Recently Heard: Romantic Warrior by Return to Forever

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Return to Forever: Romantic Warrior

This falls into the same category as Weather Report and the Mahavishnu Orchestra - all three 70's jazz-rock fusion groups featuring musicians I really admire, all three groups I'd not actually heard until relatively recently.

Return to Forever is completely populated by luminaries - with Stanley Clarke on bass, Lenny White on drums, Al Di Meola on guitar, and Chick Corea on keyboards. Al Di Meola - along with John McLaughlin, Robert Fripp, and John Scofield - was one of the few guitarists who influenced me greatly based on a very small sampling on a Soundpage and an article or two in Guitar Player. Whereas the other guys did song(s) on their Soundpages, Di Meola gave a private lesson, and it simply blew me away. I had the pleasure of meeting Chick at the NAMM show in L.A. back in 1988, and he had more of an inspirational presence on me in that short conversation than I picked up from most of my Berklee teachers.

So other than a past history with the performers, this recording doesn't have the power and familiarity with me as it does with folks who came across it when it was first released. I'm hoping that it will have some of that effect on Justin, with his own keyboard playing. It's certainly encouraging to me to hear this - it's the kind of music that makes me want to play more.

I look forward to many repeat listenings where I can further enjoy what it has to offer. In the few listenings I've given it, I'm already starting to sing along with some of the melodies. These are good songs, not just vehicles for stellar musicianship.