Jazz group Return to Forever will perform Sunday, June 22 at the Murat Theatre. (Photo by Lynn Goldsmith)

Return to Forever has had one reunion since its major phase (1973-76) -- and that was 25 years ago.

Drummer Lenny White believes it's time again. The most prominent version of the jazz-rock fusion quartet formed by Chick Corea is on a reunion tour that will stop in Indianapolis on Sunday.

White, a 58-year-old New York City native, returns to the drum chair he held down in the band's heyday. Along with him and Corea, the reconstituted band consists of guitarist Al Di Meola and bassist Stanley Clarke.

That iconic group drew in the alt-rock fans of Yes and King Crimson, who might also have sampled some plugged-in jazz, starting with Miles Davis' revolutionary "Bitches Brew." Jazz-rock fusion was hot for several years, and its influence is still felt.

What distinguished Return to Forever at that time, White said in a recent phone interview, was its electric instrumentation attached to a jazz rhythm section.

"Chick is such a great composer, so we'd play these melodies and breaks, and there's some (chord) changes that might be based on a standard tune. So it's a progression that's like a jazz progression, not just playing one chord and playing scales."

White said the idea of reuniting came from outside the group, and subsequent talks among the four led to a consensus: "This is the perfect time to galvanize some instrumental music."

Why now? White said he thinks that an outgrowth of fusion, mostly represented by the Mahavishnu Orchestra, became today's jam-band phenomenon -- and the music became insular and monotonous.

In contrast, White says, continued interchange among musicians is fruitful, and produced great jazz bands and recordings in the 1950s and 1960s, when he was coming up.

A self-taught drummer, he developed workarounds to hide his inability to read music. He had access to some of his musical idols, from whom he learned techniques and drummers' roles in ensembles.

"The drummer is like the traffic cop," he said, "or like a proofreader. ..... you make the soloists stand out as you emphasize what they're doing."

Return to Forever

Where: Murat Theatre, 502 N. New Jersey St.

When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets: $45-$69.50; call (317) 231-0000.

- By Jay Harvey - Indy Star Reporter