Return To Forever, whose experimentation in jazz and rock transformed music, will debut a new lineup this summer on a tour of 32 U.S. cities. The tour brings a re-imagined musical dimension to both the wildly influential group and its repertoire. Tickets went on sale May 21.
Zappa Plays Zappa, the musical tribute to Frank Zappa, will join the bill alongside Return To Forever IV (RTF IV), the group’s new incarnation. The RTF IV lineup consists of core members Chick Corea (keys), Stanley Clarke (bass) and Lenny White (drums), plus Mahavishnu Orchestra alum and violin virtuoso Jean-Luc Ponty as well as guitarist Frank Gambale.
Working together with complete creative compatibility and steeped in the tradition of extreme freedom of expression, these five pillars of jazz and rock have prepared a must-see performance that will please fans new and old. Their ever-evolving setlist encompasses an amalgam of Return To Forever classics, highlights from each member’s solo repertoire, and brand-new compositions written for the RTF IV lineup.
“Since all the guys in the band are such good composers, 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.” – Chick Corea
RTF IV is recently off a successful run across Australia that was deemed “nothing short of wonderful” and “a renaissance.”
Zappa Plays Zappa was founded by Dweezil Zappa to bring the music of his late father, Frank Zappa, to contemporary audiences through a series of international performance tours dubbed "Tour De Frank." Dweezil's fellow band members are among the most brilliant and innovative players working in any genre and, collectively, rise to the challenge of bringing the legendary Zappa repertoire alive in concert. Dweezil Zappa, a 2009 GRAMMY Award winner, continues to record and perform on a regular basis around the world.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
