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.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
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

FOURPLAY — Esprit De Four (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For over 20 years, the collaborative ensemble Fourplay has grown ever more cohesive in its approach to modern jazz. When the three founding members added guitarist Chuck Loeb to the lineup for 2010's Let's Touch the Sky, the group attained perfect dialogic balance. Fourplay had made fine records before, but the guitar chair always felt either under- or overutilized. Though the long established leader, Loeb's writing, arranging, and playing are more ensemble-oriented than either of his two predecessors, Lee Ritenour or Larry Carlton. On Esprit de Four, Fourplay display themselves as among the most intuitive, forward-thinking, and focused groups in modern jazz -- yet remain very accessible. While their aesthetic has been and remains contemporary, they employ classic approaches to composition, melodic improvisation, rhythm, and harmony. Loeb's "December's Dream" kicks things off. It's an airy composition that weaves together folk, pop, jazz, and even Americana. The shimmering cymbal work of Harvey Mason highlights the interplay between Bob James and Loeb, while Nathan East's bassline instills the melody with an irresistible groove. On "Sonnymoon," his bassline is deeply funky, preceding a fine exchange between the rich colors in Loeb's chords and the warm texture of James' electric piano, all given weight by Mason's trademark breaks. The latter's title tune presents a Brazilian groove illustrated by Loeb's acoustic guitar atop unobtrusive background synth and organic percussion. James supports with fills and subtle timbral voicings. Vocals have been prevalent on past Fourplay records, but here they are upfront only on the bluesy nocturnal soul of East's "All I Wanna Do," and the closer, a vocal version of James' "Put Our Hearts Together," sung beautifully by Seiko Matsuda. The rest are used as wordless textures, like another instrument in the mix. The tune, originally an instrumental, was written by James for a concert in Japan right after the earthquake and tsunami. His daughter Hilary heard it and asked to write lyrics for an abbreviated version. Both are present here. The instrumental commences as a haunting, pop-classical piece that gives way to a weave of lyric conversation that eventually becomes a swinging post-bop jam with an excellent solo by James. Esprit de Four is a shining example of jazz as a collaborative endeavor; these well-established soloists play as equals in a band that communicates on a level that most groups only dream of. 
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1.    December Dream  7:47
Vocals [Additional] – Lizzy Loeb
Written-By – C. Loeb
2.    Firefly  4:11
Written-By – N. East, T. Keane
3.    Vênus  7:11
Written-By – H. Mason
4.    Sonnymoon  4:13
Written-By – C. Loeb
5.    Put Our Hearts Together (Instrumental)  5:18
Written-By – B. James, H. James
6.    All I Wanna Do  4:18
Arranged By – B. James
Written-By – N. East, T. Keane
7.    Logic Of Love  7:03
Written-By – C. Loeb
8.    Esprit De Four  6:24
Written-By – H. Mason, J. Peters
9.    Sugoi  4:22
Written-By – B. James
10.    Put Our Hearts Together (Vocal Track)  3:22
Lead Vocals – Seiko Matsuda
Written-By – B. James, H. James
Credits :
Bass, Vocals – Nathan East
Drums, Percussion, Vibraphone, Synthesizer, Concept By [Cover] – Harvey Mason
Guitar, Synthesizer – Chuck Loeb
Design [Cover], Keyboards – Bob James

FOURPLAY — Silver (2015) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Silver marks the silver anniversary of Grammy-nominated jazz collective Fourplay, a supergroup consisting of bassist Nathan East, keyboardist Bob James, guitarist Chuck Loeb (who joined five years ago) and drummer Harvey Mason. Over their 25 year history, the four musicians have continued to explore together and celebrate their unprecedented bond with their most wide-ranging and gratifying recording to date. Following the theme of the occasion, most of the original compositions play off the anniversary and just like its namesake, Silver shines, each track a brilliant example of what has made this formidable ensemble one of the most respected in the jazz world. Former members Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton return to Fourplay as guest artists on the album.

    On Silver, Fourplay celebrates that unprecedented bond with their most wide-ranging and gratifying recording to date. Following the theme of the occasion, most of the 10 new original compositions comprising Silver play off of the anniversary, bearing titles such as Sterling, Precious Metal and A Silver Lining. Just like its namesake, Silver shines, each track a brilliant example of what has made this formidable ensemble each of whom also has a highly successful career outside of the band one of the most respected in the jazz world. Silver also reunites two key earlier members of Fourplay with the current lineup: Larry Carlton, the world-class guitarist; and original Fourplay guitarist Lee Ritenour. Also featured is a high-profile guest player, the beloved saxophonist Kirk Whalum.

    For each member of Fourplay, the group s ability to remain so creative after so many years together has been a reward in itself. Says Nathan East, It became apparent from our very first album that this particular group of musicians had a special sound. We appreciate whatever that chemistry or magic has been between us and have had a great time on our journey together as we ve developed our music. Fourplay is four voices melding together to create a truly distinct and recognizable sound, says Harvey Mason, explaining the quartet s ability to continually find new avenues of expression. This group has so much musical experience that the accompanying and the listening are over the top. We ve all been sidemen as well as leaders and we cover the gamut of musical genres. It s a great feeling to know you can go in any direction and you ll be supported and pushed. We work together that is what you hear when you listen to Fourplay. web
Tracklist :
1.    Quicksilver  (6:44)
2.    Horace  (4:26)
3.    Sterling  (7:32)
4.    A Silver Lining (4:53)
5.    Silverado  (5:55)
Guitar – Larry Carlton
Organ – Mitch Forman
6.    Mine  (5:35)
7.    Silver Streak (6:23)
Backing Vocals – Chris Wells
8.    Precious Metal 7:22
Tenor Saxophone – Kirk Whalum
9.    Aniversario  (4:10)
Synth – Tom Keane
10.    Windmill  (5:38)
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Keyboards [Additional] – John Beasley
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Synth – Chuck Loeb
Bass, Vocals – Nathan East
Drums, Percussion, Vibraphone, Synth – Harvey Mason
Piano, Electric Piano [Rhodes], Synthesizer – Bob James
Producer – Fourplay 

FOURPLAY – Elixir (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The third outing from Fourplay (Lee Ritenour, Nathan East, Bob James, and Harvey Mason clubbing together) is another lightly sautéed jazz offering, low-key and relaxed. Vocals this time are contributed by Phil Collins, East, Patti Austin, and Peabo Bryson (the latter two on an undistinguished version of "The Closer I Get to You"), but the main attraction for most is likely to be Ritenour's flexible guitar work. Steven McDonald
Tracklist :
1    Elixir    7:23
 Nathan East / Bob James / Lee Ritenour / Harvey Mason, Sr.
2    Dream Come True    5:15
 Nathan East / Ricky Lawson
3        Play Lady Play 4:36
 Bob James / Lee Ritenour
Arranged By – Lee Ritenour
4        Why Can't It Wait Till Morning 5:17
 Phil Collins
Arranged By – Bob James
Vocals – Phil Collins
5    Magic Carpet Ride    6:27
 Lee Ritenour
6    Whisper In My Ear    6:12
 Bob James
7    Fannie Mae    5:31
 Harvey Mason, Sr.
8    The Closer I Get To You 5:01
Arranged By – Fourplay
Producer [Vocals], Arranged By [Vocals] – Nathan East
Vocals – Patti Austin, Peabo Bryson
9    East 2 West    5:56
 Marcel East / Nathan East
10    Licorice    5:12
 Bob James
11    In My Corner 6:56
 Harvey Mason, Jr. / Harvey Mason, Sr.
Arranged By [Vocals] – Harvey Mason, Jr.
Credits :
Bass – Nathan East
Drums, Percussion, Marimba [Acoustic & Electric], Bongos, Jew's Harp – Harvey Mason
Executive Producer, Keyboards, Arranged By [Synth Orchestrations] – Bob James
Guitar [Guitars], Programmed By [Additional Computer & Synth], Recorded By [Additional] – Lee Ritenour
Producer – Fourplay
Programmed By [Computer & Synth], Recorded By [Additional] – Harvey Mason, Jr.