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Although Lee loves to compose new songs, he had a greater interest in re-arranging several of his previous albums he wanted to free from the dust of the past. Some of his fellow musicians shared the joy of reinventing the old stuff including keyboardists John Beasley, Dave Grusin and Patrice Rushen; saxophonists Ernie Watts and Bob Sheppard; bassists Melvin Lee Davis, Tom Kennedy and Dave Weckl; percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, drummers Ronald Bruner Jr. and Chris Coleman, Rashawn Ross playing flugelhorn, further the newcomers guitarists Michael Thompson, Wah Wah Watson and David T. Walker, and pianist Makoto Ozone. With the first song Wild Rice Ritenour goes way back to his very first album First Course (1976). The original track has an edgy fusion funk feeling. The new concept has the focus on Rit's modulated guitar with additional clavinet and synthesizers by John Beasley and an exquisite solo on Fender Rhodes by Patrice Rushen.
On Fatback Lee saved the vintage sound of the original
by using the original horn arrangement of Tom Scott
and the instruments like Wurlitzer performed by John Beasley
and the Hammond B3 played by Dave Gruisin. 1998 Lee recorded the album
This Is Love, from which he takes the song Ooh Yeah.
The reinterpretation slows down and sounds smoother.
Lee comments꞉ “John Beasley and I decided to try and recreate the
laidback feel where the drums are way behind the beat and put a
different hump on it″.
With W.O.R.K.n'
IT The Latin tinged Pearl is a new song dedicated to Rit's mother. As well fresh from the sheet comes the ultra groovy Twist Of Rit featuring Wah Wah Watson with the extra potion funky guitar. Countdown in the refurbished version sounds moderate, while the original from his album Rit has a raw and more vivid treat with some talk box and hall effects. Also recommendable the various renowned live videos with Phil Perry and at the JVC Jazz Festival in Newport. Soaring is like a mature wine. Sweet in the preliminary marks, jazzy in the draft. For this already ensures tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts. Sweet Syncopation from the album First Course receives an exiting revival. Bullet Train is an interpretation of the original from the album Friendship. Striking is the different intonation by the saxophonist Watts. Waltz For Carmen from the album Stolen Moments (1990) is a Latin influenced piece featuring Tony Pusztai, the Grand Prix Winner of Lee Ritenour's 2014 Six String Theory competition, on classical guitar.
With A Twist Of
Rit Lee
Ritenour bears a vibrant witness about his outstanding technical
excellence and his high compositional skills which he has kept all these
years.
Biography
Album Information
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With
over 40 albums and 35 chart songs on his belt guitarist Lee
Ritenour is one of the most important and popular musicians of the
smooth jazz and contemporary jazz scene. As a founding member of the
all-star smooth jazz group Fourplay he wrote music history.
