatre

Source: Jay Hughen

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Jean-Luc Ponty, Frank Gambale To Tour With Zappa Plays Zappa Return To Forever, whose mind-blowing experimentation in jazz and rock transformed the music world, will debut a historic new lineup this summer with a stop at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on September 20. The tour brings a re-imagined musical dimension to both the wildly influential group and its repertoire. Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 21. Solidifying the tour's once-in-a-lifetime experience, ...

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Performance / Tour

Return to Forever reunite for summer tour

Return to Forever reunite for summer tour

Source: Michael Ricci

Return to Forever will reunite this summer with a new lineup for a nationwide tour. The fourth installment of the jazz and rock experimental group will make their way to Massachusetts for a performance at Boston's Bank of America Pavilion on Thursday, August 11. Tickets for the show, which range in price from $30 to $60, will go on sale Saturday at 11 a.m. through Live Nation. Zappa Plays Zappa, Dweevil Zappa's tribute band to his late father Frank, will ...

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