Return to Forever/New York, USA 2011

From the 2011 world tour that started with a shift change of band members, we captured a good audience shot using a digital camera of the live performance at the jazz festival held in Syracuse, New York on June 25th. Almost complete recording. Although there are some gaps between songs, the angle from close to the stage is powerful enough and the sound quality is clear. Also noteworthy is the new member, Frank Gambale, who is the inventor of sweep picking and has been hailed as the best technician in recent years, replacing Al Di Meola who will not be participating. With the addition of the violin of Jean-Luc Ponty, who is also known for his Zappa Band and long solo career, this is the strongest five-piece ensemble, and the performance throughout the album is at a higher level and more technical than in the 1970s. Of course, the original members such as Stanley Clarke and Lenny White also gave wonderful performances, and the sound created by the overlap with the two new members has a completely different impression from past representative numbers, and is even richer and more profound than the past songs. Forming a sound that transcends genres and a sense of unity that stands out among FTR. Furthermore, since this day is Chick Corea’s birthday month, “Happy Birthday” will also be performed before the encore, making this a must-see item that will heighten expectations for his arrival in Japan in the fall of 2011.