Lee Ritenour - Portrait (1987)

I've stated this before, but you never knew what kind of album Ritenour would be releasing in the '80s: AOR/West Coast pop, Brazilian, Reggae lite, Smooth jazz, or more traditional, straight-ahead jazz. Well, as the title might suggest, this album brings a little bit of most of those genres mentioned. And because it was the '80s, Ritenour plays not only electric and acoustic guitars, but a guitar-synth hybrid MIDI-controller named the SynthAxe.

It almost seems like Ritenour tried to get an album recorded with Yellowjackets (which I'm sure would have been amazing), but only finished 4 cuts then went to the vaults to fill out the rest of the album. Some decent tracks, but hardly essential. Lots of familiar names in the credits, though, including Alex Acuña, Vinnie Colaiuta, Paulinho Da Costa, Nathan East, Russell Ferrante, Kenny G, Jimmy Haslip, Jerry Hey, Harvey Mason, Phil Perry, Greg Phillinganes, Mark Russo, and Eric Tagg.

Ratings/reviews:

• Stereo Review: "a pleasant stylistic hodgepodge"
• Billboard: "Superb production and lineup"
• CashBox: "mirror-slick fusion project, stuffed to the gills with guests"
• DownBeat: "Ritenour always looks the same on the covers of his albums, like the smiling boy next door - non-threatening - and that's pretty much what his music is like"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #7
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #4
• CashBox Jazz: #3

Tracks:

1. Asa - Brazilian MPB with guest artist Djavan
2. Turn The Heat Up - AOR/West Coast pop with vocals from Eric Tagg and Phil Perry
3. Windmill - mid-tempo, bossa-ish smooth jazz. The SynthAxe makes its first appearance.
4. White Water - the first cut that features Yellowjackets and is immediately identifiable as such.
5. Portrait - funk-lite featuring a lot of bass slapping from Nathan East
6. G-Rit - more funk-lite, this time featuring Kenny G on tenor sax
7. Shades In the Shade - return of the SynthAxe
8. Children's Games - Yellowjackets 2, a lilting jazz waltz written by Antonio Carlos Jobim
9. Runaway - Yellowjackets 3, third and final track that includes the SynthAxe
10. Route 17 - Yellowjackets 4

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Amparo (2008)	Festival (1988)
Rit's House (2002)	Harlequin (1985)
Two Worlds (2000)	On The Line (1983)
This Is Love (1998)	Rit/2 (1982)
Larry & Lee (1995)	"Rit" (1981)
Stolen Moments (1990)	Rio (1979)
Color Rit (1989)