Return to Forever - The Mothership Returns '2012

Tracks list

When guitarist Al DiMeola left Return to Forever (again) after their 2008
reunion tour, Chick Corea solicited the help of the bands original axeman, Bill
Connors, to rejoin the band for another tour. He did. While he rehearsed with
Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White, health issues forbade him from returning
to the road. Corea then enlisted his former Elektric Band guitarist Frank
Gambale, as well as guest violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. The 2011 tour, by all fan
accounts, blew the doors off the 2008 reunion. Gambale, every bit the technical
virtuoso as Di Meola, is the stronger jazz player of the two. And with Pontys
added fireworks, the vintage RTF material took on an entirely new life, as did
other pieces performed here. This two-CD/DVD package offers visual as well as
audio proof that the fans were correct. While the set opens with a gorgeously
played Medieval Overture from Romantic Warrior, it then shifts into what is
perhaps the most intense version of Señor Mouse on record at over 12 minutes.
Next up is a medley of White tunes in The Shadow of Lo/Sorceress, clocking in at
nearly 17 minutes While the first part is a largely acoustic piece, it gives way
to the bands full slate of jazz chops full-on. Clarke, Gambale, Ponty, and Corea
all shine, while White is so ambitious and propulsive, he makes this entire jam
sound more like prog rock than fusion. Pontys 19-plus minute Renaissance, from
1975s Aurora, is a showcase for his composition. As a soloist, he remains fully
committed to the fusion aesthetic and is every bit as technically gifted as he
was in the 70s. Hes dazzling, as is Clarke, in his swinging pizzicato bass solo.
Disc two begins with a burning, free-flowing After the Cosmic Rain that heads
directly into an extended version of Romantic Warrior before shifting gears into
a gorgeous medley of composer Joaquín Rodrigos Concierto Aranjuez paired with
Coreas Spain. Things get massively funky on Clarkes School Days before heading
off into a straight -- and brief -- Hymn to the Seventh Galaxy to close it all
out. Its a breathtaking 110 minutes. The included DVD contains a documentary
called Return to Forever: Inside the Music, concert performances of After the
Cosmic Rain and The Romantic Warrior, and a sneak peek trailer for the
forthcoming film, The Story of Return to Forever.

Tracks:

CD1:
01. Medieval Overture (Corea) - 6:03
02. Senor Mouse (Corea) - 12:10
03. The Shadow of Lo/Sorceress (White) - 16:05
04. Renaissance (Ponty) - 19:40

CD2:
01. After the Cosmic Rain (Clarke) - 16:52
02. The Romantic Warrior (Corea) - 18:20
03. Concierto de Aranjuez (Rodrigo)/Spain (Corea) - 8:12
04. School Days (Clarke) - 11:24
05. Beyond the Seventh Galaxy (Clarke) - 3:44

Personnel:

Chick Corea: keyboards
Frank Gambale: guitars
Jean-Luc Ponty: violin
Stanley Clarke: electric and acoustic basses
Lenny White: drums

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