Return To Forever IV

Earlier this year, one of the most influential instrumental bands of all time, Return To Forever, completed a sensationally successful tour of Australia, where they were greeted by wildly enthusiastic audiences. Media reviewers, equally impressed, described performances that "rocked the house" and were "nothing short of wonderful."

The band's irresistible musical thrills will continue to excite audiences this summer with a free concert at the 29th Annual M&T Jazz Fest in Syracuse, NY, on the evening of Saturday, June 25. Details are available at www.syracusejazzfest.com.

Originally, the tours planned to feature the electric music from RTF's classic Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. But as the guys got together, rehearsed and threw ideas around, a new game plan emerged: include songs from the entire RTF songbook, add highlights from each of the players' careers, and include new material specifically written for this version of the band.

"Since all the guys in the band are such good composers," says Chick Corea, "I wanted to have everyone's compositions add to the new RTF IV vibe. So we all agreed: let's open it up — which is the way we like it, and I think the way the fans like it too."

It's an approach that's completely consistent with the creative evolution the band has taken over the past decades.

Return To Forever has been a succession of super groups from the beginning, with some of jazz's most dynamic players passing through the ranks as the bands explored Corea's far ranging musical perspectives.

First there was the Brazilian-tinged RTF (Return To Forever, Light As A Feather). Next, the second RTF focused on electric jazz/rock (Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, Where Have I Known You Before, No Mystery, Romantic Warrior). The third Return To Forever (Musicmagic, Return to Forever Live) featured a larger band with a jazz horn section and vocals.

The newest version — Return To Forever IV — doesn't just maintain the high standards established by those previous incarnations — it takes them even higher. Chick Corea has been adventuring through new musical territory since he first arrived on the scene with Miles Davis in the late ‘60s. Stanley Clarke and Lenny White bring versatility, swing and musical pyrotechnics to every note they play. Jean-Luc Ponty has defined the electric violin as a contemporary jazz instrument via his extraordinary playing in the Mahavishnu Orchestra, as well as his own world music-oriented bands. And guitarist Frank Gambale doesn't just leap genres with ease, he does so with finger-blurring speed and constant musical authenticity.

Working together with complete creative compatibility, preparing a program that includes the ideal fan song list as well as compelling new items, the world class players of Return To Forever IV are embarking on a tour that belongs on every jazz fan's "Must See" list.

"This group of guys," says Clarke, "may be one of the few bands of our genre that can sustain a show like this. Seemed like a fun thing to do from the beginning. And it is."