Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Return To Forever’s lineup of keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White have announced a tour that will represent their first extensive engagement together in 30 years.
The foursome will play more than 50 dates across North America and Europe, featuring primarily classic music from their albums. Beginning in Austin, Texas, on May 29, the group will swing across the U.S. and Canada in June, cross the Atlantic for July dates in Europe from Lithuania to London, then return to the States for an East Coast run.
The tour will include outdoor festivals such as the Montreux Festival, the Montreal International Festival, Spain’s San Sebastian Festival, France’s Nice Festival and the Freihofer’s Festival in Saratoga Springs, New York.
A Return To Forever anthology, compiled from the albums Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy, Where Have I Known You Before, No Mystery and Romantic Warrior, will also be released to coincide with the tour. This collection, which was produced by founding RTF members Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke, is the first to include music from all these albums in one double-CD package.
Tour dates include:
May 29–30: Paramount Theatre, Austin, Texas
May 31: Verizon Wireless Center, Houston
June 1: Nokia Theater, Grand Prairie, Dallas
June 3: Paramount Theatre, Denver
June 4: Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City
June 6: Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, Ore.
June 7: Britt Music Festival, Medford, Ore.
June 8: The Paramount, Seattle
June 9: The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts, Vancouver, British Columbia
June 11–12: The Grand At The Regency Center, San Francisco (2 shows each night)
June 13: Gibson Amphitheatre, Los Angeles
June 14: Dodge Theatre, Phoenix
June 17: Fox Theatre, St. Louis
June 18: Holland Performing Arts Center, Omaha, Neb.
June 19: Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, Minn.
June 20: The Chicago Theatre, Chicago
June 21: Freedom Hill Amphitheatre, Detroit
June 22: Murat Theatre, Indianapolis
June 24: The Plain Dealer Pavilion, Cleveland
June 25: Sony Centre, Toronto
June 26: Ottawa Jazz Festival/Confederation Park, Ottawa
June 27: Pelletier Hall/Place Des Arts, Montreal
June 28: Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
More info: return2forever.com
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Benny Benack III and his quartet took the Midwest Jazz Collective’s route for a test run this spring.
Jun 3, 2025 10:31 AM
The time and labor required to tour is, for many musicians, daunting at best and prohibitive at worst. It’s hardly…
To record Dream Manifest (Dom Recs), Croker convened artists from his current and recent past ensembles, plus special guests.
Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
“There’s nothing quite like it,” Springs says of working with an orchestra. “It’s 60 people working in harmony in the moment. Singing with them is kind of empowering but also humbling at the same time.”
Jun 17, 2025 11:12 AM
When it came time to pose for the cover of her new album, Lady In Satin — a tribute to Billie Holiday’s 1958…
James Brandon Lewis earned honors for Artist of the Year and Tenor Saxophonist of the Year. Three of his recordings placed in the Albums of the Year category.
Jul 17, 2025 12:44 PM
You see before you what we believe is the largest and most comprehensive Critics Poll in the history of jazz. DownBeat…
