RETURN TO FOREVER REUNION TOUR IN 2008!!!

[Alan Vorse]

Now if only he had any harmonic sensibilities...

+1.

 

[KJung]

Cool! I saw the 'Romantic Warrior' tour way back in the day, and it was still one of the most amazing concerts I've ever seen.

Of course, part of the reason it was amazing was that the music was fresh, new, and innovative in the late 70's. Not so sure that would translate today. However, that's a bit of history there. That line up was really the high point (with the Jaco era Weather Report) of the fusion thing IMO.

 

[Snarf]

Slightly off topic, but It's soooo cool to see Randy Runyon getting a mention in that newsletter. I know the cat, he's a dope player. Played as Pat Metheny in the Pat ensemble his first semester at Berklee.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

Chick and Gary Burton have fired up the duo again as well... they played here earlier this year. Check it out if you can.

I hung out with Chick afterwards, he was talking about the reunion of "the loudest band in history". I told him that my ears were still ringing from the first pass. Great band, though.

 

[jerry]

I saw the Romantic Warrior tour too, they were great! Put me down as a fan of the Bill Connors version though...actually the first one with Flora & Airto gets much love from me. I have some recordings of the band with Connors and Steve Gadd that is pretty frightning......Connors burns on Spain!






/* shaka to Marcus.....

 

[BassyBill]

From Chick Corea's site:

Return to Forever, one of the most influential groups of the 1970s, have long heard calls from their many fans for a reunion tour. Now those calls have been answered, with the classic lineup of keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White planning a tour across the U.S. and Europe that will be their first performances together in more than 25 years.
The foursome is expected to play 40 to 50 dates across the U.S. and Europe, featuring the classic music from their four chart-topping albums. "It’s been a long time coming," says founder Chick Corea, "and I think it's going to be a blast! We plan to take the songs from the albums we made in the '70s and just play them like they’ve never been played before."
"In retrospect, the '70s were a very powerful time in instrumental music," Stanley Clarke adds. "We’re going to go out and play our music as honestly as we did then, and it will be a great thing for all of us."
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. Their influence is evident today in many musical genres, from the hip-hop samplings of Dr. Dre and Lupe Fiasco to a litany of jam bands to techno and prog bands.
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 be released to coincide with the tour.
Al Di Meola says, "This is something we’ve talked about for close to 30 years... how’s that? 30 years! We’ve come close a few times, but finally the timing was right."
"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," Lenny White concludes.
Ted Kurland Associates is the booking agency for 2008's Return to Forever tour, about which Russ Davis, Program Director for Beyond Jazz on XM Satellite Radio and the Jazz America Program on Voice of America enthuses: "The RTF reunion will be THE jazz event of 2008. Rarely does a magical event like this occur. I’m one of millions of fans who can’t wait!"

Gotta keep posted on this! The RTF reunion and the Corea/McLaughlin thing mentioned in this thread both are must-sees for me.

 

[Barkless Dog]

I saw the last Reunion tour in the 80's?

I wondered how that difficult music would sound live, expecting less, but damm they sounded even better than the recordings & just as tight.

Amazing show I will never forget.

 

[gwx014]

actually the first one with Flora & Airto gets much love from me.

+1. I've been listening to "Light as a Feather" a lot lately. Stanley is great on Upright.

 

[JimK]

The RTF reunion is wonderful, but I would really like to see the Corea/McLaughlin group since it has Christian McBride.

I'm with you.
Vinnie, McBride, & Garrett in a trio gig would be baaadddd!

FWIW, I will be picking up the Steve Khan Eyewitness "Live In Koln 1994" cd set. Everyone probably "owns" the boot of this by now (3 cds worth).
True story-
I had the 3 cd set back around 1997...I get online about '98/'99 & get involved at a Jazz site where people were talking about their "rare" albums. So I blab about a 3-cd set of Live in Koln Eyewitness...couple days later, I receive an e-mail from Steve Khan. He tells me he never released this set...where did I buy it? Gulp...
Anyway, glad he's finally putting it out.
For those that don't have it...it's a great set.

 

[JimK]

I can't wait for the Metheny/McBride/Sanchez disc. I saw them live and it was a great show.

A bandmate of mine caught them when they played in Norfolk...I ended up buying Sanchez' Migration disc to hold me over until Day Trip gets released.

 

[jerry]

I'm with you.
Vinnie, McBride, & Garrett in a trio gig would be baaadddd!

Oh man,............sign me up!

 

[bottomzone]

I was blessed to see the 1980's reunion tour as well. It was way above my expectations-which were sky high!!!! I'm really looking forward to this one, too!!!!!!!!!!!


A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

 

[Baryonyx]

I'm really looking forward to this, I hope I get to see some footage or something of the performances, they should make a DVD! I'd be even more excited to see Stan on his own on tour though, after hearing how bombastic "The Toys of Men" is!

 

[Barkless Dog]

Vulcan Worlds

 

[Guiseppe]

wank away I say. How often do you get the chance to see this level of chops wanking away on the same stage?

I saw DiMeola this past year...have to say in my mind him and McLaughlin are on a level that everyone else aspires to get to. Had him and Victor Wooten shake my hand in the same week...I REALLY was hoping that virtousity was something that would rub off, but no luck...

Have to say, I'm gonna bird-dog this one, and even if I have to travel, I'm going (and gonna get a ticket for my brother that turned me onto RTF, along with loaning me the bass I learned to play (initially) on and bought my first bass for me...)

 

[Passinwind]

I'm really looking forward to this, I hope I get to see some footage or something of the performances, they should make a DVD! I'd be even more excited to see Stan on his own on tour though, after hearing how bombastic "The Toys of Men" is!

I saw Stanley last night in Seattle. He's at Jazz Alley all this weekend, with Dennis Chambers on drums and two young guys on violin and keys. I caught both sets, and this band is smoking. I'll post a separate review of the show later today.

 

[4Mal]

Hey - are you doing sound for the Tony Furtado show this weekend ? LB and I want to hit that one. I'm hoping for Damien Erskine of course. (Hopefuly fewer snowboarders than at the Dave Kaptein show (featuring Tom Grant...)

RTF show - sign me up! (My fav line up was the pre-guitar line up but I can deal.)
McLaughlin - yep that one too ...

DiMeola - interesting quote from a few years back .... "I have no idea how I did that..." referring to his early playing with RTF and then on his own.

Maceo Parker-Roots & Grooves (2 cd live w/Dennis Chambers, Rodney 'Skeet" Curtis & WDR Big Band)

more up my alley I think... Bring on the Maceo! That and the Bernie Worrell stuff.

 

[danomar]

Vulcan Worlds

Oh that takes me back. Thanks for the URL.

I love Chick Corea but I agree with Burk that this RTF show will probably be a wank fest.

Wank-fest? Hardly. Maybe prog-jazz is not everyone's thing, but if you ever get to experience four consummate masters play like these cats do (assuming Lenny White is in), you will understand. I think they played for two and-a-half hours at the Vanderbilt gig I saw in the mid-80's. How many acts nowadays even have that much material, much less stamina?

I saw Al DiMeola in Sofia, Bulgaria last year. One of my younger friends thought he came off as a bit arrogant, but I asked him what he thought about the musicianship. There was no argument.

Maybe they're getting along in the years, but none of the RTF musicians' recent music offerings have lead me to believe the art has escaped their bodies.

RTF. Day-um! If they come within 200 miles of Atlanta, I'll be there!
d

 

[Guiseppe]

Oh that takes me back. Thanks for the URL.



Wank-fest? Hardly. Maybe prog-jazz is not everyone's thing, but if you ever get to experience four consummate masters play like these cats do (assuming Lenny White is in), you will understand. I think they played for two and-a-half hours at the Vanderbilt gig I saw in the mid-80's. How many acts nowadays even have that much material, much less stamina?

I saw Al DiMeola in Sofia, Bulgaria last year. One of my younger friends thought he came off as a bit arrogant, but I asked him what he thought about the musicianship. There was no argument.

Maybe they're getting along in the years, but none of the RTF musicians' recent music offerings have lead me to believe the art has escaped their bodies.

RTF. Day-um! If they come within 200 miles of Atlanta, I'll be there!
d

I thought the opposite of Al...when I saw him I thought he was VERY gracious. The friend of mine I took to see him (a young classical guitar player) asked him a question, and Al got into a discussion about learning/playing w/ him that probably went on for 15 minutes (there were several other people there as well). I remember him asking ME specifically what other players I enjoyed that were influences.

 

[jtallent]

YIPEEEEE!

Holy Crap! I don't know where I've been for the last month ... but I just heard about this today and haven't been more excited about a concert in a long time. I saw what I can honestly say was one of the best 3 shows I've ever seen in my life being Chick's Elektric Band show in NYC in December with Victor Wooten, Dave Weckyl, and Frank Gambale and I think RTF should be even better than that. As for it being a wankfest ... nothing wrong with that at all in my mind. I don't have a single problem with watching guys play stuff that I can only dream of playing ... it's humbling and gives you something to aspire to (plus just darn good entertainment).

Besides the RTF show, does anyone have any more information about the Chick Corea/ John McLaughlin show? I found tons of info on the RTF show but nothing about the other one? Both should be absolutely fantastic. I'm hoping that they're just a little slow getting info out there about John McLaughlin and they didn't can the idea.