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)

Lee Ritenour - Color Rit (1989)

For the most part, this album feeds Ritenour's love for Brazilian music and acoustic guitar (see also the earlier Ritenour albums Rio, Harlequin, & Festival. I haven't yet checked out his latest release, simply titled Brasil). However, there's a few cuts that, while good for what they are, seem somewhat out of place on a Brazilian album. Familiar names in the credits include Ernie Watts, Paulinho Da Costa, Russell Ferrante, Jerry Hey, and Phil Perry. Over at Allmusic, Richard S. Ginell writes "this CD represents a slight dip for Ritenour at a stage in his career when his albums were gradually becoming classier and more musical" and while that's true, there's still some good smooth jazz to be had here.

Ratings:

• 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: #4
• Billboard R&B: #62
• CashBox Contemporary Jazz: #7

Tracks: 7 Ritenour originals, 1 each from Brazilian musicians Ivan Lins and Gonzaguinha, plus a cover of an Isley Brothers tune. Vocals on four of the tracks. The good tracks that don't really fit the theme are Mister Reggae, I Can't Let Go, and Malibu (a remake of a track from Rit/2). My favorites are Bahia Funk, the title track, Tropical Storm, and Etude.

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)

Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin - Two Worlds (2000)

In which two very talented musicians who made their reputations in the jazz, pop, and soundtrack genres tackle some lite classical music and a few originals in the same vein. I'll take a pass on this one, but let's check out what the ever-reliable reviewers over at Amazon have to say:

• "I'm donating it to my local library."
• "I listened to this album as I was doing some household chores and doing the dishes."
• "smooth and romantic...dim the light"
• "This is a great CD. For me - it makes me feel alive."
• "perfect for my daughter's waiting room--she's a family councilor." [sic]

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Peak on the Billboard Top Classical Crossover chart: #6

Tracks:

I enjoy track 6, a Ritenour original.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

---

Lee Ritenour

Rit's House (2002)	On The Line (1983)
This Is Love (1998)	Rit/2 (1982)
Stolen Moments (1990)	"Rit" (1981)
Festival (1988)	Rio (1979)
Larry & Lee (1995)

---

Dave Grusin

Collection (1989)

Out Of The Shadows (1982)

---

Together

Amparo (2008)

Harlequin (1985)

Lee Ritenour - Rit/2 (1982)

Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD.

Add this album to the list of albums that I didn't remember playing much back in the '80s, but when I bought the CD several decades later, I knew every word and solo. Ostensibly a sequel album to 1981's Rit, it comes pretty dang close to being just that. More adult-oriented, soft pop with just a pinch of jazz in the same vein as Jarreau and George Benson around that time. Eric Tagg again handles the lead vocal duties and is supported by familiar names such as Nathan East, Bill Champlin, Tom Scott, Don Grusin, Jerry Hey, Jeff Porcaro, Harvey Mason, and the guys from Pages.

Around this time, Ritenour was playing in different genres, playing pop vocal tunes like these (Rits 1 & 2, Banded Together), trying to bring contemporary Brazilian sounds (MPB) into American smooth jazz (Rio, Harlequin, Festival), as well as instrumental smooth jazz (Friendship, On The Line, Alphonse Mouzon's Morning Sun). All this while being a first-call session musician. This particular album usually doesn't merit mention among all that activity, but I like the thing and am happy to rediscover it after all these years.

Album chart Peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #99
• Billboard Jazz: #5
• Billboard R&B: #53
• CashBox: #113
• CashBox Jazz: #4
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #9

"guitar supremo"

Tracks: The first single was Cross My Heart (#69 pop) and track 4, Keep It Alive, was later released as a single as well. I don't remember ever hearing either of those tunes on the radio, but they evidently got plenty of play at my place. The album includes the ballad Dreamwalkin' which vocalist Eric Tagg would use as the title track to his 1982 Japan-only release. Also, track 6, Tied Up, was recorded by Olivia Newton-John and used as a single (#38 pop) from her 1983 compilation, Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2. Those four cuts are definitely some of the top tracks here, along with Promises Promises and the quiet album closer, Malibu. The only track to avoid is On The Boardwalk, an instrumental in which someone made the poor decision to pair electric jazz guitar with wordless vocals from a children's choir.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

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

Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin - Amparo (2008)

I picked this CD up from the clearance bin simply because I saw the names Ritenour and Grusin. If I had bothered to check the track listing, I might have seen that it was a classical crossover disc and taken a pass. I didn't, so here we go. There's no doubt this is technically brilliant, just not my thing. In fact, the only classical crossover album that I enjoy hearing is Romances for Saxophone by Branford Marsalis and I haven't even listened to that since 2010. So I'll just say to Lee and Dave, "It's not you, it's me."

Track two, Danzón de Entiqueta, was nominated for the Best Instrumental Composition Grammy award, eventually losing to a John Williams original from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Classical Crossover: #10

Tracks:

1. Tango en Parque Central (Grusin)
2. Danzón de Entiqueta (Grusin)
3. Jeropo Peligroso (Grusin)
4. Pavane, Op. 50 (Gabriel Fauré) featuring Renée Fleming & Joshua Bell
5. My Bonny Boy from English Folk Song Suite (Ralph Vaughan Williams)
6. Since First I Saw Your Face (anonymous, 17^th century) featuring James Taylor
7. Olha Maria (Amparo) (Antônio Carlos Jobim) featuring Joshua Bell
8. Les entrentiens de la Belle et de la Bête from Mother Goose Suite (Maurice Ravel)
9. Échos (Ritenour)
10. Adagio in G minor (Tomaso Albinoni) featuring Chris Botti
11. Duetto: Scherzano sul tuo volto from Rinaldo (George Frederick Handel) featuring Renée Fleming & Chris Botti

Sadly, the only piece I enjoy is track 9, the Ritenour original Échos. If you're familiar with Grusin's film soundtrack work, you'll like his opening suite. I had high hopes for the Fauré and Jobim pieces as well as the James Taylor collaboration but no.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Rit's House (2002)
This Is Love (1998)
Larry & Lee (1995)
Stolen Moments (1990)
Collection (1989)
Festival (1988)
Harlequin (1985)
On The Line (1983)
Out Of The Shadows (1982)
"Rit" (1981)
Rio (1979)

Lee Ritenour - This Is Love (1998)

I don't know what's more unbelievable: that I found this CD for $2 on a clearance shelf or that I didn't already have this smooth jazz gem. It's a solid album and ten times more interesting than anything Rit was doing with Fourplay at the time.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #4 (ironically kept from moving higher by a Fourplay album, among others)

Tracks: Today I'm digging the pseudo-reggae title track, the laid-back Can You Feel It? (with a nice solo from Bob James), a fantastic take on Sonny Rollins' Alfie's Theme (with a show-stealing B3 solo from Ronnie Foster), Ooh-Yeah, and an interesting extended re-do of Dreamwalk, which originally appeared on Rit. There's a couple of vocal tracks on here, a Ritenour original and a Randy Newman cover, and while vocal cuts on an otherwise instrumental album normally distract me, these seem to sequence perfectly. The only misstep is an attempt at turning Gabriel Fauré's Pavane into a jazz chart. It's a beautiful piece and might have worked as a solo acoustic track, but this moody mid-tempo arrangement does nothing for me, even with an Ernie Watts solo.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I got to see Mr. Ritenour play a short set at last year's Jazz’SALive festival in Travis Park. He played a track from this release (Ooh-Yeah) along with other favorites. However, he never dipped back to the early '80s to play any Westcoast/AOR tunes although I was hoping Eric Tagg would walk out for a special reunion appearance. Alas, 'twas not to be, but a great show nonetheless. Rit's son, Wes, who I'm guessing is named after Wes Montgomery and appears on the above album cover, played drums at the concert and more than held his own.

September 22, 2018

Previously revisited for the blog:
Rit's House (2002)
Larry & Lee (1995)
Stolen Moments (1990)
Festival (1988)
Harlequin (1985)
On The Line (1983)
"Rit" (1981)
Rio (1979)

Lee Ritenour - Stolen Moments (1990)

You never know what a Ritenour album will bring: is it AOR/West Coast pop? Brazilian? Reggae lite? Smooth jazz? This 1990 effort is more of a straight-ahead "return to your roots" jazz album for Ritenour and he brings in Ernie Watts and Harvey Mason to help out. Rit is in fine form in this mix of originals and arrangements of standards. I love his tone here - he's trying to sound like Wes Montgomery and that's okay by me. Sadly, the album was released and quickly forgotten, being overshadowed by his next release, Wes Bound, in 1993; I found this Stolen Moments CD in a clearance bin.

On a marginally related note, this '90 release got me to thinking about how artists at the time were dealing with the new, extended time capacity of the CD. Many of pop artists stuck with the 40 minute/8-10 songs album length that vinyl used, while classical CDs were jamming 75+ minutes of music on each disc. Eventually, things seemed to settle in the 50 minute range for pop and jazz releases. For what it's worth, this 8 track CD clocks in at 46:37. Then came the bonus tracks, demos, and hidden tracks, which is a discussion for another time.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #3

Tracks: The Ritenour originals - Uptown, 24th Street Blues, Waltz For Carmen, and St. Bart's - are all quite enjoyable. Also of note is Haunted Heart, a beautiful take on a 1940's tune.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Rit's House (2002)
Larry & Lee (1995)
Festival (1988)
Harlequin (1985)
On The Line (1983)
"Rit" (1981)
Rio (1979)

Lee Ritenour - Rit's House (2002)

One of many cases in which the critics and I don't agree. They loved this album when it was released because it wasn't commercial pop-jazz and Ritenour gave himself more room to stretch out and display his improv skills. That's all fine and good, unless you happen to enjoy commercial pop-jazz (which I do). And who says the two have to be mutually exclusive? Anyway, the main problem with this album is weak midtempo material that ends up running together after a while. I keep waiting for "Captain Fingers" to rip into something and live up to his nickname. I don't often visit this house; I usually go for Ritenour's Brazilian-flavored releases or his West Coast album, Rit.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: There are a few tracks here I enjoy, including A Little Dolphin Dreamin' and Olinda. There's a slow cover of The Police's Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (my favorite Police track) with vocals by the inimitable Michael McDonald. The thing is, I can't decide whether I like it or not. Somedays I'll hear it and love it; other days I'll think it's a hot mess and reach for the skip button. It's one of the few songs that effect me in that way.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Larry & Lee (1995)
Festival (1988)
Harlequin (1985)
On The Line (1983)
Out Of The Shadows (1982)
"Rit" (1981)
Rio (1979)

Dave Grusin & Lee Ritenour - Harlequin (1985)

BRAZIL WEEK (FEBRUARY 4-10, 2013)

Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD.

I bought this album in 1985 and, expecting something more along the lines of Ritenour's Rio album, I was initially disappointed because the opening track had Portuguese vocals by some guy named Lins who I had never heard of before. Now I can laugh at myself as I realize at that time, I was far more interested in Brazilian-influenced smooth jazz than anything resembling music currently coming from Brazil. The three Lins-penned tunes are so far removed from the other music, that it makes for a very uneven release. It's not the best album, but I've heard far worse. Allmusic's one sentence review simply reads, "Ivan Lins and Ritenour almost save the day." That's a bit harsh, but I rarely give this one a listen.

Press of the time:

• Downbeat (★★★): "this might just be the perfect piece of background music you've been searching for."
• CashBox: "polished Latinish fusion that should appeal to fans of both leaders"
• Billboard: "Brazilian-flavored collection"

Album Chart Peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #192
• Billboard Pop CD: #26
• Billboard Jazz: #2
• CashBox: #130
• CashBox CD: #24
• CashBox Jazz: #1
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #4

Tracks:  I'm still not much of a fan of the opening track, but I do like Early A.M. Attitude, Before It's Too Late (Antes Que Seja Tarde), and Beyond The Storm (Depois Dos Temporais). Early A.M. Attitude won a Grammy award for Best Instrumental Arrangement. Track 6 is a bizarre little hodge-podge of a piece titled Cats Of Rio that should probably be avoided.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  I remember this particular release appearing in magazines' advertisements promoting emerging digital audio tape (DAT) player/recorders in the late '80s. I always thought this was a curious choice, but it was a digitally mastered recording which was relatively new back then.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Larry & Lee (1995)
Festival (1988)
On The Line (1983)
Out Of The Shadows (1982)
"Rit" (1981)
Rio (1979)

Lee Ritenour - "Rit" (1981)

Note: this release was originally given to me as a LP, later replaced by a CD.

A summer album for me. This album hit me at just the right time in my life so, even though it contains 10 unimaginative West Coast pop songs, I listen to it often during the summer months just for nostalgia's sake. This album features an all-star cast of LA session musicians (a.k.a. Toto) that appeared on a number of albums I listened to in the early '80s, including those by Al Jarreau, Manhattan Transfer, George Benson, Chicago, Tom Scott, and Steely Dan (click on the back cover photo below for the full cast). Ritenour was a session musician himself for years and was highly desired for his fluid technical ability which earned him the nickname "Captain Fingers" (which I imagine would come in quite handy as a pick-up line). Normally a jazzer, this album was his record company's attempt for crossover success. One of the singles, Is It You?, peaked at #15 on the singles chart in June 1981. Allmusic.com calls this album "simply lifeless and dreadful" - that's a little harsh.



When MTV first aired on August 1, 1981, it was desperate for videos and there weren't very many available. As a result, the videos to Mr. Briefcase and Is It You? were among those played on the network's first day. Mr. Briefcase was the 20th and 102nd video shown on the network; Is It You? was 44th, 109th and 149th. For the record, Ritenour doesn't sing; that's Eric Tagg on vocals. I particularly like the Is It You? video as it has a saxophone player in it when there is no saxophone in the song. Low budget videos at their best!

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "a collection of solid, jazz-tinged pop music"
• Stereo Review: "throwaway stuff"
• CashBox: "chocked full of engaging R&B pop and exuberant vocals"
• Record World: "'Captain Fingers' is aiming his licks at several markets"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #26
• Billboard Jazz: #4
• Billboard R&B album chart: #20
• CashBox: #40
• CashBox Jazz: #3
• Record World Jazz: #2
• Rolling Stone: #69

Tracks: I frequently listen to all of them as a summertime album, even the ill-advised cover of Sly Stone's (You Caught Me) Smilin'.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This album was originally given to me in the summer of '82 by my friend Jim. He didn't like it in 1982 and I feel safe in assuming he would classify it as cruel and unusual punishment in 2012. Anyway, my "Rit" LP got a lot of playing time in the summer of '82 and reminds me of summer swim meets on the Gulf Coast. This was a very difficult CD to locate. Once it finally was reissued on the Discovery label, it vanished quickly probably because of the availability on iTunes. If you read the reviews there, the reviewers all love this because it takes them back to the early '80s, so we are very alike in that regard.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Larry & Lee (1995)
Festival (1988)
On The Line (1983)
Rio (1979)

Lee Ritenour - Festival (1988)

This was Ritenour's second album on acoustic guitar, and, as such, it's more or less a sequel to 1979's Rio. This is one of those rare cases where the sequel is better than the original. The most obvious difference is the inclusion of Portuguese vocals on three of the nine tracks, provided by MPB veterans João Bosco and Caetano Veloso. Ritenour put together an all-star crew for his backing band here: Ernie Watts on saxophone, Dave Grusin or Bob James on keyboards, Marcus Miller or Anthony Jackson on bass, Omar Hakim on drums, and Paulinho Da Costa and Carlinhos Brown on percussion. If you're looking for highly polished, Latin-favored jazz featuring acoustic guitar, you could do much worse. I find it, along with Rio, a very relaxing pairing.

Reviews/ratings:

• Stereo Review: "One of his best"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #156
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #3
• CashBox Contemporary Jazz: #2

Tracks: For me, the better tracks are Night Rhythms, Waiting For You, Linda, and The Inner Look. Rio Sol and New York/Brazil, while somewhat enjoyable, are the only tracks that sound dated.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Larry & Lee (1995)
On The Line (1983)
Rio (1979)

Lee Ritenour & Larry Carlton - Larry & Lee (1995)

Two well-known session guitarists that have had somewhat successful solo careers as well. Carlton has recorded with Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, The Four Tops, Christopher Cross, and Barbra Streisand. Ritenour has recorded with Pink Floyd, The Brothers Johnson, Fourplay, David Foster, and Yellowjackets. With a pedigree like that, this album should have been much better. Scott Yanow over at AllMusic says it best:

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.

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Contemporary Jazz Performance, eventually losing to We Live Here by the Pat Metheny Group.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #2
• CashBox Jazz: #10

Tracks: The better tracks are Crosstown Kids, Remembering J.P., Fun In The Dark. I usually skip Low Steppin' and Reflections Of A Guitar Player.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
On The Line (1983)
Rio (1979)

Lee Ritenour - On The Line (1983)

Ritenour may be the most technically adept guitarist on the planet which often makes him fun to listen to. Here, however, the songwriting turns into a so-so blend of smooth jazz and LA studio rock with the occasional synth drum and bass. That's too bad because Rit puts on a show at times. Another mistake was recording this CD direct-to-disk. The lack of overdubbing and studio editing leaves us with a few uninspired and out of tune solos, mainly from saxophonist Ernie Watts, who I would normally consider one of the better session musicians of the era. Let's just say on this release, Rit's songwriting skills didn't measure up to his playing skills.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "Smooth, easygoing funk-jazz"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

This GRP CD was released in 1985, but the album was originally released in 1983 on the Elektra/Musician label with this cover:

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #12
• CashBox Jazz: #3
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #5

Tracks: Of the 8 here, the only ones worth ripping to the computer are Starbright and Dolphin Dreams, which is a rehash from Ritenour's 1977 album, Captain Fingers. The Rit Variations, Heavenly Bodies, and Pedestrian are to be avoided.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: none

Previously revisited for the blog:
Rio (1979)

Lee Ritenour - Rio (1979)

Wow, that's a lot of hair on the CD cover. Well, it was the late '70s, after all. In the '70s and '80s, Ritenour was a highly sought after session guitarist that released the occasional solo LP. Extremely technically adept, his nickname is Captain Fingers. For this release, Rit puts down his electric guitar and put together an acoustic set that is derivative of Brazilian music with brief lapses into pseudo-Carribean music. Ritenour's guitar work is beautiful, but he is playing it very safe here and the music can lapse into elevator music at times.

Reviews/ratings:

• Musician: "you don't have to go to Brazil to record such sanitized and landless music. You could do it in a mall."
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #163
• Billboard Jazz: #11
• CashBox: #178
• CashBox Jazz: #8
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #5

Tracks: While some of the 7 tracks sound more Brazilian than others, they're all somewhat enjoyable. Maybe "comfortable" is a better word to describe them. The more successful tracks are San Juan Sunset, It Happens Everyday, and Simplicidad. High on the cheesy scale: Rio Funk. With only 7 tracks and a 38 minute running time, you can tell this was originally a vinyl release.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This album was originally recorded by JVC for the Japanese market (1979), first released in the U.S. on the Elektra/Musician label (1982), and finally on GRP (1985). In the mid '80s, I dubbed a cassette of this release from a friend's album. He had the 1982 US release on vinyl, which had the understated cover pictured below. The cover that GRP used has just never seemed right to me. If memory serves, the track sequence was different as well as the cover. Nice work, GRP.

Believe it or not, I subjected my wife to this sort of music while we dated and she stayed with me anyway.