Return to Forever at Freihofer's Jazz Festival

Led by founder and keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al DiMeola and drummer Lenny White, Return to Forever helped create and define fusion, a new genre that brought multitudes of rock n' roll fans into the jazz world for the first time. Widely acknowledged as a major influence in modern music, the band's impact is evident today in many genres, including hip-hop, techno and progressive jazz and rock among others.

At the reunion announcement, band member Lenny White explained, “We all felt the time was right to come back on a grand scale, raise the bar again and show people what serious music is really about."

Outside of a brief reunion in 1983, Return to Forever band members haven't played together since 1977, although each has pursued successful solo careers. Their 2008 tour kicked off May 29 in Austin, Texas and will include more than 50 dates in the United States, Canada and Europe, including jazz festivals in Montreal, Montreaux, Switzerland, Nice, France and San Sebastian, Spain. They will perform on the first day of the Freihofer's Jazz Festival, scheduled for Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29 at SPAC.

“We are thrilled that SPAC's Freihofer's Jazz Festival is part of the highly-anticipated Return to Forever 2008 World Tour and proud to be able to offer jazz fans the opportunity to see these acclaimed musicians as they reunite for the first time in more than two decades," said Marcia J. White, SPAC President and Executive Director.

“Together with headliners that include Chris Botti, Dianne Reeves, Terence Blanchard, Boney James & Jonathan Butler, the Charles Lloyd Quartet and many others, this year's Festival is set to be an exciting showcase for the artists and music that have made American jazz such a vibrant and enduring art form."

“Energized by the excitement of thousands of jazz fans, and set against the magnificent backdrop of SPAC's park setting, this event will be a celebration in the truest sense. I invite everyone to join us and be part of the magic of the Freihofer's Jazz Festival at SPAC," she concluded.

The Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 28 and Sunday June 29 at SPAC. Performances begin at noon on both days and take place on SPAC's Amphitheatre and Gazebo stages. A fine arts and crafts fair and Southern-style refreshments will also be available at the festival.

More information and tickets can be obtained by visiting spac.org or by calling SPAC at 518.584.9330.

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008

Amphitheatre

• Jonathan Batiste Trio featuring 19-year old jazz pianist, composer and Julliard student Jonathan Batiste.



• Conrad Herwig's Latin Side of Miles, Coltrane & Shorter presents Latin-inspired interpretations of music by jazz greats Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter.



• Jazz vocalist Ryan Shaw combines a powerfully expressive voice with a clutch of great songs both classic and new.



• Saxophone Summit featuring Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman & Ravi Coltrane present their own interpretation of jazz legend John Coltrane's inventive, complex aesthetic and perform works from Seraphic Light.



• Trumpet sensation and best-selling jazz artist Chris Botti presents works from his latest Grammy-nominated album Italia which reached #1 on the Billboard Jazz charts.



• Grammy-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater presents Red Earth: A Malian Journey, a cross-cultural journey combining the voices, instruments, and music of Mali with the traditions of American jazz.



• Jazz-Rock Fusion Supergroup Return to Forever with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al DiMeola & Lenny White reunite to perform the music that drew stadium size crowds in the 70's and created a new music genre.

• An innovative singer mixing popular Latin American rhythms with jazz, flamenco and the essence of her own poems, Andrea Tierra performs.



• The jazz composer, saxophonist, bandleader and educator Hayes Greenfield presents his fun, interactive, and educational jazz show Jazz-a-ma-Tazz that captivates the imagination of kids and families ages 3 to 104.



• Jonathan Batiste Trio featuring one of the most exciting young artists to hit the jazz scene in years.



• Maurice Brown Effect melds R&B and funk with hard core, high art mainstream jazz.



• Critically-acclaimed jazz violinist Jenny Scheinman performs with her trademark eclectic style.

• One of the most exciting young vocalists on the jazz scene today, Rachel Price brings her rich, exuberant voice to the festival stage.



• One of the most influential jazz musicians, composers and bandleaders of his generation, Terence Blanchard performs works from his Grammy-winning epic album, A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina).



• Fresh from their Europeon tour , master musician and tenor saxophonist Charles Lloyd and new Quartet members Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers & Eric Harland perform works from their critically-acclaimed new recording Rabo de Nube.



• One of the world's premier vocalists, Dianne Reeves will delight audiences with her rich, versatile interpretations of old and new standards.



• Two-time Grammy nominated jazz sax star Boney James is joined by acclaimed singer, songwriter and guitarist Jonathan Butler.



• The seventies soul group and Rock n' Roll Hall of Famers the O'Jays perform R&B classics.

• The accomplished members of 3D present their unique blend of island rhythms, contemporary jazz and soul.



• Hayes Greenfield & Jazz-a-ma-Tazz gives children and students of all ages a lesson in jazz with a fun, interactive show.



• Up-and-coming jazz vocalist and jazz studies major at the New England Conservatory of Music student Rachel Price takes the festival stage to “tell a story with her voice."



• The dynamic The Brubeck Brothers Quartet features two members of one of America's most accomplished musical families, Dan Brubeck and Chris Brubeck. Guitarist Mike DeMicco, and pianist Chuck Lamb, complete the acclaimed quartet.



• Road-tested veteran of tours with Joshua Redman and Wynton Marsalis, young jazz pianist Aaron Goldberg leads a sophisticated trio into accessible but exploratory realms of jazz.