The band Return to Forever, the heart of which remains keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White, returns to Pittsburgh's Stage AE Sunday with two new members -- violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and guitarist Frank Gambale. Mr. White answers some questions about the reunion.
Return to Forever apparently hadn't played together in decades before reuniting three years ago. What was the impetus for getting back together? Was it easy to slip into the old groove, and what more does each member bring today after so long apart?
People had been asking for 25 years, and I think we finally got the message. I think we needed a bit of encouragement. You never really know how you affect people.
It's a different band now. The personnel has changed along with the musical attitudes. Jean-Luc and Frank bring their own experiences to the RTF sound and legacy, which affects how we all play. They both were playing with bands that were contemporaries of RTF, so they got a chance to listen to, and not be a part of, for years. Now that they are "a part of," the dynamic is different.
Read more:
