LEE RITENOUR — Rhythm Sessions (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lee Ritenour's Rhythm Sessions is, in a roundabout way, a companion album to 2010's Six String Theory. For that record, he sought out a slew of guitar greats to celebrate their joint love for the instrument. Here, Ritenour assembles another top-flight cast for a set of tunes that range from fusion to pop, from contemporary jazz to post-bop and more. "The Village" places the guitarist with George Duke, Stanley Clarke, drummer Dave Weckl, and percussionist Munyungo Jackson. The fusion groove is nocturnal, slippery, even bluesy. Kurt Elling joins Dave Grusin, Nathan East, and Will Kennedy for an elegant reading of Nick Drake's "River Man." Ritenour's revisioning of Herbie Hancock's "Fat Albert Rotunda" showcases just how savvy he is at adapting a jazz-funk classic for the 21st century without sacrificing its vigor. The band -- Patrice Rushen on acoustic piano with Debron Johnson on Rhodes, Marcus Miller and Melvin Lee Davis on basses, Rob Bacon on rhythm guitar, and Oscar Seaton on drums -- rock it up a bit while keeping the ensemble and rhythmic interplay fluid, yet firmly in the pocket. Ritenour surprises by including two tunes by the European piano trio E.S.T.: "800 Streets by Feet" and "Spam-Boo-Limbo." In both cases, he uses the harmonic elasticity of the originals to dig inside their hardwired, interlocking grooves. He reveals them as rife for contemporary jazz as well as post-bop. Chick Corea stars on his own shimmering "Children's Song," with Ritenour playing classical guitar augmented by drummer Peter Erskine and Chuck Bergdorfer on bass. This set is not all cover tunes, however; Ritenour contributes three fine compositions -- "July" (a breezy little funk tune with excellent bass work by Melvin Davis), "Rose Pedals" (a crossover classical jazz piece), and "Dolphins Don't Dance" (a limber, Latin-tinged modern jazz tune with Larry Goldings on B-3). The set closer is a reading of Grusin's elegant, R&B-flavored "Punta del Soul," featuring the three young winners of his Six String Theory Guitar & Rhythm Section Competition. Rhythm Sessions underscores Ritenour's ability to place himself in any jazz ensemble -- he's almost chameleon-like -- without sacrificing his unique voice or ability as a soloist. This utterly unique recording in the contemporary jazz genre is a fine showcase for his skills as a bandleader.
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Tracklist :
1.    The Village  5:06
Acoustic Bass – Stanley Clarke
Arranged By – Lee Ritenour
Drums – Dave Weckl
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Moog] – George Duke
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Percussion – Munyungo Jackson
Synthesizer, Programmed By – Ariel Mann
Written-By – Lee Ritenour
2.    River Man  4:35
Arranged By – Ariel Mann, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour
Bass – Nathan East
Drums – Will Kennedy
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Dave Grusin
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Synthesizer, Programmed By – Ariel Mann
Vocals – Kurt Elling
Written-By – Nick Drake
3.    Fat Albert Rotunda  4:43
Arranged By – Lee Ritenour
Drums – Oscar Seaton
Electric Bass – Marcus Miller, Melvin Lee Davis
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Deron Johnson
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Percussion – Munyungo Jackson
Piano [Acoustic] – Patrice Rushen
Rhythm Guitar – Rob Bacon
Synthesizer, Programmed By – Ariel Mann
Written-By – Herbie Hancock
4.    800 Streets By Feet  3:25
Acoustic Bass – Christian McBride
Arranged By – Ariel Mann, Lee Ritenour
Drums – Wesley Ritenour
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Guitar, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Programmed By – Ariel Mann
Written-By – Dan Berglund, Esbörn Svensson, Magnus Öström
5.    Children's Song #1  5:16
Acoustic Bass – Chuck Berghofer
Arranged By – Lee Ritenour
Classical Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Drums – Peter Erskine
Piano – Chick Corea
Piano [Additional] – Alan Pasqua
Synthesizer, Programmed By – Ariel Mann
Written-By – Chick Corea
6.    La By Bike  5:44
Arranged By – Lee Ritenour
Bass – Melvin Lee Davis
Drums – Sonny Emory
Electric Organ [Hammond B3] – Larry Goldings
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Synthesizer, Programmed By – Ariel Mann
Written-By – Lee Ritenour
7.    Maybe Tomorrow  3:41
Arranged By – Ariel Mann, Lee Ritenour
Bass Guitar – Tal Wilkenfeld
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Engineer [Additional] – R.J. Benjamin
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Keyboards, Synthesizer, Programmed By – Ariel Mann
Vocals – Zamajobe
Written By – Benjamin Einziger, George Purviance, Paul Fried, Stephanie Eitel
Written-By [Uncredited] – Kelly Jones
8.    Spam-Boo-Limbo 4:01
Arranged By – Ariel Mann, Lee Ritenour
Bass – Tal Wilkenfeld
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Piano – John Beasley
Synthesizer, Programmed By – Ariel Mann
Written-By – Dan Berglund, Esbörn Svensson, Magnus Öström
9.    July  4:54
Arranged By – Lee Ritenour
Drums – Sonny Emory
Electric Bass – Melvin Lee Davis
Electric Organ [Hammond B3] – Larry Goldings
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Synthesizer, Programmed By – Ariel Mann
Written-By – Lee Ritenour
10.    Rose Pedals  3:53
Arranged By – Lee Ritenour
Bass [Yamaha Silet Bass] – Nathan East
Drums – Will Kennedy
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Piano [Acoustic] – Dave Grusin
Synthesizer, Programmed By – Ariel Mann
Written-By – Lee Ritenour
11.    Dolphins Don't Dance  6:50
Arranged By – Lee Ritenour
Drums – Peter Erskine
Electric Organ [Hammond B3], Pedalboard [Bass Pedals] – Larry Goldings
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Piano [Acoustic] – Alan Pasqua
Synthesizer, Programmed By – Ariel Mann
Written-By – Lee Ritenour
12.    Punta Del Soul  5:29
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Michael Feinberg
Arranged By – Lee Ritenour
Drums – Selim Munir
Electric Organ [Hammond B3] – Hans De Wild
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Piano [Acoustic], Arranged By [Additional] – Demetrius Nabors
Written-By – Dave Grusin