CHICK COREA: RETURN TO FOREVER

This album wanders in occult, sad, groovy and moody. Return To Forever's debut effort is drenched with latin and hispanic styles (and particularly brazilian and spanish rhythms). The title track starts with an eerie effect, as Stanley Clarke sets the groove, the song proceeds to adapt a more bluesy format with syncopated rhythm, whilst the spooky feel remains in Corea's synth notes and Flora Purim imitating; then comes a 4/4 part again with syncopated rhythm and groovy bass lines; the song ends with the coda, reprising the intro. Cristal Silence is a more free-tempo piece which features Corea exercising with diminished chords and Joe Farrell blowing soulful notes on Soprano Sax; Corea starts setting the main score in which the rest of the instruments will play along, and the sax sets the tempo in which Corea will follow; it's a beautiful piece and also haunting at times, when Corea hits some dissonant intervals. What Games Shall We Play Today? has Flora Purim on soprano vocals singing lyrics, and delivers quite nicely amidst a brazilian mood, probably bossa nova. Sometime Ago/La Fiesta starts with a flawless solo spot delivered by Stanley Clarke and proceeds with a very South American style, approaching a very colombian sort of "cumbia" rhythm; followed by a moody segment full of spanish charm (I think I'd heard that ditty before, it sounds traditional).

Dissapointing perhaps for the ones who seek more "rock" in their purchases (absence of guitars could easily give a clue; but not the only valid argument). I would recommend albums like "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy" or "Romantic Warrior" to more "rock" oriented progressive fans. Enthusiasts of a more pure jazz approach to "fusion" could give this a very high rating; and since I go in both ways, I'd give it 4.5 stars, rounded to a big 5!! one of the great masterpieces of "fusion".