Chic, Stan and Lenny BUT NO AL!!!

[the_jester]

I notice main members of the RTF are doing some tasteful acoustics Jazz music, but where's Al?
 
Does anyone have any insight on this pyridine shift?
 
Please give me the 411 on this, because I love Brother Al Dimeola's acoustics playing and it's just not right without him...  
 
Peace and Love,
 
Hal-
 
(Message edited by the_jester on January 27, 2010)

[adriaan]

Hal - perhaps you (like my good self) fell asleep during Al's acoustic solo?

[darkstar01]

paradigm*
 
 
dimeola still plays a lot of acoustic. however, i wouldn't call it tasteful. i would call it elevator music.

[the_jester]

Austin, yes paradigm is the proper spelling of course, but I was referring to a play on words -- as in: was the chemistry putrid as a bad odor...shifting That's why I used quotes around the word...
 
Thanks for the correction.
 
But, I think Al is a Pronominal Guitarist!
O-My-Goodness, you guys don't like Al?
 
Hmmm mmm

[adriaan]

Dare I say I found the whole RTF reunion thoroughly missable?

[darkstar01]

gotcha, hal....
i've never been a fan of al's. honestly, the only rtf record i like is light as a feather (before al was even in the band, and also kind of explains why i never liked stanley's electric playing).  to each their own, though, right?

[the_jester]

Flora Purim vocals...  Man, I was a little kid when that album came out... All music was good back in those days. But their albums No Mystery, and Where have I known you were classic RTF with Al blazing...
 
Oh my goodness what a wonderful time to play the scales.  
 
But, you know I really don't pay too much attention to Stanley unless he's with RTF members.  
 
Stanley's career started with Chic, and Lenny so seeing them being back together, is beautiful to me. I mean it's like life coming full circle for them; and for them to go back to Standard Jazz, is SO Righteous now. We need more children for them to motivate, and take Jazz to another level. God Bless them.  
 
Peace and Love back at ya Austin.
 
Hal-

[jacko]

Just an observation Hal... Stanley's career started with Chic, and Lenny .
 
Stan was playing sessions with the likes of Art Blakey, Horace silver and Stan Getz before RTF was a twinkle in Chick Corea's eye.
I for one would live to hear recordings from those days.
 
Graeme.

[jazzyvee]

Hmm Hal, could it be a simple as Al not being regarded as a jazz musician like the other three?  
He wasn't in the earlier Griffith Park Collection Jazz Album from the 80's either.  
 
Just a thought. I read somewhere that Corea Clarke and White performed last  year with Bill Connors playing guitar instead of Al.
 
I most of Al's playing from the RTF days mainly, however a  fantastic as  his acoustic guitar playing is, it doesn't appeal to me as much as his electric guitar playing apart from the album he did with John McLaughlin and Paco d'lucia.
 
jazzyvee

[terryc]

I don't contribute here as much I used to..it has got to contrived.
Band re unions are not my thing at all..if people think they can capture the 'first time' then it doesn't work.
It was inspirational, awesome and magic when it was first done because no one had done it before but non of that works for me, I would rather say I saw RTF in the early days rather than now.

[the_jester]

Terry,
 
I agree in principle, but that's only if you seen them enough times. So, from the stand point of human predictability, it's normal to eventually get bored. How many times do you ride the same roller coaster?  
 
I am not sure anyone could define Jazz, to say Al is not a Jazz musician. Mile Davis said similar things to Stanley...
 
The John and Paco project -- really says much about how really good Al is... Nuff said.
 
I never cared about Stanley until he and Chic started recording. Also there were some things I loved when Stanley worked with Santana too. Other than a reference in Stanley's history, those guys Stan Getz, and others were in the center of the universe. Stanley Clarke, would have his day in time... Man, I love Getz's Sax.

[jazzyvee]

i wasn't old enough to see return to forever live the first time round, plus I didn't really get to know their music till I was in my late teens and by then the had split and so getting to see them in 2008 in London was great.
 
Jazzyvee

[benson_murrensun]

I saw Chick, Stanley and Lenny at Jazz Alley in Seattle. It was EXCELLENT!
I never saw RTF, so I can't compare. But there was no way you could sleep through this show!

[the_jester]

Jazzyvee,
 
I totally understand where you are coming from. Because I too were too young to go to a concert. However, my parents were digging them and even going to see Jimi too. I missed all that great live head spinning and jaw dropping Jazz. I even still watch them on U-Tube in those early days, and ask myself what was up with American media??? Why were we hidden from this gem of material? American media SUCKS!    
 
The first time for me seeing RTF live, was in the early 80's.  
 
This was the first reunion tour at the Berkeley Community Theater. Al, Stan, Chic and Lenny were playing music all new stuff, and promised to have an album following, and it never happened.  
 
Even to this day, I can't find the stuff they did. It was amazing... OH my goodness, those guys came from Heaven that day. The concert never paused and they played for almost 2 hours NON-STOP and no breaks, before they broke for refreshments and libations. After that -- they played for another hour.  
 
That was crazy mad, but it was the best RTF my ears ever heard!!! I think over the years, they toned it down some. But WOW! The way they were playing in the 80's, only youth could support.  
 
However, seeing them play like that now, youth wouldn't support it.
 
Thank God for U-Tube!
 
(Message edited by the_jester on January 28, 2010)

[crobbins]

I saw the original RTF several times, and one show of the reunion tour. I enjoyed both...