return of simple

From the start, Return of Simple has created music that both the casual listener and the music aficionado can appreciate. This guitar-less trio of classically-trained musicians brings back a quality of composition that one could only expect from a group named after a Langston Hughes novel.

Return of Simple consists of singer/songwriter and pianist, Rob Kovacs, bass player, Alfredo Guerrieri, and drummer Stephen Klunk. An accomplished musician, Kovacs, voted “Best Pianist/Keyboardist in Cleveland” (Cleveland Free Times, 2008), has extended his resume to include the positions of music director, accompanist, arranger, dueling pianist, lounge act, and even film score composer. A career highlight occurred in 2004, when he became the first musician to ever perform both parts of renowned composer Steve Reich’s “Piano Phase” on two different pianos simultaneously.

While in Cleveland, Return of Simple released the Saffron EP, which has received positive reviews from a variety of media outlets. Tracks from that album have been included in heavy rotation on radio stations in the Cleveland area, and have been featured at Volkswagen’s auto shows across the nation.

Return of Simple moved to New York in late 2009 and quickly made an impression on the Brooklyn music scene. Two years later, Kovacs moved back to Cleveland to decompress from the hustle and bustle of New York and work on a new record, putting the band on hiatus.

Seven years after their last show, Return of Simple is re-emerging with new music and a long-awaited follow-up record.