1976

Return to Forever Memorial Hall Kansas City, Missouri Digging through my Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, I was able to pin this show down to 1976. Stanley Clarke and Al DiMeola would both go solo later in the year, but they played songs from both The Leprechaun and The Romantic Warrior, both of which Chick Corea released in 1976. Return to Forever was jazz-rock-fusion and every musician in the band was a virtuoso at their chosen instrument. They were very precise and simply awesome, the kind of band that either inspires you or scares the shit out of you because you can't imagine being that damn good. At one point in the show, while Chick Corea was being featured with a solo piece on a grand piano, the PA went out. The volume dropped significantly but you could still hear what Corea was playing because everyone was actually listening. There wasn't even a brief moment when the crowd noise drowned out the piano, not even immediately after the PA dropped out. That audience was listening. We heard every note, too.

Chick Corea -- Keyboards Stanley Clarke -- Bass Al DiMeola -- Guitar Lenny White -- Drums   Best Audience Ever