When does Ottawa Bluesfest typically announce the lineup?

[Schwa.]

more importantly, when do we get to start talking about lawn chairs again???

[phorbesie]

as much as i'd like to see neil play the fest, the lawn chairies that would come out for that show would make me kill someone. sigh.

[LJFH]

Is there someone we can call to suggest artists?

I have a LIST!

[Velvet]

That's great news. I like that Alain Caron will be there too. If I'm not mistaken, he was in UZEB.

[Velvet]

For the record, I have no idea how my computer double-posted more than six hours apart.

[bradm]

For the record, I have no idea how my computer double-posted more than six hours apart.

I figured you were just trying to see if I'd reply "You're not mistaken" a second time. If you thought I would, you were mistaken.

Aloha,

Brad

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

the late afternoon Connoisseur series shows at Library and Archives are a real treat. The place is tiny. very intimate. I saw Brad Mehldau there in 2006. And Avishai Cohen, who I'm hoping makes it back. Would love to see Mehldau there again, but just glad that he's here at all. Shows there have been $15 in the past - not included in a regular pass.

Will definitely plan to see Alain Caron there. He did a free show at the Canada Pavillion in 2002 (?) for like 30 people.

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

Return to Forever are doing a reunion tour this summer! hopefully an appearance at Jazzfest.

In this interview Lenny White mentions some North American Dates in June (west coast, which would rule out jazzfest, but who knows?) European jazz festivals in July, and the East Coast in August. Then more touring in 2009.

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola and Lenny White Planning Extensive North American and European Tour

Tour Sure to Be "THE Jazz Event of 2008" (Beyond Jazz)

Return to Forever, one of the most influential groups of the 1970s, have long heard calls from their many fans for a reunion tour. Now those calls have been answered, with the classic lineup of keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White planning a tour across the U.S. and Europe that will be their first performances together in more than 25 years.

The foursome is expected to play 40 to 50 dates across the U.S. and Europe, featuring the classic music from their four chart-topping albums. "It’s been a long time coming," says founder Chick Corea, "and I think it's going to be a blast! We plan to take the songs from the albums we made in the '70s and just play them like they’ve never been played before."

"In retrospect, the '70s were a very powerful time in instrumental music," Stanley Clarke adds. "We’re going to go out and play our music as honestly as we did then, and it will be a great thing for all of us."

Return to Forever helped create and define fusion, a new genre that brought multitudes of rock 'n' roll fans into the jazz world for the first time. Their influence is evident today in many musical genres, from the hip-hop samplings of Dr. Dre and Lupe Fiasco to a litany of jam bands to techno and prog bands.

A special Return to Forever anthology featuring remixed and remastered tracks from the classic albums 'Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy', 'Where Have I Known You Before', 'No Mystery' and 'Romantic Warrior' will be released to coincide with the tour.

Al Di Meola says, "This is something we’ve talked about for close to 30 years... how’s that? 30 years! We’ve come close a few times, but finally the timing was right."

"We all felt the time was right to come back on a grand scale, raise the bar again and show people what serious music is really about," Lenny White concludes.

Ted Kurland Associates is the booking agency for 2008's Return to Forever tour, about which Russ Davis, Program Director for Beyond Jazz on XM Satellite Radio and the Jazz America Program on Voice of America enthuses: "The RTF reunion will be THE jazz event of 2008. Rarely does a magical event like this occur. I’m one of millions of fans who can’t wait!"