John McLaughlin - Electric Guitarist (1979)

Since John McLaughlin's first two post-Shakti albums -- Electric Guitarist and Electric Dreams -- featured the word "electric" in their titles, it seems that the guitarist wanted to emphasize his more plugged-in side to those who might not have followed along on three previous releases featuring his acoustic world music band. He also thumbed through his impressive phone book to call in some of the cream of the 1977 crop of jazz fusionists to help him out on Electric Guitarist, a true return to form. Ex-Mahavishnu members Jerry Goodman and Billy Cobham assist in kicking things off just like in the old days with "New York on My Mind," a tune that could have been an outtake from his earlier Mahavishnu Orchestra work. Also along for the ride are Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, David Sanborn, Carlos Santana, Jack Bruce, and four legendary drummers including Cobham, Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, and Narada Michael Walden. Unfortunately, the credits don't specify who plays on which track (well-written liner notes would help there), but anyone familiar with the distinctive styles of these artists can easily pick them out. McLaughlin is in fine form throughout, especially when playing clean, staccato, bent notes on the ballad "Every Tear from Every Eye." The majority of the selections stay in a more subtle but amped-up groove as McLaughlin shifts from dreamy to a faster, more straight-ahead tempo on the seven-minute "Do You Hear the Voices that You Left Behind?" A duet with Billy Cobham on "Phenomenon: Compulsion" provides the set's most frantic fireworks as both musicians air out their chops on a breathless, galloping piece with some of the guitarist's most furious picking.

By Hal Horowitz in All Music Guide

Styles:
Fusion
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 - New York on My Mind (05:46)
02 - Friendship (07:02)
03 - Every Tear from Every Eye (06:53)
04 - Do You Hear the Voices You Left Behind? (07:41)
05 - Are You the One? Are You the One? (04:43)
06 - Phenomenon: Compulsion (03:23)
07 - My Foolish Heart (03:25)

Line-up:
John McLaughlin – guitar
Carlos Santana – guitar (track 2)
Stu Goldberg – Minimoog (track 1), electric piano (track 1), organ (track 1)
Chick Corea – Minimoog (track 4), piano (track 4)
Patrice Rushen – piano (track 3)
Tom Coster – organ (track 2)
Billy Cobham – drums (tracks 1, 6)
Narada Michael Walden – drums (track 2)
Tony Smith – drums (track 3)
Jack DeJohnette – drums (track 4)
Tony Williams – drums (track 5)
Alyrio Lima – percussion (track 2)
Armando Peraza – conga (track 2)
Fernando Saunders – bass (track 1)
Neil Jason – bass (track 2)
Alphonso Johnson – bass (track 3), Moog Taurus (track 3)
Stanley Clarke – bass (track 4)
Jack Bruce – bass (track 5)
David Sanborn – saxophone (track 3)

Norman Connors - Dance of Magic (1972)

Recorded with a who's who of fusion titans including trumpeter Eddie Henderson, bassist Stanley Clarke, and keyboardist Herbie Hancock, Dance of Magic channels the lessons drummer Norman Connors learned in the employ of Pharoah Sanders, Sam Rivers, and Sun Ra, marshaling Latin rhythms, electronic textures, and cosmic mysticism to create nondenominational yet deeply spiritual funk-jazz. The sprawling 21-minute title cut spans the entirety of the record's first half, capturing a monumental jam session that explores the outer edges of free improvisation but never steps past the point of no return. Connors' furious drumming is like a trail of bread crumbs that leads his collaborators back home. The remaining three tracks are smaller in scale but no less epic in scope, culminating with the blistering "Give the Drummer Some."

By Jason Ankenny in All Music

Styles:
Fusion
Crossover
Funk-Jazz
Avant-Garde

Tracks:
01 - Dance Of Magic (21:00)
02 - Morning Change (06:29)
03 - Blue (10:20)
04 - Give The Drummer Some (02:22)

Line-up:
Norman Connors - Drums
Stanley Clarke - Bass
Cecil McBee - Bass
Herbie Hancock - Piano, Fender Rhodes, Electric Piano
Gary Bartz - Alto & Soprano Saxophones
Carlos Garnett - Tenor & Soprano, Saxophones
Art Webb - Flute
Eddie Henderson - Trumpet
Anthony Wiles - Baliphone
Airto Moreira - Percussion
Alphonse Mouzon - Percussion
Anthony Wiles - Percussion
Billy Hart - Percussion

Return To Forever - Song To The Pharaoh Kings (Montreux 2008)

Roland Kirk - Pedal Up (1975)

Line-up:
Rahsaan Roland Kirk - horns
McCoy Tyner - piano
Stanley Clarke - bass
Lenny White - drums

Return to Forever IV: Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy Tour (2011)

Almost forty years after Return to Forever – the definitive jazz fusion ensemble – first appeared on the scene, the much honored ensemble is making one of their continuing returns to action. And, in the bold tradition of renewal that Chick Corea has established as an essential RTF quality, this latest installment combines elements from the band’s rich history with an exciting vision of the jazz future.

Line-up:
Chick Corea - piano and keyboards
Stanley Clarke - bass
Lenny White - drums
Frank Gambale - guitar
Jean-Luc Ponty - violin

Stay tuned at http://return2forever.com/

Return to Forever - Musicmagic (1977)

Return to Forever was one of the most commercially and artistically successful jazz/rock bands of the '70s. Albums like Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy and Where Have I Known You Before are filled with the band's chemistry and deft mix of genres. This 1977 effort marks the departure of founding member, drummer Lenny White and guitarist Al DiMeola. White is replaced here with Gerry Brown. A five-piece horn section is added, which includes the returning Joe Farrell. Gayle Moran also is added as a vocalist and on keyboards. Those expecting a continuation of what the group was working on during the great Romantic Warrior will be disappointed. Musicmagic features none of the exciting and challenging playing that typified their best work. The first track, "The Musician," starts off strongly with a great intro then meanders, a trait that often marred Corea's best work of this era. "Hello Again," a duet with Clarke and Moran, is skilled but a little mawkish. The title track plays to this incarnation's strengths with the horn section providing punchy support as Corea has a harder-edged Fender Rhodes solo. Unfortunately, Musicmagic is more often than not filled with bombast and melodrama typified on "So Long Mickey Mouse" and "Do You Ever." The last track, the melodically compelling "The Endless Night," also has the vocals of Clarke and Moran blending particularly well on the song. Despite the best intentions, Musicmagic lacks the swagger and confidence of the group's best work.

by Jason Elias at All Music Guide.

Style:
Fusion

Tracks:
01 The Musician
02 Hello Again
03 Music Magic
04 So Long Mickey Mouse
05 Do You Ever
06 The Endless Night

Line-up:
Chick Corea - acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Mini Moog, clavinet, Moog 15, Polymoog, ARP Odessey, vocals
Stanley Clarke - electric bass / piccolo bass / acoustic bass / vocals
Gayle Moran - organ / polymoog / acoustic piano / Vocals
Joe Farrell - tenor and soprano saxophone / flutes, piccolo
Gerry Brown - drums
John Thomas - trumpet / flugel horn
James Tinsley - trumpet / piccolo trumpet
Jim Pugh - tenor trombone
Harrold Garrett - tenor and bass trombone / Baritone Horn

Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior (1976)

The most popular and successful lineup of Return to Forever -- Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, and Al Di Meola -- was coming off the Grammy-winning No Mystery when it recorded its third and final album, Romantic Warrior. It has been suggested that in employing a medieval album cover (drawn by Wilson McLean), using titles like "Medieval Overture" and "Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant," and occasionally playing in a baroque style, particularly in Clarke's "The Magician," Corea was responding to Rick Wakeman's successful string of albums on similar themes. Certainly, the music suggests that the musicians have been listening to Wakeman's band, Yes, among other progressive rock groups. But they bring more of a traditional jazz approach to their sound, particularly in the opening statement of intent "Medieval Overture" and the original side one closer, "The Romantic Warrior," both of which feature extensive acoustic piano soloing by Corea. The original side two -- Di Meola's "Majestic Dance," "The Magician," and "Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant" -- is much more in a jazz-rock style, with Di Meola particularly rocking out on extensive, fast-paced electric guitar solos. Meanwhile, the rhythm section of Clarke and White is always extremely busy, maintaining a funky, driving pulse and several cross rhythms no matter what's going on above it. This is particularly noticeable, naturally, on White's sole composition, "Sorceress," but it continues to keep the music in the fusion camp even when Corea is sounding like a more traditional jazz pianist. Romantic Warrior is the sound of a mature band at the top of its game, which may help explain why it was Return to Forever's most popular album, eventually certified as a gold record, and the last by this assemblage. Having expressed themselves this well, they decided it was time for them to move on.

by William Ruhlmann at All Music Guide.

Styles:
Post-Bop
Fusion

Tracks:
01 Medieval Overture
02 Sorceress
03 The Romantic Warrior
04 Majestic Dance
05 The Magician
06 Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant, Pts. 1 & 2

Line-up:
Chick Corea – keyboards
Stanley Clarke – electric bass, acoustic bass
Lenny White – drums, percussion
Al di Meola – electric guitar / acoustic guitar

Return to Forever - No Mystery (1975)

The second edition of Chick Corea's Return to Forever only lasted three years, resulting in four influential recordings of which this was their third. Corea's versatile keyboards and composing talents, Al DiMeola's intense rockish guitar, Stanley Clarke's funky electric bass and Lenny White's powerful drumming combined to create a true fusion supergroup. Highlights of their passionate set include "No Mystery" and Corea's two-part "Celebration Suite."

by Scott Yanow at All Music Guide.

Style:
Fusion

Tracks:
01 Dayride
02 Jungle Waterfall
03 Flight of the Newborn
04 Sofistifunk
05 Excerpt from the First Movement of Heavy Metal
06 No Mystery
07 Interplay
08 Celebration Suite, Pt.1
09 Celebration Suite, Pt.2

Line-up:
Chick Corea – acoustic piano / electric piano / clavinet / organ / synthesizers /snare drum / marimba / vocals
Stanley Clarke – electric bass / acoustic bass / organ / synthesizer / vocals
Lenny White – drums / percussion / congas / marimba
Al di Meola – electric guitar / acoustic guitar

Return to Forever - Where Have I Known You Before (1974)

This Return to Forever set finds guitarist Al DiMeola debuting with the pacesetting fusion quartet, an influential unit that also featured keyboardist Chick Corea, electric bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White. On this high energy set, short interludes separate the main pieces: "Vulcan Worlds," "The Shadow of Lo," "Beyond the Seventh Galaxy," "Earth Juice" and the lengthy "Song to the Pharoah Kings." Acoustic purists are advised to avoid this music, but listeners who grew up on rock and wish to explore jazz will find this stimulating music quite accessible.

by Scott Yanow at All Music Guide.

Styles:
Fusion
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 Vulcan Worlds
02 Where Have I Loved You Before?
03 Shadow of Lo
04 Where Have I Danced With You Before
05 Beyond the Seventh Galaxy
06 Earth Juice
07 Where Have I Known You Before?
08 Song to the Pharoah Kings

Line-up:
Chick Corea – electric piano / acoustic piano / organ / synthesizers / percussion
Stanley Clarke – electric bass / organ / bell tree / chimes
Lenny White – drums / percussion / congas & bongos
Al di Meola – electric guitar / acoustic twelve-string guitar

Return to Forever - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973)

The second incarnation of Chick Corea's influential fusion group released only a single record, the magnificent Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. Featuring a more rock-oriented approach than the Flora Purim-Joe Farrell band that was responsible for both Return to Forever and Light as a Feather, Corea and old standby Stanley Clarke join forces here with propulsive drummer Lenny White and electric guitarist Bill Connors. Although Connors lacks the sophistication of Al Di Meola, the young guitarist who replaced him, he possesses a deliciously raw sound that keeps Corea's heady compositions firmly grounded. White introduces a funk aspect to the music, replacing Airto's Latin grooves from the first two records. Clarke is as good, wrenching some truly frightening sounds out of his electric basses. This increased emphasis on electric instrumentation, also displayed in Corea's heavy use of synthesizers, is another thing that separates this record from the previous Return to Forever releases. And as good as the band performances are, it is the quality of the compositions that marks Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy as an indispensable disc of '70s fusion. "Captain Senor Mouse," one of Corea's finest fusion compositions, receives an excellent treatment here. Likewise, the two-part "Space Circus" is a fantastic mix of haunting and grooving elements, with some simply incredible solos thrown into the mix. With Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, Corea continues his streak of simply timeless fusion albums. The best of the electric RTF albums.
by Daniel Gioffre at All Music Guide.

Styles:
Fusion
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy
02 After the Cosmic Rain
03 Captain Señor Mouse
04 Theme to the Mothership
05 Space Circus, Pts. 1 & 2
06 Game Maker

Line-up:
Chick Corea - electric piano / acoustic piano / organ / harpsichord / gongs
Stanley Clarke - electric bass / bell tree
Lenny White - percussion
Bill Connors - electric guitar / acoustic guitar

Return to Forever - Light as a Feather (1972)

Of the three versions of Return to Forever, the initial version is of the greatest interest from the jazz standpoint. With Joe Farrell on reeds, bassist Stanley Clarke, Airto on drums and percussion and Flora Purim contributing vocals, this contingent was one of the finest groups of the 1972-73 period even if they only actually cut two records. This particular set includes the original version of Chick Corea's greatest composition ("Spain") along with versions of "500 Miles High" and "Captain Marvel." This music crosses many boundaries and still sounds fresh two decades later.

by Scott Yanow at All Music Guide.

Style:
Fusion

Tracks:
01 You're Everything
02 Light as a Feather
03 Captain Marvel
04 500 Miles High
05 Children's Song
06 Spain

Line-up:
Chick Corea - electric piano
Joe Farrell - flutes / saxophones
Flora Purim - vocals / percussion
Stanley Clarke - double bass
Airto Moreira - drums

Chick Corea - Return to Forever (1972)

The legendary first lineup of Chick Corea's fusion band Return to Forever debuted on this classic album (titled after the group but credited to Corea), featuring Joe Farrell on soprano sax and flute, the Brazilian team of vocalist Flora Purim and drummer/percussionist Airto Moreira, and electric bass whiz Stanley Clarke. It wasn't actually released in the U.S. until 1975, which was why the group's second album, Light as a Feather, initially made the Return to Forever name. Nonetheless, Return to Forever is every bit as classic, using a similar blend of spacy electric-piano fusion and Brazilian and Latin rhythms. It's all very warm, light, and airy, like a soft breeze on a tropical beach -- hardly the sort of firebrand approach to fusion that Miles Davis, Tony Williams, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra were exploring, and far less rooted in funk or rock. Corea also bathes the album in an undertone of trippy mysticism, not only in the (admittedly dated) lyrics, but in his cosmic keyboard wanderings, which remain melodic and accessible through most of the record. There's one genuine pop song in the groovy samba "What Game Shall We Play Today," and while "Sometime Ago" has similar elements, it's part of an ambitious side-long medley that features a stream-of-consciousness intro and a jubilant, Spanish/Mexican-style closing section called "La Fiesta," complete with castanets and flamenco modes. The title track is another multi-sectioned work, featuring Corea and Purim in wordless unison on two different, catchy themes, plus breezy work from Farrell and lots of Brazilian-flavored rhythmic interplay. And the dreamy, meditative "Crystal Silence" is an underrated gem waiting to be rediscovered. Certainly, this edition of Return to Forever wasn't inclined toward high-voltage jazz-rock (as the next one was), but this group's two albums still stand as some of the most imaginative and distinctive early fusion recordings.

by Steve Huey at All Music Guide.

Style:
Fusion

Tracks:
01 Return to Forever
02 Crystal Silence
03 What Game Shall We Play Today
04 Sometime Ago - La Fiesta

Line-up:
Chick Corea - electric piano
Joe Farrell - flutes / soprano saxophone
Flora Purim - vocal / percussion
Stanley Clarke - electric bass / double bass
Airto Moreira - drums / percurssion

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