A Rise In The Road is indeed an appropriate title for a time-honored ensemble that has never been fearful of facing newer musical horizons, not to mention the myriad challenges of life itself. Produced by Ferrante, Mintzer and Kennedy, A Rise In The Road stands shoulder-to-shoulder with their 21 previous efforts. ''It's about the challenges that people face in their lives and whatever path they are on: It's not always smooth sailing, it's not always a level road,'' explains Ferrante, with regards to the project's meaning. ''Certainly, over the 32 years that we've been a band, we've had things come up, challenges such as musicians that have left the band, business people, relationships that you have built over the years. Things come to an end, and you have to meet the challenge and keep going forward.''