Return to Forever Returns

Return to Forever Returns
Eagle Records 2-CD set

One of the big three jazz-rock fusion super-groups (along with Weather Report and Tony William’ Lifetime), Return to Forever was no stranger to the Billboard charts, not only ranking high in the jazz album category, but also cracking the pop album list (albeit somewhat lower, but still at quite a level for a jazz band in the 1970’s). Given their enduring popularity, there would be great demand for RTF’s reunion tour last year, which is now documented on the live two-CD set, Return to Forever Returns.

Although the group’s personnel changed several times, de facto leader pianist-keyboardist Chick Corea was a constant presence. In 2008, to mark the thirty-fifth anniversary of RTF’s founding, over twenty-five years after disbanding, Corea reunited with the band’s classic line-up of Al di Meola on guitar, Lenny White on drums, and Stanley Clarke on bass. Fortunately, they recorded several shows for posterity, with the bulk of the CD-set coming from a Clearwater, FL concert, and a DVD of their show at the Montreux Jazz Festival to be released shortly.

For the thirty-fifth anniversary tour, RTF largely gave fans the classic hits they wanted. The only new composition on RTFR is the abstract “Opening Prayer,” which really sounds like a prologue to “Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy,” the title track of one of the most celebrated fusion records of all time. RTFR opens with hard-driving power, propelled by di Meola’s guitar, which slashes through the following “Vulcan Worlds.” However, he tones it down for an acoustic duet feature with Corea, segueing through a medley of their solo compositions and Astor Piazzolla’s “Café 1930,” concluding with “Spain,” probably the pianist’s most covered standard.

The first disk concludes with “No Mystery,” a RTF greatest hit if ever there was one, here arranged largely as an acoustic number, showcasing Corea’s still dazzling technique on piano. Following a solo feature from Corea that blends into a straight ahead jazz trio rendition of “Solar” by his one-time boss Miles Davis, the second disk is dominated by selections from Romantic Warrior, their first album for Columbia, which would peak at #35 on the pop album charts. It was a departure from previous RTF albums in that it took inspiration from medieval fantasy rather than cosmic imagery. Again, their live take of the 1976 album’s title track is largely acoustic, even featuring some arco bass work from Clarke.

“Warrior” recurs two more times on the second disk, including a spirited version recorded live during the BBC ceremony awarding the band a lifetime achievement award. (While Sir George Martin’s presentation at the start of the track is all very nice, it quickly gets old with repeated listening.) The longest track of the set is also drawn from the Warrior album. An extended suite, “Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant” is jazz-rock suitable for stadium concerts, with di Meola blazing away and Corea going electric throughout (with synthesizers occasionally recalling that cheesy 1970’s keyboard sound).

Although RTF will always be considered to some extent Corea’s band, there is no question the strong musical personalities of di Meola, Clarke, and White helped push the band to the forefront of the fusion movement. Thirty-five years after the band first formed, they are still playing at a scarily high level, both acoustically and when plugged-in. RTFR should definitely please their fans and it would also serve as an excellent introduction to the band for new listeners.

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Return to Forever
The Anthology
Concord Records

Budapest is a beautiful city, but the only sight I wanted to take a picture of were the huge transit advertisements for the upcoming Return to Forever concert, much to the bewilderment of my Czech and Slovak companions. Over twenty-five years have passed since RTF disbanded and thirty-five years since Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy redefined the Chick Corea led band in a fusion super-group context. That entire album is included in a new RTF collection, remixed, re-mastered, and released to coincide with their reunion tour, simply titled The Anthology.

In addition to the complete Hymn, 1976’s Romantic Warrior is also included in its entirety. From the intervening releases, just the brief solo piano interludes from Where Have I Known You Before are omitted, which might be nice within the actual album, but can easily be dispensed with in the anthology format. The only substantial tracks from this four year period not included on Anthology come from the No Mystery album, but the hit title track is indeed represented, making it a good value, perhaps not for completists, but for those looking to plug gaps in their collections.

Hymn really is a highpoint of the fusion era. Though RTF had still not coalesced into the celebrated quartet of Chick Corea, Lenny White, Stanley Clarke, and Al di Meola, their now overlooked guitarist Bill Connors was a key ingredient for the first album’s success. The title tune establishes a hard-driving rock edge for the then new RTF incarnation. “Captain Senor Mouse” is an ingenious reworking of the Corea standard for the brave new jazz-rock world. Hymn is actually quite a melodic session, with real bite provided by Connors’ guitar.

On Where di Meola replaces Connors, but the same jazz-rock ethos remains. The vibe is a bit mellower though, particularly on White’s “The Shadow of Lo,” although de Meola eventually heats it up, and on Corea’s short interludes (again, only the guts of the album are included on Anthology). No Mystery, the other partial album of the set, happens to be the most uneven, but it does include a classic rendition of the title track.

With Romantic Warrior, RTF’s imagery shifts from science fiction to fantasy, but that is alright, Corea’s spiritual leader wrote both. White’s “Sorceress” is quite funky, but features an engaging acoustic solo from Corea. Rhapsodic and sweeping, Corea’s title track is also largely acoustic. It concludes with the sprawling jazz-rock epic “Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant, part 1 & 2,” which perfectly exemplifies the strengths and weaknesses of the group. Corea has always been a strong composer, and di Meola’s virtuoso guitar work is frequently incendiary but the keyboard effects can sometimes sound dated (to put it diplomatically).

Their world tour and release of Anthology offers a good opportunity to take stock of RTF and the era they were a part of. Along with Weather Report and Lifetime, the fusion years marked the only real period in jazz history when small groups really were bands, and not just combos backing up a famous leader. Of course, Corea was the driving force of RTF, as Tony Williams was for Lifetime. RTF might sound very much of their time, but the vitality of these sessions remains undeniable. For fans of the acoustic Corea, New Crystal Silence, his latest collaboration with Gary Burton, will be more to your liking. For fusion enthusiasts, your wait will soon be over. The U.S. leg of their tour starts July 31st.