Stanley Clarke - 1974 "Stanley Clarke"

Stanley Clarke is the second album of jazz fusion bassist Stanley Clarke. This is a classic in the jazz rock fusion genre. Highly electric featuring an all-star band of Stanley Clarke, Jan Hammer, Bill Connors, and the incomparable Tony Williams. To listen to this album/cd at less than full volume does not do it justice.

No one ever accused Return to Forever of playing too few notes, and bass wonder Stanley Clarke commits a few similar sins of excess on his first solo album (see "Life Suite, Parts 1-4"). But, hey, this was 1975, and there's no denying Clarke's genius for sublime grooves and fancy fretwork. As funky as Larry Graham and more fun than Jaco Pastorius, he moves agilely between the convoluted pleasures of "Lopsy Lu" and the more highbrow charms of "Spanish Phases for String and Bass." The album is one of the best showcases for Clarke's mastery of both double bass and electric.

While some jazz purists will detest this LP for it's marriage of jazz improvisation and rock, the simple truth is, "Stanley Clarke" (both the LP and the man)are stunning and ingenious. The late, great Tony Williams is volcanic in his drumming, notice how he plays slightly behind the bass on "Lopsy Lu", or plays in circles around guitarist Bill Connors on Part IV of the "Life Suite"? There is not a wasted note here and listeners who are looking for 'light' or 'smooth' jazz are barking up the wrong tree! Clarke himself is an astounding bassist and takes on shades of Charles Mingus on "Phases for Strings and Bass" and all of the opening "Vulcan Princess". Electro-funk, hard rock and jazz rarely live on the same street these days, but this kind of adventurous music making(a treasure for us more discriminating music lovers)tells me that the 3 should visit each other more frequently. Stanley Clarke is the man! 

This was one of the best jams of it's time.If you ever heard Tony in the mid to late 60ies with miles you know how fast his foot work was. He takes it to a new high on this whole jam sesson. And you know how Stanley got down. anyone who cant understant this fusion all time great. Dont know Jazz. I am very very happy to have this calabaration of Rock&Jazz to my long list of unforgetable moments in Jazz history.

Tony Williams on drums, Jan Hammer on keyboards, Bill Conners on guitar and, of course, Stanley on bass(es). The pedigree of this line up rivals any, and when the Jazz Fusion style of this album is considered, this line up is as close to unbeatable as can be. Even relative unknown NoCal guitarist Bill Conners steps up with impressive performances. Tony's driving, if not frenetic style and Jan's melodic fills compliment Stanley's virtuoso. For fans of Jazz Fusion, or Stanley, this recording is a must. It will be tough to remove from your changer. As an aside I would like to mention that Stanley released an album previous to this as a solo artist. It is called "Stan Clarke: Children of Forever. Chick Corea, Pat Martino, Andy Bey, Dee Dee Bridgewater. Not Fusion, not pure jazz. Well worth checking out (especially "Bass Folk Song). 

I first heard "Stanley Clarke" way back in the mid seventies. I was in a rock band while I was in high school, and the bass player played the album for me in his basement. I had never heard a bass sound the way Clarke's did: more of a lead rather than rhythm or "bottom" instrument. My reaction was "Who is this dude?"

"Stanley Clarke" is full of fine performances: keyboardist Jan Hammer, guitar player Bill Connors, Clarke himself, and the guy who steals the show from everyone else, the legendary Tony Williams. Williams does amazing work throughout this album, but his solos on "Power" and "Life Suite" are simply incredible. In the second movement of "Life Suite", Williams' solo is otherworldly; the work he does on the high hat, bass drum and toms is beyond anything I have ever heard in my 50 years. Williams then moves on to cover what seems like every single piece of his drum kit: toms, cymbals, high hat, and snare-and he does it with such fluidity and speed that it seems like there is more than one person playing simultaneously. When the song drops in volume and tempo, Williams then does a sort of "background solo" with rim shots on his snare drum.

This is tremendous stuff. "Stanley Clarke" is perhaps not as polished as some of his later solo works such as "School Days" or "Journey to Love", but it is still a marvel to behold. The big thing is Tony Williams is on this album, and not the others. The only reason I subtract one star is Stanley somehow thought he could pull off what he thought would pass for singing on "Yesterday Princess". Maybe he got the idea from Tony, who also "sang" on his "Lifetime" albums. Bad idea for both of them...

More than 30 years hence "Stanley Clark" can still tingle my spine when I listen to "Life Suite"! As far as I'm concerned, that qualifies this album as a classic.

Stanley Clarke is Jazz Fusion Bass. There is not now, never was, and never will be an equivalent . Few artist achieve instant greatness with their solo debut album...Stanley did. The opening cut..."Vulcan Princess"...winds its way from a sassy rythmic dance, into a bold, fully ripe melody, fermenting into a beautifully eerie vocal ballad of love and longing. "Vulcan Princess" leads-sans pause- into a (now classic) string popping, synchopathic jaunt through the spacey landscape which is titled "Yesterday Princess". "YP creates musical slices of synthesizer, electric guitar and percussion which seem to fragment, then cascade back together, pulled sytematically into line by the ever present "syncho-Stanley- pops". The "Princess" tunes are wonderful introductions for the middle of the six tune album...they make us like Stanley, appreciate Stanley, recognize that Stanley is an extremely passionate and talented musical poet. Tunes 3 and 4, "Lopsy Lu" and "Power" creep up on you teasing with an underlying, pseudo-subtle flavor of the beast which lurks in the fantastic fingers of Monsieur Clarke. "Lopsy" is poignant. "Power" is, well... powerful. The next cut "Spanish Phases for Strings and Bass" is moody,seductive, occassionaly lilting, nearly passifying. The "SPfSaB" calms you, soothes you, puts you at just the right place to best handle the adrenelaine shot to the heart that concludes the album...The final cut "Life Suite" states simply that if life starts with a slap on the rear and a cry...it surely ends with a hard swift kick in the pants and a passionate scream. That's Stanley....

Tracks Listing

1. Vulcan Princess (4:00)
2. Yesterday Princess (1:41)
3. Lopsy Lu (7:03)
4. Power (7:20)
5. Spanish Phases for Strings & Bass (6:26)
6. Life Suite
Part I - 1:51
Part II - 4:12
Part III - 1:03
Part IV - 6:41

Total Time 40:31

Personnel

    Stanley Clarke - acoustic and electric basses, guitar, piano, vocals
    Jan Hammer - acoustic and electric pianos, organ, Moog synthesizer
    Bill Connors - acoustic and electric guitars
    Tony Williams - drums
    Airto Moreira - percussion
    Peter Gordon, Jon Faddis, James Buffington, Lew Soloff, Garnett Brown - brasses
    David Taylor - brasses, trombone
    David Nadien, Charles McCracken, Jesse Levy, Carol Buck, Beverly Lauridsen, Harry Cykman, Harold Kohon, Paul Gershman, Harry Lookofsky, Emanuel Green - string section
    Michael Gibbs (string & brass arrangement)

Stanley Clarke - 1973 [2007] "Children Of Forever"

Children of Forever is the debut album of the fusion jazz bassist Stanley Clarke.

Recorded eleven months after Chick Corea's astounding "Return to Forever" and three months after his groundbreaking "Light as a Feather", band mate Stan (aka Stanley) Clarke recorded this equally classic gem "Children of Forever" in December of 1972 with a slightly different supporting cast. Stanley played upright bass throughout with Chick on keys, Lenny White on drums, Joe Farell on winds, Pat Martino playing guitar with the jazzy and soulful duo of Dee Dee Bridgewater and the incomparable Andy Bey handling the vocals. It is an outstanding journey from the title track to the epic "Sea Journeys" that concludes the work. Of note are the incredible compositions "Children of Forever", "Unexpected Days", and "Butterfly Dreams."

"Children of Forever" starts as a soul-infused mid tempo vocal that quickly explodes into a hefty upright bass and keyboard workout with Dee Dee on the left channel and Andy on the right. Beautifully sung and played it sounds as though this was a recording of a live performance of a band just starting to define its identity. Well executed, swinging with an eye towards gospel and soul sounds.

"Unexpected Days" contains a strikingly beautiful and uplifting melody that at two moments reaches a crescendo with an incredible harmony from the team of Bridgewater and Bey. Clarke simply rips, Corea is excellent as always and Pat Martino's fills are heavenly. Lenny White was a tasteful compliment to Clarke & Corea and Joe Farrell provided an excellent solo to match Chick. The lyrics, melody and the climactic harmonies are what carry this beautiful composition, the line "vibrations loves vibrations are so strong now clear and strong now!..." and the harmony between Bridgewater and Bey are unforgettable and very much define the jazz-soul-fusion sound of the early 1970s.

"Butterfly Dreams" is absolutely like being shot into heaven with BOSE headphones over both ears! Achingly beautiful lyrics about the magic of being a child and how we lose that magic with every year we age sincerely conveyed by Andy Bey's incredibly warm and brilliant phrasings. White, Clarke, and Corea lay a precise foundation for Farrell's flute, Martino's guitar solo and Bey's vocals. The piece concludes with Clarke's still impressive and stellar upright bass conversation.

"Bass Folk Song" and "Sea Journey" are both wonderful pieces. The latter is a prototypical Return to Forever workout with the addition of Bridgewater's fluid vocal stylings, Corea's lyrical keys and aggressive solos from most of the band typical of what this mega-group would produce in a more amplified and even more aggressive fashion throughout the 1970s. This is fusion-soul-jazz from one of the most influential American bands of the last 40 years with absolutely stunning vocals from internationally respected and admired vocalists Andy Bey and DeeDee Bridgewater who helped usher in the year of "Forever" which was 1972! Led by Stanley Clarke but very much one of the first three Return to Forever albums, this one is a more than worthwhile addition to your jazz collection, excellent for seasoned aficionados yet safe for "newbies" who want to expand their jazz palate!

Still very much an intragal part of Return To Forever "Stan" Clarke (as Stanley is credited here) decided to take a turn at....well at any rate a recording credited to his own name. But basically this recording ends up being like another lineup of RTF including Chick Corea,Lenny White,Dee Dee Bridgewater and the vocals of Andy Bey. Now even though this album features plenty of Corea's electric piano playing this is really a very improvisational,very latin inflected insturmental jazz album. Stanley Clarke is featured on electric bass on "Bass Folk Song" but even on that his style is more vamping and subdued;there are none of the rockier and funkier elements found on theStanley Clarke album the following year. The strongest track here is the title track-Bey's vocals are the best part really. If there is flaw in this album is that in 1973 Stanley Clarke had not yet forged an individual identity outside of RTF-he was tending to use the same musicians and forged a very similar sound. So most of the time this album can just as much be considered an extention of Return to Forever and Light as a Feather as it is a solo debut. My personal opinion is that musical individuality is important and while this is a wonderful,five star album it is not ammong this particular artists most distintive. While Stanley's devotion to Chick Corea at the time was admirable,as most musicians leave their old band leaders rather thanklessly,he just wasn't able to focus enough on his skill and style as a bass player. But that again by no means is an indication this is weak music and no reason not to pick it up.  

This music is exciting and deep! point blank!,anyone who cant dig this music does'nt follow the entire Stanley Clarke catalog and may only be interested in the mid 70's Bass Funk sound and cant get past anything else.This release captures the spirit of the early Return To Forever with ease. Dee Dee Bridgewater showcases impressive vocals on the set,and Pat Martino(oddly one contributor wrote that he was upset with Martino's addition on this album)performs with smooth "coolness" and pours out the Philly sound with Brotherly accuracy. Many people seemed to be stuck on Al DiMeola because he was such a young and thrilling guitarist,but once more anyone who knows the entire Return To Forever experience will know that Al was'nt the original guitarist! and theirs always room for alternate improvisations!..in other words to borrow the words of George Clinton "Free Your Mind and Your Ass will Follow' This session jams!!!

Track listing

All tracks composed by Stanley Clarke and lyrics written by Neville Potter; except where indicated

1.    "Children of Forever" – 10:42
2.    "Unexpected Days" – 5:53
3.    "Bass Folk Song" (Clarke) – 7:59
4.    "Butterfly Dreams" – 6:52
5.    "Sea Journey" (Chick Corea, Neville Potter)– 16:26

Personnel

    Stanley Clarke - Bass fiddle, electric bass
    Chick Corea - Electric piano, acoustic piano, clavinette
    Lenny White - Drums, tambourine
    Pat Martino - Electric Guitar, 12 string guitar
    Dee Dee Bridgewater - Vocal
    Andy Bey - Vocal
    Arthur Webb - Flute

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Joe Henderson, Lenny White - 1982 "A Very Special Concert"

This concert features Chick Corea playing with members of the "Return to Forever" band, which includes the legendary players Stanley Clarke on bass, the much celebrated Lenny White on drums plus the multi-GRAMMY® winner Joe Henderson on tenor sax. Songs include "L#s Bop," "Why Wait," "500 Miles High," "Guernica." Chick Corea#s four-decade career is the stuff of jazz legend, a blend of influential, limit-breaking musical experiences which have filled pages of 20th century music history encyclopedias. Jazz has never been the same since the birth of the samba-flavored ensemble of Return to Forever.

Lenny White's introduction of his bandmates as 'The World's Greatest Musicians' is no exaggeration - this music performance is indeed special, and as the previous reviewer mentioned is a perfect place for newcomers to begin exploring modern acoustic jazz. [there is also another, separate DVD available - released four years ago - of Corea playing acoustic music: "Chick Corea & Friends: Remembering Bud Powell" (live 1996).]

This concert was video taped at Wolf & Rissmiller's Country Club in Reseda, California [not Tokyo, Japan as the previous review states] in 1982.

as mentioned in the other review, this DVD video focuses on Return To Forever music and musicians - but without electric instruments. The Chick Corea/Stanley Clarke/Lenny White section reunites from early-mid '70s album classics such as Stanley Clarke's "Children Of Forever" and RTF's "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy".

Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson had worked with each of these musicians in various jazz contexts for many years before this 1982 reunion. Clarke and White had appeared on Henderson's own 1970-71 Milestone label albums "In Pursuit Of Blackness" and "If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem" (memorably with Lenny White and trumpeter Woody Shaw on a smoking Sept. 1970 live at The Lighthouse session). White and Henderson also famously appeared together on Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay" [CTI label, 1970] album. Corea and Henderson had worked together on recordings such as "Mirror, Mirror" [MPS label 1980, w/Ron Carter and Billy Higgins], "Relaxin' At Camarillo" [Contemporary label 1979, w/Peter Erskine and Tony Williams], and a great 1981 set "Live In Montreux" [Corea's own Stretch label, w/Gary Peacock and Roy Haynes].

Henderson is prominently featured on three of the tracks (he sits out for the trio to perform Corea's '500 Miles High'), giving a beautiful glimpse of his blues-inflected playing on Clarke's composition 'Why Wait', extended improvisation on 'Guernica' (Clarke - bowed bass), and his tour-de-force technique on the swift opener 'L's Bop' (which Lenny White - who co-produced the audio on this recording - closes with a bravura drum solo). Each musician is joyfully sensitive and alert to one another throughout the set; a display of jazz improvisational magic at its finest.

 The Corea/Clarke/Henderson/White lineup was being billed at the time as 'Echoes Of An Era', and the Musician label released a few LPs of this group featuring: Freddie Hubbard, trumpet, and Chaka Khan, vocal on one, Nancy Wilson, vocal [sans Hubbard and Khan] on another, and a third called "The Griffith Park Collection" [slyly announced by Chick in this video as their current release]. Three (or possibly four?) cameras were employed; audio was done as a digital, two-track live recording. Legon also explains those funky, casual threads worn by the musicians: an airport snow delay and their last-minute arrival to the gig.

Before the CHICK COREA AKOUSTIC BAND, Chick Corea was writing and performing acoustic music. To my knowledge this is the first concert of Chick Corea playing acoustic music on DVD. This quartet is particularly impressive seeing that it has 3/4 of the Corea led Return To Forever. RTF did perform acoustic music but this group is closer to jazz/bebop than RTF ever was. Chick Corea is joined by RTF veterans Lenny White on Drums and Stanley Clarke on bass as well as Joe Henderson on Tenor Saxophone. The result is a set of acoustic jazz that is, at times, amazing and always engaging.
The show is only about an hour long, but what an hour it is. Joe Henderson is a very good tenor sax player and is impressive at times on this disc. Lenny White shows that he can play drums in a non-electric setting. Lenny is solid throughout but doesn't do anything mind boggling like Dave Weckl does on the Akoustic Band CDs. Chick Corea shows why he is THE keyboard virtuoso/composer of the last 30 years. Stanley Clarke is Stanley Clarke. If you have never heard/seen Stanley play the acoustic bass then you are going to be blown away. The interplay between himself and Corea or White is amazing. Stanley Clarke knows how to link the melody and rhythm together and when he solos, look out. At long last, a chance to see Stanley on DVD.
The DVD is one set from the band, captured live in California in 1982. The music sounds as if the Akoustic band hired a Saxophone player to join them. The tunes are very similar to the Akoustic band in tonality/style although the saxophone adds a new dimension. The set includes only 4 songs so you know that it is heavy on improvisation. This is post-bop jazz. The band, as a whole, soars and Chick and Stanley are amazing. All of the songs are bop-influened. They also contain elements of othere jazz influences, most notably Chick Corea's '500 Miles High'. '500 Miles High' is the highlight for me. Henderson sits this song out and the trio performs another latin influeced Corea composition. The magic of RTF is revisited as all 3 are given space to do their thing. The interplay picks up from where Romantic Warrior left off. During this piece Stanley Clarke takes upright bass playing to unparalled heights. The Coltranesque technique that he plays on electric is unleashed on acoustic. Nobody plays upright like Stanley.
In conclusion, if you are familiar with Chick Corea's impressive acoustic catalog and you like what you've heard; then you'll also like this. IF you are a fusion fan and haven't yet begun to listen to bebop or straight jazz then this would be a good place to start. It has all of the elements that make acoustic jazz what it is.

Recorded live at Wolf & Rissmiller's Country Club, Reseda, California, 7 April 1982.
Playing time: 56.22 min.

Courtesy: Original uploader 

Tracklist

1. L's Bop – Lenny White
2. Why Wait – Stanley Clarke
3. 500 Miles High – Chick Corea
4. Guernica – Lenny White

Personnel:

Chick Corea - Keyboard
Stanley Clarke - Bass
Joe Henderson - Tenor Sax
Lenny White - Drums

Various Artists - 1989 [1995] Fuse One - The Complete Recordings

Fuse One was a group of jazz musicians who collaborated for two albums released on CTI Records and one album released on GNP Crescendo Record Co..^[1]
The albums Fuse One and Silk were produced by Creed Taylor. The first album was arranged by Jeremy Wall of Spyro Gyra, the second by Leon "Ndugu" Chancler of Weather Report and the third by David Matthews.
Membership was not concrete, but included Tony Williams, Joe Farrell, John McLaughlin, Stanley Turrentine, Wynton Marsalis, Larry Coryell, Lenny White, Paulinho Da Costa, Ronnie Foster, Stanley Clarke, George Benson, Todd Cochran, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, Tom Browne, Dave Valentin, Jorge Dalto and Eric Gale.
The liner notes to their first album described the group thus: "Fuse One is conceived as a forum in which major contemporary musicians perform according to their own musical disciplines and without the constraints that accompany leader responsibilities. Each player brings in new compositions and ideas.

Tracklist 

	1. Grand Prix Drums – Ndugu*Electric Guitar – John McLaughlinPercussion – Paulinho DaCosta*Programmed By [Synthesizer Programming] – Suzanne CianiSoloist, Bass [Tenor Bass] – Stanley ClarkeSoloist, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer – Ronnie FosterSoloist, Tenor Saxophone – Joe FarrellSynthesizer – Jeremy Wall	5:27
	2. Waterside Adapted By – Jeremy WallDrums – Lenny WhiteElectric Bass – Will LeeElectric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Jorge DaltoPercussion – Roger SquiteroSoloist, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Larry CoryellSoloist, Electric Piano [Yamaha Electronic Grand] – Jeremy WallWritten-By – Bedrich Smetana*	4:42
	3. Sunshine Lady Bass [Tenor Bass] – Stanley ClarkeDrums – Ndugu*Percussion – Paulinho DaCosta*Piano – Vic Feldman*Soloist, Acoustic Guitar – John McLaughlinSoloist, Piano [Acoustic Piano Introduction], Synthesizer – Jeremy WallSoloist, Soprano Saxophone – Joe Farrell	4:04
	4. To Whom All Things Concern Bass – Stanley ClarkeDrums – Ndugu*Percussion – Paulinho DaCosta*Soloist, Electric Guitar – John McLaughlinSoloist, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Vic Feldman*Soloist, Tenor Saxophone – Joe FarrellSynthesizer – Jeremy Wall	4:48
	5. Double Steal Bass – Will LeeDrums – Ndugu*Electric Guitar – John McLaughlinPercussion – Paulinho DaCosta*Programmed By [Synthesizer Programming] – Suzanne CianiSoloist, Piano, Synthesizer – Jeremy WallSoloist, Synthesizer, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Ronnie FosterSoloist, Tenor Saxophone – Joe Farrell	6:26
	6. Friendship Bass – Stanley ClarkeDrums – Tony Williams*Drums [Additional] – Michael EpsteinElectric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Don GrusinPercussion – Paulinho DaCosta*Piano – Jeremy WallSoloist, Acoustic Guitar – John McLaughlinSoloist, Flute [C Flute] – Joe Farrell	6:15
	7. Taxi Blues Bass [Tenor Bass] – Stanley ClarkeDrums – Lenny WhiteElectric Guitar – Larry CoryellPercussion – Roger SquiteroSoloist, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Larry CoryellSoloist, Bass [Tenor Bass] – Stanley ClarkeSoloist, Harmonica – Hugh McCracken	4:55
	8. Silk Bass – Stanley ClarkeDrums – Ndugu*Guitar – Eric GaleKeyboards, Synthesizer – Ronnie FosterPercussion – Sammy FigueroaTenor Saxophone – Stanley TurrentineTrumpet – Tom Browne	8:00
	9. In Celebration Of The Human Spirit Bass – Marcus Miller, Stanley ClarkeDrums – Ndugu*Flute – Dave ValentinGuitar – Eric GaleKeyboards, Synthesizer – Ronnie FosterPercussion – Manolo Badrena, Sammy FigueroaTrumpet – Tom BrowneTrumpet, Flugelhorn – Wynton Marsalis	9:08
	10. Hot Fire Bass – Stanley ClarkeDrums – Ndugu*Flute – Dave ValentinGuitar – Eric GaleKeyboards, Synthesizer – Ronnie FosterPercussion – Manolo Badrena, Sammy FigueroaTrumpet, Flugelhorn – Wynton Marsalis	6:58
	11. Sunwalk Bass – Stanley ClarkeDrums – Ndugu*Guitar – Eric Gale, George BensonKeyboards, Synthesizer – Ronnie FosterPercussion – Sammy FigueroaTenor Saxophone – Stanley TurrentineTrumpet – Tom Browne  "Grand Prix," Sunshine Lady," To Whom All Things Concern," "Double Steal," and "Friendship" recorded at Evergreen Studio and Westlake Audio, April 1980, Tom Vicari, Engineer; additional recording at Secret Sound Studio, Michael Barry and Jack Malken, Engineers. "Waterside" and "Taxi Blues" recorded at Van Gelder Recording Studio, May and June, 1980, Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer. "Silk," "In Celebration Of The Human Spirit," "Hot Fire," and "Sunwalk" recorded at Van Gelder Recording Studio, September 21-24, 1981, Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer. Mixed and Mastered at Van Gelder Recording Studio.

Stanley Clarke - 1975 "Journey To Love"

Journey to Love is the third jazz funk fusion album by bass guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Stanley Clarke, accompanied by familiar musicians he has often worked with like George Duke and Chick Corea. Other legendary players on this record are John McLaughlin and Jeff Beck.

It has often been said that Stanley Clarke did for the fretted electric bass in the 1970s what fellow virtuoso Jaco Pastorius did for the fretless. For any aspiring jazz-rock bassist coming up in the time between Bitches Brew and Feels So Good, Stanley's innovative playing, which combined a distinctive slap-pop style with fluid finger-style work informed by his acoustic playing, was a required assignment. Although School Days, with its catchy signature song, is perhaps the most listened to of his albums, it is on Journey to Love, Clarke's second solo offering for Columbia, that his muse is most confidently and persuasively displayed. He is assisted in this worthy endeavor by a whole carload of world-class talent. Jeff Beck shows up for two songs, the title track and the appropriately-titled "Hello Jeff." His lead guitar is as expressive and unpredictable as ever, capable of bringing a smile to the face of the most jaded listener. Return to Forever bandmates Chick Corea and Lenny White also turn up, as well as fellow traveler Mahavishnu John McLaughlin. Not to be overlooked are the tremendous talents of keyboardist George Duke, drummer Steve Gadd, and guitarist David Sancious. The caliber of the musicians aside, Journey of Love is full of great tunes, great grooves, and absolutely amazing bass playing. Clarke moves from percussive slapping to almost guitaristic chording to full-speed improvising with bewildering ease. Make no mistake about it, this is one of the finest fusion albums to come out of the 1970s, and it is the single best demonstration of the skills and the sound that make Clarke one of the most important figures to ever pick up the instrument.

Alongside School Days, this is perhaps Clarke's finest work. From beginning to end, it is simply a very joyful and magnetic listening experience. The infectious and sometimes beautiful grooves are just so impressively done. Clarke's playing is fantastic, managing to be hypnotic at certain moments, and frenetic at others without being headache-inducing, and overall, it's just a very well put together album that will definitely benefit from repeat listens. This is one of the best jazz fusion albums of all time. It's equally great in its slow spots as it is in its speedy spots, and Clarke and the other musicians who show up on it simply do stunning work.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Stanley Clarke; except where indicated

1. "Silly Putty" (4:52)
2. "Journey to Love" (4:52)
3. "Hello Jeff" (5:16)
4. "Song to John, Part 1" (Clarke, Corea) (4:22)
5. "Song to John, Part 2" (Clarke, Corea) (6:09)
6. "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Parts 1-4" (14:25)

Personnel

• Stanley Clarke - electric bass, acoustic bass, organ, piccolo bass (first used by Stanley Clarke) with Maestro Synthesizer on "Concerto For Jazz/Rock Orchestra," hand bells, tubular bells, gong, vocals
• Jeff Beck - electric guitar on "Hello Jeff" and guitar solo on "Journey to Love"
• Chick Corea - acoustic piano on "Song to John"
• George Duke - organ, synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, keyboard, Arp Odyssey, clavinet, acoustic piano, electric piano, bells, vocals
• Earl Chapin - brass horn
• John Clark - brass horn
• Jon Faddis - trumpet
• Steve Gadd - drums, percussions
• Peter Gordon - brass horn
• Tom "Bones" Malone - trombone
• John McLaughlin - acoustic guitar on "Song to John"
• Alan Rubin - trumpet
• David Sancious - electric guitar, 12-string guitar
• Lew Soloff - trumpet
• David Taylor - trombone
• Lenny White - drums on "Hello Jeff"
• Wilmer Wise - brass horn

Return to Forever - 1974 - 1975 [2008] "Where Have I known You Before" - "No Mystery"

2008 digitally remastered two CD set featuring a pair of albums from Jazz pianist Chick Corea and his Fusion band Return to Forever featuring Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Al di Meola. Where Have I Known You Before sas originally released in 1974 followed one year later by No Mystery.

Anyone who is into jazz, jazz/fusion, I am sure remembers these as individual records. I loved them both, but I like Chick Corea & Return To Forever. For me, I think this was some of their finer material. You can get it from Amazon as both original records on disc,so for me I was replacing 2 old LP's. I already knew what I was getting. It is great to have it on cd. Some of the material for the recent comeback on the live disc is also available from Amazon. I certainly give this 5 stars, I love both of these as individual lp's so replacing on cd especially these 2 on was disc, is a good value, & great music.

This release is far superior than the 1980's Polydor releases. There is more DETAIL, instrument seperation, fullness and finally...more BOTTOM. Yes, you can finally hear Lenny's kick drum and his toms have weight, Stanley's basses and Chick's bass synth/low-end synth playing. Also, you can hear Di Meola's comping and Chick's layers of keys/synths. This is like going from VHS to Blu-Ray and I know this music-I have been listening to these (over and over and...) since the earlier 80's on vinyl, then got the horrible CD issues around 1990 and now this.

This 2cd collection is absolutely brilliant, the first cd Where Have I Known You Before is a real electric treat with guitarist Al Dimeola & keyboardist Chic Corea trading riffs back & forth throughout the entire cd especially on tracks like Vulcan Worlds, Beyond The Seventh Galaxy & most notable Earth Juice but the most extravagant song is Song To The Pharoah Kings which really shows off the genius of Chic Corea on keyboards, also noted is the great rhythm section of Stanley Clarke & Lenny White. The 2nd cd No Mystery is a real funk fest with tracks like Dayride, Jungle Waterfall, Flight Of The Newborn & Sofistifunk. Al Dimeola trades riffs with bassist Stanley Clarke on so many occasions it's hard to keep track of, these fusionistic geniuses just pump up the jams on both of these cds with effortless ease. It's hard to believe they both were released in 1974 & 1975 because they are so far ahead of they're time respectively. It's a no brainier that these both stand the test of time & are classics in the jazz fusion world for this very reason they deserve a 5 star review.

1974 "Where Have I Known You Before"

Where Have I Known You Before is the fourth album by jazz-rock fusion band Return to Forever, the second since leader Chick Corea had "revamped" the line-up and moved towards electric instrumentation, playing jazz fusion with clear influences from progressive rock.
This is one of those albums that just seems to have been laying there forever, to be discovered by a group of talented musicians. It almost flows from the musicians on it own accord; they seem as surprised and inspired in playing as we are listening.
The whole band - Chick, Al DiMeola, Stanley Clark, Lenny White - are phenoms. Their skill is stratospheric. To me, as a drummer, Lenny's performance here is magical.
Remember, this album came out in the same period as John McLaughlin's most famous works - BIRDS OF FIRE and INNER MOUNTING FLAME - so these guys were feeding off of each other (much like Paul McCartney and Brian Williams were).
This album is one of the Fusion pioneer albums. The genre didn't exist before RTF and McLaughlin. It quickly sunk under its own weight with all the copycat bands, while the founding fathers moved on to better things.
I saw RTF on tour for this album; third row front; right in front of Lenny (I could see his kick drum foot working - he had on these platform shoes, playing heel-down). It was a fabulous show, even better than the album (I remember Stanley turning to Lenny and giving him the "easy, dude" hand sign: Lenny was just a monster, in his own world!).
If you buy only ONE Corea album, or even only ONE Fusion album, this is the one!

How can I describe a record that changed my life forever? I was sitting in a friend's car in Buffalo while he was getting something in the dorm. Unbeknownst to me his radio was tuned to a French station from Quebec. The final track of this record, "Song to the Pharaoh Kings" came on and I had never heard anything like it. "Blown away" hardly describes the effect. At the end I prepared to memorize the artist and record, and the DJ announced it - in French! I couldn't even figure out which part of the announcement was the artist's name.
It took me two years to figure out that that song was on this album. In the intervening 30 years I've listened to the record over and over again and I never tire of it. This is the record that turned me away from rock and into the more sophisticated world of jazz forever. "Pharaoh Kings" is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant pieces of music written, ever.
On a scale of 1 to 5, this one is 100.

 Track listing

1. "Vulcan Worlds" (Clarke) – 7:51
2. "Where Have I Loved You Before" (Corea) – 1:02
3. "The Shadow of Lo" (White) – 7:32
4. "Where Have I Danced with You Before" (Corea) – 1:14
5. "Beyond the Seventh Galaxy" (Corea) – 3:13
6. "Earth Juice" (Corea, Clarke, White, Di Meola) – 3:46
7. "Where Have I Known You Before" (Corea) – 2:20
8. "Song to the Pharoah Kings" (Corea) – 14:21

Personnel

• Al Di Meola – electric guitar, acoustic twelve-string guitar
• Chick Corea – electric piano, acoustic piano, Yamaha organ, synthesizers, percussion
• Stanley Clarke – electric bass, Yamaha organ, bell tree, chimes
• Lenny White – drums, percussion, congas & bongos

1975 "No Mystery" 

No Mystery (1975) is the fifth studio album by jazz-rock fusion band Return to Forever.
All members of the group contributed compositions to this album. Side A contains heavily funk-influenced material composed by each member of the group, whereas Side B is filled by Chick Corea compositions. Chick Corea won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Individual or Group Grammy Award in 1975 for this album.^[4] "Flight of the Newborn" is Di Meola's first recorded composition. Di Meola's solos are an early example of shredding.
Stanley Clarke would later re-record "Dayride" with background vocals for his solo album, Modern Man, released in 1978. Likewise, Al Di Meola re-recorded a longer version of "No Mystery" for his solo album World Sinfonia in 1991.

This album along with RTF Romantic Warrior is among the best of 70's fusion, all the players are incredible,Chick Corea on keyboard, Al Dimeola on guitar, Stanley Clarke on bass and Lenny White on drums, it doesn't get much better than this. I love the sound of Chick's Fender Rhodes electric piano, it sounds like a powerful percussive bells and the sounds he get from the ARP and MOOG synthesizers are classic and of course his piano playing is incredible, the piano intro to Excerpt f.t.f.m.o.heavy metal is amazing, like a fusion of classic,ragtime and rock. This CD is full of great compositions, Stanley Clarke's Dayride is one of his better pieces a mix of funk,latin and jazz, Corea's No Mystery is so beautiful and the Spanish flavored Celebration Suite is such fun to listen to and Lenny White's drum solo intro to the suite is great.
All the pieces on this album are an example of a high level of virtuoso playing, the guys were young, full of fire and technique which of course they wanted to show off, but that's not all they had to offer there is a lot of thoughtfull passion going on, well crafted compositions and lively enthusiasm in the playing that is so much fun to listen to. The first fusion album I listened to was Dimeola's Casino and I fell in love with this music so I naturally looked for other albums with him and this was it, and the other three guys impressed me just as much, I just wish they had stayed together longer than they did, still most of the solo albums they did are great too.

Wow. This is a timeless recording by Return To Forever.
The acoustic and electric guitar work of Al Di Meola (only 21 years of age when this classic was released) sends chills up my spine each time I hear it. Chick Corea, the consummate musician, is once again virtuous on the synthesizer, organ, and piano. The drums of Lenny White are tight, and the bass work of Stanley Clarke is immensely complex, yet very sonorous.
This disc is a gem. To give it any less than a five-star rating is criminal. It's good to know music like this exists at an affordable price, especially in our world of hackneyed, superficial pop-music. With each listen of "No Mystery," a new level of music appreciation is procured.
Brilliant stuff. 

 Track listing

1. "Dayride" (Clarke) – 3:25
2. "Jungle Waterfall" (Corea, Clarke) – 3:03
3. "Flight of the Newborn" (Di Meola) – 7:23
4. "Sofistifunk" (White) – 3:51
5. "Excerpt from the First Movement of Heavy Metal" (Corea, Clarke, White, Di Meola) – 2:45
6. "No Mystery" (Corea) – 6:10
7. "Interplay" (Corea, Clarke) – 2:15
8. "Celebration Suite part I" (Corea) – 8:27
9. "Celebration Suite part II" (Corea) – 5:32

Personnel

• Al Di Meola – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
• Chick Corea – acoustic piano, electric piano, clavinet, Yamaha organ, synthesizers, snare drum, marimba, vocals
• Stanley Clarke – electric bass, acoustic bass, Yamaha organ, synthesizer, vocals
• Lenny White – drums, percussion, congas, marimba

Corea, Clarke & White - 2011 "Forever"

Forever is a double CD album of live acoustic recordings recorded in California, Tokyo and Seattle in 2009 by the Return to Forever pianist Chick Corea, bass player Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White and studio rehearsals with guests Jean-Luc Ponty, Bill Connors and Chaka Kahn. It was released on the Concord label I 2011.

In 2012, the album received the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek states "Disc one is taken directly from concert appearances across the globe. The standards work well – considering how busy Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White can be together as well as solo... The gems are saved for disc two, which consists mainly of rehearsals for the tour recorded at Mad Hatter Studios in San Francisco, complete with off-mike banter... With its looseness, this second disc offers the real dynamic potential for RTF in the future and reveals the depth of near symbiotic communication between the bandmembers". John Fordham in The Guardian noted "Clarke's beautiful tone and dramatic phrasing, White's melodic percussion playing and deft embroidery of catchy grooves, and Corea's fluency and lyrical grace bring a new spark to standards... The electric disc is a lot funkier... and the light touch and sense of enjoyment of the acoustic half mostly survives intact". All About Jazz correspondent John Kelman observed, "Eschewing RTF's relentless testosterone, the trio is as capable of elegance and understatement as it is of unequivocal virtuosity". PopMatters' Will Layman wrote "The trio recordings are masterful in execution but maybe slightly "been there, done that" in repertoire... On the bonus disc, we get more of a mishmash.. The band is loose as can be in this rehearsal, tossing phrases back and forth, the whole enterprise seeming like the dialogue that jazz is always supposed to be".

This double-disc set documents Return to Forever's unplugged tour of 2009. Its 19 tracks consist mainly of rearranged RTF tunes and jazz standards for piano trio, though there are wonderful surprises on disc two. Disc one is taken directly from concert appearances across the globe. The standards work well -- considering how busy Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White can be together as well as solo. "On Green Dolphin Street," "Waltz for Debby," and "Hackensack" all swing, though they do feature moments of RTF's requisite knotty counterpoint. Originals include Clarke's new tune, the beautiful "La Canción de Sophia," as well as "Bud Powell" and "Windows" from two Corea solo recordings, and "Señor Mouse" and "No Mystery," both RTF tunes, round it out. The small complaint is that these three play so stridently and "perfectly" that they sound more like a studio band instead of a quick-thinking live unit. Everything is exceptionally played and recorded. The gems are saved for disc two, which consists mainly of rehearsals for the tour recorded at Mad Hatter Studios in San Francisco, complete with off-mike banter. Corea dons his Rhodes and other keyboards for an excellent version of "Captain Marvel" and a fully fused-out “Señor Mouse,” “Space Circus,” and “After the Rain,” all with original RTF guitarist Bill Connors playing his ass off with his former and future bandmates (Frank Gambale will assume guitar duties on tour). Violinist Jean-Luc Ponty will also join the new band formally in 2012, and he begins in that role here, appearing on "Armando's Rhumba" (he played on the original off Corea's My Spanish Heart LP), his own "Renaissance," a fine rendition of "I Loves You, Porgy" (one of two tunes with Chaka Khan on vocals), "After the Cosmic Rain," and "Space Circus." The other two surprises on disc two are a very soulful duet between Corea (on acoustic piano) and White on John Coltrane's "Crescent" and a stellar acoustic trio version of RTF's standard "500 Miles High," which was recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival and contains plenty of fire. With its looseness, this second disc offers the real dynamic potential for RTF in the future and reveals the depth of near symbiotic communication between the bandmembers.

As successful as its massive 2008 world tour was—stopping at the Ottawa Jazz Festival, and yielding both a live CD (Returns) and DVD (Returns: Live at Montreux 2008) from Eagle Entertainment the following year—it was patently clear that Return to Forever couldn't continue with guitarist Al Di Meola. It was, however, equally certain that RTF's remaining members—keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White—felt great about coming together, nearly forty years after they first met, as they subsequently hit the road, for their first-ever trio tour, in 2009.

The double-disc Forever brings together one CD of material from dates in the US and Japan, and a bonus disc of rehearsals for the trio's 2009 Hollywood Bowl date, joined by original RTF guitarist Bill Connors, violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and vocalist Chaka Khan. At the core of both discs is the vibrant simpatico shared by Corea, Clarke and White, their acoustic set combining well-known standards and some equally iconic Corea material, from his early entry into The Real Book, the swinging "Windows," to the title track to RTF's No Mystery (Polydor, 1975), expanded to nearly a quarter-hour in length. Approaching his 70th birthday later this year, Corea has simply never played better; bolstered by the equally unfettered and exploratory Clarke and White, his staggering solo demonstrates this trio's unfailing empathy in an album highlight of improvisational construction.

Eschewing RTF's relentless testosterone, the trio is as capable of elegance and understatement as it is of unequivocal virtuosity. White's delicate ride cymbal gently propels the opening to Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debby," even as he adopts a stronger backbone during Corea's solo, while, on Clarke's balladic "La Canción de Sofia," the bassist's arco proves every bit as lyrical as his sinewy pizzicato is muscular.

With Connors bowing out of the RTF IV tour early (citing health reasons), Forever's second disc is a glimpse into what might have been. His replacement, Frank Gambale, will no doubt be terrific, but hearing Connors dig into material from his sole RTF outing, Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (Polydor, 1973)—Clarke's anthemic "After the Cosmic Rain," and Corea's thundering "Señor Mouse" and funkified "Space Circus"—fulfills, at least partially, long-past hopes and dreams of fans who, buying tickets to RTF's 1973/74 tour expecting to hear Connors, were unpleasantly surprised by his teenaged replacement, Di Meola. Decades later, Connors still doesn't possess Di Meola's chops, but he remains the more soulful player, with a grittier tone and substance-over-style approach. The bonus disc also includes trio versions of Latin-era RTF stapes "Captain Marvel" and "500 Miles High," the Spanish-tinged Corea/Clarke/Ponty trio feature, "Armando's Rhumba," from My Spanish Heart (Polydor, 19076), and, with White joining in, the lighter fusion of "Renaissance," from Ponty's Aurora (Atlantic, 1976), combining to provide a compelling precursor of what's certainly to come this summer, when RTF IV hits the North American festival circuit.

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=Return+To+Forever

Track listing:
All compositions by Chick Corea except where noted.

Disc one
1. "On Green Dolphin Street" (Bronisław Kaper, Ned Washington) – 8:41
2. "Waltz for Debby" (Bill Evans) – 9:55
3. "Bud Powell" – 7:10
4. "La Canción de Sofia" (Stanley Clarke) – 7:38
5. "Windows" – 8:54
6. "Hackensack" (Thelonious Monk) – 7:30
7. "No Mystery" – 10:55
8. "Señor Mouse" – 12:06

Recorded at Yoshi's, Oakland, on September 16 & 17, 2009 (tracks 1–4, 7 & 8), at The Blue Note Tokyo, Japan on November 28, 2009 (track 5) and at Jazz Alley, Seattle, on December 12, 2009 (track 6)

Disc two
01. "Captain Marvel" – 4:13
02. "Señor Mouse" – 10:06
03. "Crescent" (John Coltrane) – 1:45
04. "Armando's Rhumba" – 5:12
05. "Renaissance" (Jean-Luc Ponty) – 6:29
06. "High Wire: The Aerialist" – 3:41
07. "I Loves You, Porgy" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 5:13
08. "After the Cosmic Rain" (Clarke) – 10:38
09. "Space Circus" – 6:06
10. "500 Miles High" – 12:45

Recorded at Mad Hatter Studios, Los Angeles, on September 1, 2009 (tracks 1–9) and at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey, on September 30, 2009 (track 10).

Personnel:

Chick Corea – piano (Disc one and disc two, tracks 3–7 & 10), keyboards (Disc Two, tracks 1, 2, 8 & 9)
Stanley Clarke – double bass (Disc one and disc two, tracks 1, 4–7 & 10), electric bass (Disc Two, tracks 2, 8 & 9)
Lenny White – drums (Disc one and disc two, tracks 1–3 & 5–10)
Bill Connors – guitar (Disc two, tracks 2 & 7–9)
Jean-Luc Ponty – violin (Disc two, tracks 4–5 & 7–9)
Chaka Khan – vocals (Disc two, tracks 6–7)

McCoy Tyner - 2000 "McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster"

McCoy Tyner - 2000 McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster

McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster is an album by McCoy Tyner released on the Telarc label in 2000. It was recorded in April 1999 and features performances of by Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster. The Allmusic review by Richard S. Ginell states that "This is Tyner reaffirming most of his strengths: the massive tone quality, the two-handed control over the entire keyboard, and the generally uplifting attitude conveyed through the shape of his melodic invention".

No longer trying to push the envelope of innovation, Tyner settles down with a pair of experts and carves out a very nice, fairly orthodox piano trio album. This is Tyner reaffirming most of his strengths: the massive tone quality, the two-handed control over the entire keyboard, and the generally uplifting attitude conveyed through the shape of his melodic invention. He does so in a program of six originals, three standards, and one tune by Stanley Clarke, mixing modal tunes, blues, funk, ballads, and a mildly Caribbean ringer. Only once does he evoke memories of the classic John Coltrane Quartet -- not in "Trane-Like" but in "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes." Clarke takes a break from the film studios and turns in one of his rare sessions on acoustic double bass, producing solid, faultless, relatively conventional support. He doesn't leave the electric bass entirely at home, however; his funky side bumps through one of the two versions of "I Want to Tell You 'Bout That," and he exercises low-key, electric subtleties on his "In the Tradition Of" and "Caribe." Foster throws himself skillfully into every situation; he is at ease in all idioms. The sound is excellent, with each instrument, even Tyner's formidable piano, in perfect balance. 

Track listing

1. "Trane-Like" - 9:12
2. "Once Upon a Time" - 5:31
3. "Never Let Me Go" (Evans, Livingston) - 4:19
4. "I Want to Tell You 'Bout That" - 5:19
5. "Will You Still Be Mine?" (Adair, Dennis) - 6:46
6. "Goin' 'Way Blues" - 6:31
7. "In the Tradition Of" (Clarke) - 7:38
8. "The Night has a Thousand Eyes" (Bernier, Brainin) - 4:53
9. "Carriba" - 5:41
10. "Memories" - 3:43
11. "I Want to Tell You 'Bout That" [alternate take] - 5:57

All compositions by McCoy Tyner except as indicated

• Recorded at Clinton Recording Studio "B", New York, New York on April 27 & 28, 1999

Personnel

• McCoy Tyner: piano
• Stanley Clarke: bass, electric bass
• Al Foster: drums

Return To Forever - 1976 [1999] "Romantic Warrior"

Romantic Warrior is the sixth studio album by the American jazz fusion band Return to Forever, released in 1976 by Columbia Records. After releasing their previous album, No Mystery (1975), their fourth for Polydor Records, the group moved to Columbia and retreated to Caribou Ranch near Nederland, Colorado to record their next album. It was also their first to be credited solely to Return to Forever, removing the "featuring Chick Corea" moniker. The album is more avant-garde and less funky than No Mystery, and remains the band's highest selling album with over 500,000 copies sold in the US.

Chick Corea contributed the longest compositions and the other members each composed one piece. The opener, "Medieval Overture", with its distinctive melodic motifs, sets the mood for the rest of the album. Lenny White's "Sorceress" starts with a funky riff and is distinguished by Corea's synthesizers. The title track is fully acoustic. It has a long intro, which is followed by a short theme consisting of one riff. Each group member, excluding White, plays a long solo. In the end, an extended outro follows, during which fast unison patterns are heard. Al Di Meola's and Stanley Clarke's songs on side two are notable for their humorous qualities. Al Di Meola's song, "Majestic Dance", relies on rock riffs and distorted lead guitar sound, but features also fast harpsichord-like synth figures. Clarke's "The Magician" is a very complex composition, featuring playful melodies, and again, rapid unison lines. The last track of the album is Corea's "Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant", which is the longest song of the album. It has a more conventional melody as a main theme, but otherwise it follows the style of previous tracks. Notable is the intense keyboard solo showcasing Corea.

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.

The final album by the longest-lasting "classic" lineup of the group (which consisted of Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Al DiMeola) was Romantic Warrior, on which they continued their experiments in the realms of jazz-rock and related music genres, and was lauded by critics for both the technically demanding style of its compositions as well as for its accomplished musicianship.

This is a Classic Fusion Jazz album! Listened to it thousands of time (probably) as a young adult. And, it was one of the most amazing concert (and I have been to some great ones!) I have ever been to. Return to Forever of this era was one of the best bands ever! And, this is easily their best album ever!

When Al Dimiola, Lenny White, Stanley Clark, and Chick Corea were totally and absolutely in sync with the lightening fast riffs... OMG! It blew me away!!! And, is a memory that stays with me 40 years later.

Another fantastic classic for Chic Corea & Return To Forever with musicians Chic, Al Dimeola, Stanley Clarke & Lenny White creating 6 exciting pieces of futuristic jazz, hard to believe that this cd was released in 1976. Tracks like Medieval Overture, Sorceress, The Romantic Warrior & the vibrant Duel Of The Jester & The Tyrant are simply off the charts with musical genius flowing everywhere. 2 songs I should also mention that are great in they're own right are The Magician & Majestic Dance, for this very reason this wonderful collection of music gets an easy 5 star review.

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=Chick+Corea

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=Al+Di+Meola

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=Stanley+Clarke

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=Lenny+White

Tracks Listing:

1. Medieval Overture (5:14)
2. Sorceress (7:34)
3. The Romantic Warrior (10:52)
4. Majestic Dance (5:01)
5. The Magician (5:29)
6. Duel Of The Jester And The Tyrant (11:26)

Personnel:

Al Di Meola – electric guitars, acoustic guitar, soprano guitar, handbells, slide whistle
Chick Corea – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Hohner Clavinet, Mini Moog, Moog 15, Micromoog, ARP Odyssey, Yamaha YC45d organ, Polymoog, marimba, percussion
Stanley Clarke – Alembic bass with Instant Flanger, piccolo bass, acoustic bass, bell tree, handbells.
Lenny White – drums, timpani, congas, timbales, handbells, snare drum, suspended cymbals, alarm clock

Tony Williams - 1979 [2014] "The Joy Of Flying"

The Joy Of Flying is a Jazz fusion album by Tony Williams. Although it was recorded at the end of the The Tony Williams Lifetime years, it is considered a solo album. It includes three duets, two with Jan Hammer and one with Cecil Taylor, and three different quartets. The first quartet features Jan Hammer again along with George Benson and Paul Jackson on two songs. The second quartet has veterans Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke and Tom Scott also for two songs.
The third quartet presents the "Tony Williams All Stars" for one song, "Open Fire". In July 1978, Tony welcomed rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose, who had recently finished touring to promote his jazz fusion influenced Open Fire album. The group was rounded out with Brian Auger and Mario Cipollina as they toured Japan. The concert at Japan's Denen Coliseum was recorded and other songs on the set list included "Rocky Road" and "Heads Up" from Open Fire, "Red Alert" and "Wildlife" from Believe It, "There Comes a Time" from Ego, "Dragon Song" from Brian Auger's Oblivion Express and "Capricorn" with special guest Billy Cobham.

It would be an understatement to say that there was a fair amount of variety on this set. Drummer Tony Williams is heard in two duets with keyboardist Jan Hammer, with a quartet also including keyboardist Herbie Hancock, Tom Scott (who unfortunately sticks to lyricon) and bassist Stanley Clarke, and he welcomes rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose, keyboardist Brian Auger, guitarist George Benson, Hammer and tenorman Michael Brecker on other tracks. Much of this music is closer to R&B than to jazz, although there are many strong moments. But the most interesting selection is certainly "Morgan's Motion" which matches Williams with pianist Cecil Taylor in a powerful (and completely atonal) collaboration.

The last of Tony Williams’ fusion albums, The Joy of Flying was the drummer’s first since the mid-’60s without some form of the Lifetime name attached to his band. It’s a far-flung effort with a large cast of collaborators, including George Benson, the Brecker Brothers and Stanley Clarke. Much of it falls between bombastic electro-rock and sickly sweet funk grooves, but there are moments of delight. “Morgan’s Motion,” a volatile duet between Williams and Cecil Taylor, soars in from left field to close the album. At the end of Williams’ time as a jazz-rock fusioneer, the track is an invigorating, full-circle return to his roots in adventurous acoustic jazz, and a sign that no matter where he would go in the years ahead, he would not stop morphing and inspiring.

Remarkable Recording... Astonishing veteran talents of top-notched jazz fusion legends such as Herbie Hancock, Brian Auger, George Benson, Tom Scott, Stanley Clarke, and Michael Becker, and rock icon guitarist Ronnie Montrose, all of who contributed to the precision performance and brilliant compositions of this recording. Simply amazing jazz fusion at its best!

Track listing and Personnel

1. "Going Far" (Jan Hammer) - 4:13 Keyboards, Synthesizers - Jan Hammer
2. "Hip Skip" (George Benson) - 8:03 Guitar - George Benson, Keyboards, Synthesizers - Hammer, Electric bass - Paul Jackson, Saxophone - Michael       Brecker, Percussion - Ralph MacDonald
3. "Hittin' on 6" (Tom Scott) - 6:16 Lyricon - Tom Scott, Keyboards, Synthesizers - Herbie Hancock, Electric bass - Stanley Clarke
4. "Open Fire" (Ronnie Montrose, Edgar Winter) - 6:18 Electric guitar - Ronnie Montrose, Keyboards, Synthesizers - Brian Auger, Electric bass -      Mario Cipollina
5. "Tony" (Stanley Clarke) - 6:50 Lyricon - Scott, Keyboards, Synthesizers - Hancock, Electric bass - Clarke
6. "Eris" (Hammer) - 3:33 Keyboards, Synthesizers - Hammer
7. "Coming Back Home" (Hammer) - 6:06 Guitar - Benson, Keyboards, Synthesizers - Hammer, Electric bass - Jackson
8. "Morgan's Motion" (Cecil Taylor) - 8:18 Concert grand piano - Cecil Taylor

Drums on all tracks - Tony Williams

Additional horns on "Hip Skip"

David Sanborn - Alto saxophone
Ronnie Cuber - Baritone saxophone
Barry Rogers - Trombone
Randy Brecker - Trumpet
Jon Faddis - Trumpet

Return To Forever - 1973 [2016] "Light As A Feather"

Light as a Feather is the second studio album by jazz fusion band Return to Forever led by pianist Chick Corea.

Always tied to a confusing time line, the first released recording from the original configuration of Return to Forever was actually their second session. An initial studio date from the ECM label done in February of 1972 wasn't issued until after the band had changed in 1975.

The Polydor/Verve recording from October of 1972 is indeed this 1973 release, featuring the same band with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Airto Moreira, Joe Farrell, and Flora Purim. There's no need splitting hairs, as both are five-star albums, showcasing many of the keyboardist's long enduring, immediately recognizable, and highly melodic compositions. Farrell's happy flute, Purim's in-the-clouds wordless vocals, the electrifying percussion of Airto, and Clarke's deft and loping electric bass guitar lines are all wrapped in a stew of Brazilian samba and Corea's Fender Rhodes electric piano, certainly setting a tone and the highest bar for the music of peer groups to follow.

"Captain Marvel" -- the seed for the band sans Farrell and Purim that was expanded into a full concept album with Stan Getz -- is here as a steamy fusion samba with Corea dancing on the keys. By now the beautiful "500 Miles High" has become Purim's signature song with Neville Potter's lyrics and Corea's stabbing chords, and unfortunately became a hippie drug anthem. Perhaps Corea's definitive song of all time, and covered ad infinitum by professional and school bands, "Spain" retains the quirky melody, handclapped interlude, up-and-down dynamics, exciting jam section, and variation in time, tempo, and colorations that always command interest despite a running time of near ten minutes. "You're Everything" is a romantic classic that surely has been heard at many weddings, with another lyric by Potter sung in heaven by Purim, while the title track is Purim's lyric in a looser musical framework with Clarke's chart coalescing with Corea and Farrell's pungent flute work. As much as the others have become icons, the extraordinary sound of Farrell on this date should never be trivialized or underestimated. The final track, "Children's Song," was a springboard for several of Corea's full-length album projects, and is heard here for the first time via a trio setting in a slow, birthlike motif.

The expanded version of this recording includes many alternate takes of four of these selections, but also includes "Matrix," which was not on any RTF albums, and there are four versions of "What Game Shall We Play Today?," which was only available on the ECM release. From a historical perspective, this is the most important effort of Corea's career, quite different than his prior previous progressive or improvising efforts, and the pivotal beginning of his career as the most popular contemporary jazz keyboardist in history.

The style of the music remains mostly the same as the first album, though vocals were given a larger role. Corea produced the album for Polydor Records. Stanley Clarke played double bass, though for most of his career he has played bass guitar.

The first song, "You're Everything", was written by Corea. He has said that it's among his favorite of the vocals songs he has written. The song begins with Flora Purim singing slowly. The solo is by Joe Farrell on flute. The second track is Stanley Clarke's first major composition and the only track on the album not written by Corea.

"Captain Marvel" is a fast Latin piece that provided the name for Stan Getz's album released in the same year. Airto Moreira plays percussion and Purim sings without words during the song's main riff.

The B-side begins with a song called "500 Miles High". Corea has stated that the title of the song does not refer to drug experience but to a "spirit flying high". The track is followed by "Children's Song", one of many "Children's Songs" Corea has written. They are all short pieces with minimalistic melody. The percussion plays a tick-tock that resembles a clock.

The album ends with "Spain", which was inspired by, and whose introduction was taken from, Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez.

Light as a Feather was Return to Forever’s second album. Because the first record, Return to Forever, wasn’t released in the United States until 1975, many have mistakenly believed Light as a Feather was the band’s debut effort. The first incarnation of the group was a Latin-leaning, mostly acoustic jazz ensemble. The Return to Forever of 1972 was a great band. “Light as a Feather” is purported to be Stanley Clarke’s first major composing effort. The guy didn’t think small. Though much of the tune is an impressive exposition of Corea, Clarke, and Joe Farrell soloing over changes, the melody is gorgeous. It didn’t hurt that one of the most distinctive jazz singers of her day, Flora Purim, was singing or that she wrote the edifying lyrics heard at the beginning and the end. Purim possesses one of the purest voices in jazz. Her lyrics are sung, almost spoken, in time with each syllable of music. It is a wonderful display of artistry. Percussionist Airto, Purim’s husband, was also a large part of the track’s success. “Light as a Feather” knocks you over with a feather from introduction to coda.

It is probably safe to say that when most jazz fusion fans think of Return to Forever they concentrate on the most commercially successful of the group’s line-ups which featured founders Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke and guitarist Al Di Meola along with drummer Lenny White. But there was a whole RTF history before that version of the group was put together. All music is built upon music that came before it. Though Corea played electric piano, the first Return to Forever band performed mostly acoustic Latin jazz. This group also consisted of the wonderful vocalist Flora Purim, tenor saxophone player and flute player Joe Farrell and the amazing percussionist Airto Moreira. Light as a Feather trended more to jazz than rock but the seeds for a burgeoning fusion movement were generously spread. The tunes on the album were more lighthearted and melodious than would be the case after Return to Forever decided to rock out on subsequent albums. Songs like the crowd-pleasing “500 Miles High,” with its sweetly ethereal Purim vocals, and the now standard “Spain” are part of the bedrock of Return to Forever’s jazz fusion foundation. The band would not fully crossover into the rock-based world until they added electric guitarist Bill Connors and then even more so later when Di Meola replaced Connors. But you can hear the roots of transformation in the wonderful melodies and top-notch musicianship found on Light as a Feather.

Light as a Feather won the 1972 Playboy Jazz Album of the year and has been selected by many magazines and polls as one of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded. For many years this album has been listed on The Absolute Sound super disc list and the Stereophile list of "Records to Die For." It is also featured in Tom Moon's 1,000 Albums to Hear Before You Die.

https://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=Return+To+Forever

https://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=Chick+Corea

Track listing:
All tracks written by Chick Corea except where noted.

1. "You're Everything" (Corea/Neville Potter) 5:11
2. "Light as a Feather" (Clarke/Purim) 10:57
3. "Captain Marvel" 4:53
4. "500 Miles High" (Corea/Potter) 9:07
5. "Children's Song" 2:47
6. "Spain" (Corea/Joaquín Rodrigo) 9:51

Personnel:

Chick Corea – electric piano
Stanley Clarke – double bass
Joe Farrell – tenor saxophone, flute
Airto Moreira – drums
Flora Purim – vocals, percussion