They haven't toured together in, um, forever. Actually 25 years. Keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, drummer Lenny White and guitarist Al Di Mieola comprised the definitive lineup of Return to Forever, one of the top bands of the fusion movement of the 1970s. From 1974 to 1976, the quartet made three albums of powerful jazz-rock, marked by labyrinthine melodies, hairpin changes and fiery solos. When it came to fusion, I was more of a Weather Report man, but having recently broken out some old RTF, I'm pretty jazzed to check out the band on stage. I'm curious to find out whether the foursome goes at it with the same balls-out abandon as their original go-'round, or if age and maturity have infused more subtlety into their performance. My hope it that they'll do both: Give it up for the chops geeks, but filter in a more nuanced approach. If it works out that way, RTF should be a show to remember. To coincide with the reunion tour, Concord Records has released a compilation CD, Anthology, of material by this RTF lineup.
Return to Forever, 8 p.m. Thurs., July 31, Ruth Eckerd Hall. $49.75, $59.75, $100. rutheckerdhall.com.
