Return to Forever (Chick Corea Album)
| Return to Forever | ||||
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| Return to Forever studio album | ||||
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Publication |
1972 |
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| Label (s) | ECM | |||
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Format (s) |
CD, LP |
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Title (number) |
4th |
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running time |
46:48 |
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| occupation | ||||
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Studio (s) |
A&R Studio, New York |
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Return to Forever is a jazz album by Chick Corea and Return to Forever released in 1972; it is the group's debut album.
background
In contrast to later albums, it was released by the ECM label and produced by Manfred Eicher . In the USA, the album, which was recorded in New York on February 2 and 3, 1972, was only released in 1975. The recording is considered a classic of fusion jazz .
The album was composed by Chick Corea and initially marketed under his name, although the title of the album is the name of the band. At this point, Corea's approach to fusion jazz was different from the work of other early fusion musicians. Adventurous solos from his electric piano were accompanied by the South American rhythms of an Airto Moreira, as well as the singing and percussion of his wife Flora Purim . Stanley Clarke was the group's bassist, playing electric bass on the A side of the album and double bass on the back; Joe Farrell played the flute and saxophone. This cast of Return to Forever played with the exception of Joe Farrell on the album Captain Marvel by Stan Getz , which was released that same year.
The first track, Return to Forever , can be broken down into five parts. There are three short parts in which Corea plays simple, haunting melodies that Flora Purim doubles with her voice. Between these three parts there are two longer parts in which the whole band plays. These main parts are both based on their own riffs. Farrell plays a flute solo over the first part and Corea plays a solo over the second. Moreira's rhythms give the composition a light mood. Purim sings along with the riffs and almost screams a little towards the end of the song. The overall mood of the piece is mysterious.
The second piece, Crystal Silence , is played by Corea and Farrell with a bit of soft percussion in the background. Farrell plays a long saxophone solo.
The third track, What Game Shall We Play Today? is one of Corea's songs. It has a loving melody and is sung by Flora Purim. Farrell is playing the flute now; Corea and Farrell play short solos between the second and third verses.
The B-side of the album consists of just one piece, which consists of three different parts. Presumably they were recorded without a break and therefore not separated. The first seven minutes of the piece consist of an improvised introduction by Corea and Clarke. After the first section the piece turns into Sometime Ago . It's a Latin-inspired piece with vocals by Flora Purim and a flute solo by Farrell. Farrell then switched to the saxophone and the band played La Fiesta , now one of the jazz standards in Corea. It is an instrumental piece built on flamenco modes. Corea, Farrell and Clarke play solos while Purim plays percussion.
Album pieces
- Return to Forever - 12:06
- Crystal Silence - 6:55
- What Game Shall We Play Today? - 4:26
- Sometime Ago / La Fiesta - 11:18 pm
All pieces were composed by Corea with the exception of the introductory improvisation for Sometime Ago . The lyrics are from Neville Potter.
reception
The music magazine Jazzwise added the album to The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook the World list ; Keith Shadwick wrote:
“By the time he made this date, Corea had worked his way through a heavy avant-garde phase and out onto the sunlit plains of his own latin-based musical imagination. It had always been there in his music, but now, marrying the élan and high spirits of Flora Purim and Airto with his own naturally ebullient and melodically uplifting inclinations, Corea suddenly not only stepped forward himself past the stentorian gloom and machismo of the other fusioneers of the day, but redefined exactly what latin jazz should be about. Intoxicating music played by masters makes this an era-defining milestone. "
“By the time he made this recording, Corea had worked his way through a heavily avant-garde phase out into the sunlit levels of his own Latin-based musical imagination. It had always been in his music, but now, marrying the vigor and good humor of Flora Purim and Airto with his own naturally exuberant and melodically uplifting tendencies, Corea suddenly stepped out from behind the over-loud gloom and machismo of the other mergers of these days , rather he redefined what exactly Latin jazz should be. Intoxicating music played by masters, a milestone defining an era. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ Chick Corea Biography Page . www.chickcorea.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
- ^ What Game Shall We Play Today . www.return2forever.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
- ^ The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World
