Hey all. It’s been a few days since my last post as I am trying to catch up with the last days of Summer. Hope you are all doing the same. The subject line may be a bit misleading since Jazz/R&B/Rock Guitarist Lee Ritenour is anything but a “blast from the past”. However, the blast from the past reference is regarding one of his early 70’s albums “The Captain’s Journey” (1978). I originally stumbled upon this album as I was digging through a used record shop back in the early 80’s. I had known about Lee Ritenour at the time having been an avid reader of Guitar Player magazine since the mid 70’s but I had never heard his music. So I bought the record, took it home, and dug every note and groove on that sucker! His playing was a mix of smooth Jazz chops, sophisticated rock lines and great melody lines. I loved his guitar tone which at the time was reminiscent of the many studio guitar players that were making the scene back then. It was like a smooth “brown” sound using the rhythm pick-up and, I think, a Fender Princeton…souped up of course by Paul Riveria. Larry Carlton, another monster Guitarist also laid claim to this sound as well as Carlos Rios and countless others.

So anyway, I was rummaging through my vinyl collection today and happened to pass “The Captain’s Journey”. I took it out, slapped it on the turntable and immediately was transported back to the first time I listened to it. It was very cool and I was surprised how fresh it still sounded. Mind you, it is somewhat dated from the era it came from but the tunes still stand out and the playing from everyone on the album is top notch. I especially enjoyed hearing “Sugar Loaf Express”, “Morning Glory” and “Matchmakers” again with their funked up minor 9th’s to dom 13th grooves. And I totally forgot about the title track’s part 2 sounding very much like it could have been taken off an early Al Dimeola album…especially with Anthony Jackson and Steve Gadd holding down the fort. Great stuff! And check out Lee’s slide guitar parts throughout various tunes, very subtle but extremely effective. I was very pleased to have been reacquainted with Lee’s early work. Not that I haven’t enjoyed his more recent stuff but it was nice to sit back, eyes closed and living in the past again. I’m gonna be checkin’ out more stuff like that fer sure…:)

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