Before he became a valued member of the legendary fusion band Return To Forever, drummer Lenny White played with such jazz legends as Andrew Hill, Miles Davis, Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard. Since his first stint with the Chick Corea-led ensemble in the early and mid-'70s, White's played everything from rock to funk, Latin to soul, plus reunion stints with RTF.
Now, one year after cutting Anomaly, his first solo LP in over a decade, White is back in the drum chair with the newest version of Return to Forever. This latest edition (better known as RTF IV) is in the midst of a 32-city tour that comes to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center Monday night. Their latest lineup features Corea, White and bass veteran Stanley Clarke, plus two new members, guitarist Frank Gambale and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty.
"Things are going well, but this is definitely a different direction for us musically," White says. "The violin/guitar combination offers options melodically that are intriguing, and we can do new things with the old songs as well as explore new material. Of course Chick's playing is always changing, and that's exciting and a challenge. It's been very rewarding so far, and I think as we continue it will get even better. We enjoy each other's company as people and musicians, and the new players have brought a fresh energy to the music."
White, Corea and Clarke are also featured on the new two-disc set Forever (Concord) that combines vintage items with new tunes. Ponty is one of the special guests along with Bill Connors (another RTF guitarist) and booming vocalist Chaka Khan, with whom White also once cut an excellent LP of jazz standards. One CD offers a variety of tunes from the "Unplugged" World tour of 2009, while the other is a bonus disc of new material. It's also a showcase for the fiery and flamboyant, as well as updated RTF sound. White's formidable drumming — he's one of the finest at incorporating the entire kit array (including the bass drum) into his accompaniment — and Clarke's edgy bass lines are ably complimented by Corea's whirlwind phrases and solos.
Prior to his RTF days, White appeared on such memorable jazz dates as Hubbard's Red Clay and Stanley Clarke's Children of Forever. As a self-taught player, White is left-handed, but has always used a right-handed kit. Known for both crisp, crackling backdrops and the ability to adjust within any musical setting, he was ideal for the jazz-rock and fusion music emerging in that era. He had learned his trade in hard bop and mainstream bands, where drummers were expected to do more than just provide a steady beat and keep time. But he was also versatile enough to fit into situations where intensity was as important as imagination, and drummers were expected to keep the music steady and straight-ahead.
When White joined RTF in 1973, his drumming was an integral part of their change. The early releases were predominantly acoustic, with a prominent Latin-tinged influence. That gave way to a frenzied, aggressive sound that debuted on Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. White made four LPs with the group, staying through 1977.
Where original drummer/percussionist Airto Moreira provided a relaxed, light foundation, White's playing was animated and explosive, providing ideal textures for Corea's electric keyboard forays and guitarist Al DiMeola's stylish flurries and solos. It was a continuation of what White did during his time with Davis, especially the layered patterns on Bitches Brew as part of a drum/percussion corps recruited to give the arrangements a contemporary feel and sound.
Yet while his resume has also included Latin-rock with Azteca, funk and urban hits with his group Twentynine, and solo projects on multiple labels, Lenny White still considers himself a jazz musician first and foremost.
"Jazz is the music that I grew up learning and mastering, and for me it is the music that will always be the foundation of everything that I play," White says. "It is the most demanding music to play in terms of developing an identity and a sound, and it is the best training ground in terms of learning how to play your instrument. But I've also always enjoyed other types of music, and never had a problem doing things outside of the jazz sphere.
"For me, it's never been a question of 'let's go play something else now.' I've always been interested in whether a particular music inspires me and what could I bring to it. If it felt and sounded honest, and was something that I enjoyed, then I would play it. If not, then I would turn it down. One of the big problems that I see today in regards to music is that there are so many CDs out there, but not that many which really stand out. The industry is disappearing, and with the Internet anyone can put out a CD. But in terms of people playing something with originality, soul, imagination, that's what you don't hear all that often."
White cites Corea, Hill, Henderson, Davis and Hubbard as his most influential musical mentors, but says there's a common misconception many people have regarding fusion and '70s jazz-based music.
"What we did in that era was very organic," White says. "We were using electronic instruments, and it was loud, but it was still very much improvisational and influenced by the jazz tradition. We were expanding it and putting in some of the benchmarks from the current times, but we never were as far away from the jazz spirit as some people claimed. That's one of the problems with labels — they are inexact and sometimes misplaced."
He's equally philosophical about current changes in the industry, and urges anyone considering a music career to spend as much time understanding the business as learning their instrument.
"One of the mistakes so many people have made is not understanding you have to be both a good musician and knowledgeable business person in regards to your career," White says. "You've got to understand things like publishing and distribution, know what's happening to your music and take care of your business. If you don't do that, it won't do you any good to know how to play.
"At the same time, you've got to understand the demands of being a musician, and really learn whatever instrument that you play. I hear a lot of people that don't have a sound, and can't be distinguished from everyone else. That's something that was always emphasized when I was coming up, the need to be yourself, to find your voice."
White has a very unusual next project slated for release after he concludes the RFT tour. "I've finished an album of Neapolitan music with an excellent ensemble and a wonderful singer," White said. "We're not sure if we're going to put it out next year on an American or a European label, but we're very excited about it. It is something I've always wanted to do and we've worked on it for quite a while."
After that, White says, the next thing he wants to do is more film soundtrack work. "Doing music for films has always excited me, but it's something I haven't taken the time to concentrate on due to other things," he explains. "I plan to really get into that area in the next year or so.
"But right now, I'm really working on the tour and looking to keep that going strong on through all our concerts. It's been a tremendous experience working with Chick and Stanley again, and I'm sure we'll do some other things in the future."
Return To Forever IV performs 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Tickets are $49-$104.
