Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Lee Ritenour & Larry Carlton - Larry & Lee

Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour have had parallel careers, but this CD is their first joint meeting on record. The two guitarists complement each other well and there are hints of Wes Montgomery along with a tribute to Joe Pass ("Remembering J.P."), but the songs (all of them their originals) are little more than rhythmic grooves most of the time with the usual fadeouts. The consistently lightweight music is reasonably pleasing but never too stimulating. - by Scott Yanow, AMG

There is something special about two guitarists trading licks back and forth. Funny how four years after this album Larry Carlton would end up replacing Lee Ritenour in the group Foreplay. This album will not disappoint you if you're a fan of either guitarist. Both men are incredibly talented with the guitar, and play with real drive and emotion. The album starts out with a great tune in "Crosstown Kids", which prepares you for what's to come. "L.A. Underground" really steps it up with Ritenour leading the way, breaking in several places to give Carlton a place to play. On the cut, "After the Rain" they lay back and play a very smooth piece before turning it up again on "Remembering". Throughout the album, these guitarists use each other to springboard to new levels of playing. They take turns expanding on an idea, combining their styles to really bring out some fun music. There is some very good stuff on this album. Ritenour's smooth playing is counterbalanced by the bluesy edge of Carlton's. The complement is enjoyable, and it gives quite a coloring to the music. Guitar fans should find this album very impressive. It is one that I keep revisiting. - by Russell Diederich, Amazon.com

Artist: Lee Ritenour & Larry Carlton
Album: Larry & Lee
Year: 1995
Label: GRP Records
Runtime: 60:19

Tracks:
1.  Crosstown Kids (Lee Ritenour) 5:01
2.  Low Steppin' (Lee Ritenour & Larry Carlton)  6:25
3.  L.A. Underground (Lee Ritenour) 5:46
4.  Closed Door Jam (Lee Ritenour & Lee Carlton) 4:59
5.  After the Rain (Lee Ritenour) 4:44
6.  Remembering J.P. (Larry Carlton) 4:48
7.  Fun in the Dark (Lee Ritenour) 5:25
8.  Lots About Nothin' (Larry Carlton) 6:15
9.  Take That (Lee Ritenour) 4:53
10.  Up and Adam (Lee Ritenour & Lee Carlton) 6:11
11.  Reflection of a Guitar Player (Lee Ritenour & Lee Carlton) 5:52

Personnel:
Lee Ritenour (Guitar, Synthesizer, Sampling, Drum Programming)
Larry Carlton (Guitar, Keyboards)
Omar Hakim (Drums) - 1,4,6-9,11
Larry Williams (Synthesizer, Tenor Saxophone) - 1-3,7,9
Melvin Davis (Bass Guitar) - 1-4,6-11
Dave Witham (Keyboards) - 1-3,5,7,10
Jerry Hey (Trumpet, Flugelhorn) - 1,3,5,7,9
Gary Grant (Trumpet, Flugelhorn) - 1,3,5,7,9
Bill Reichenbach (Trombone) - 1,3,5,7,9
Greg Phillinganes (Keyboards) - 1,7,9,11
Harvey Mason (Drums) - 2,3,5,10
Cassio Duarte (Percussion) - 1-3,7
Rick Jackson (Keyboards) - 4,6,8

Monday, November 28, 2016

Gandalf - Frame By Frame

Special Soundtrack Album – A collection of picturesque pieces written and produced by Gandalf in 2013 as the music-score for various projects, mostly for the TV-documentary “Das Steinzeiträtsel” (The Stone Age Enigma) by Ronald & Roswitha Vaughan. - Gandalf.at

As a painter of musical landscapes whose music is largely inspired by the beauty of nature as well as by the art and mythology of different cultures, Gandalf finds himself at Prudence among souls of souls. As one of the masters of his genre, the versatile musician, composer and producer has created his unique personal music style. It combines a variety of acoustic instruments (guitars, sitar, saz, charango, bouzuki, piano, balaphone, bells and percussion) with spherical keyboard sounds. It interweaves folkloric melodic arches with powerful orchestral arrangements. Gandalf is a "Magician of the Soul Sounds", his multi-colored compositions emanate peace and harmony and are balm for the soul. Many people exhausted by the hustle and bustle of modern everyday life find consolation and healing. The artist's vision of breaking the boundaries between musical categories and styles and developing a music that appeals to people regardless of mother tongue or skin color has made him one of the most successful Austrian musicians of our time. In addition to numerous CD releases, Gandalf also composed music for theater and film, worked with symphonic orchestras ( "Symphonic Landscapes", 1990) and played with international artists such as the legendary ex-genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. His CDs are played by radio stations around the planet, in the USA his music has been called "classical music of the 21st century".

Artist: Gandalf (Heinz Strobl)
Album: Frame By Frame
Year: 2013
Label: Prudence Records
Runtime: 63:40

Tracks:
1.  Ancient Wisdom Recalled 3:40
2.  Love Will Last 4:59
3.  Amongst Green Fields 7:42
4.  Sleeping Giants of Stone 6:21
5.  The House by the River 6:30
6.  Echoes from the Past 4:44
7.  Enchanted Garden 7:27
8.  Ancient Wisdom Recalled II 1:24
9.  March of No return 5:18
10.  Heartbridges 4:13
11.  Sea of Sorrow 2:11
12.  Beyond Fear 4:04
13.  Sea of Sorrow II 1:33
14.  Rainbow Sky 3:27
All compositions by Heinz Strobl

Personnel:
Heinz Strobl (aka Gandalf) (Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Percussion)
Merike Hilmar (Cello)
Karin Leitner (Flute, Whistle)
Nicky Eggl (Whistle, Bodhran)
Monika Stadler (Harp)
Vasilie Marian (Oboe, English Horn)

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Joshua Redman - Beyond

In his short career, Joshua Redman has been praised for his technical abilities and criticized for his lack of innovation -- not surprising responses to the work of a talented young artist. On Beyond, his seventh album which was recorded a few months after his 30th birthday, he attempts, as the title suggests, to try some new things. Employing an all new group consisting of pianist Aaron Goldberg, bass player Reuben Rogers, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, he presents an album of original tunes to follow Timeless Tales (For Changing Times), an album of cover material. Eschewing the pat jazz formula of a head followed by improvisations, he adopts a more free-flowing structure for his compositions in which anyone can start and the tune can develop in an open-ended fashion. He also experiments with time signatures: "A Life?," the closing track, is in 5/4 time; "Stoic Revolutions" is in 6/4; "Belonging (Lopsided Lullaby)" is in 9/4; "Suspended Emanations" is in 10/4; and the lead-off track, "Courage (Asymmetric Aria)," is in 13/4. While no doubt hard to play, the tunes don' t sound all that complicated, perhaps because Redman's saxophone floats over the rhythm section, taking its time to make its statements. As the song titles imply, this is a contemplative album full of small, introspective pleasures, such as the exploratory "Leap of Faith," on which Redman and Mark Turner engage in a tenor conversation. It's not clear that the technical challenges Redman presents himself and his sidemen with ultimately force them to do anything new, but Beyond represents a gifted musician tinkering with his musical approach with often satisfying results. - by William Ruhlmann, AMG

Artist: Joshua Redman
Album: Beyond
Year: 2000
Label: Warner Bros.
Runtime: 73:18

Tracks:
1.  Courage (Asymmetric Aria) 7:32
2.  Belonging (Lopsided Lullaby) 5:48
3.  Neverend 4:26
4.  Leap Of Faith 9:03
5.  Balance 9:05
6.  Twilight ... And Beyond 11:00
7.  Stoic Revolutions 6:11
8.  Suspended Emanations 6:18
9.  Last Rites Of Rock 'N' Roll 7:03
10.  A Life? 6:52
All music written by Joshua Redman

Personnel:
Joshua Redman (Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone)
Reuben Rogers (Double Bass)
Gregory Hutchinson (Drums)
Aaron Goldberg (Piano)
Mark Turner (Tenor Saxophone) - 4

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