| World Jazz |
**Meeting of Two Jazz Giants: Guitarist Lee Ritenour and Keyboardist Dave Grusin Take Us on a Luxurious Brazilian Journey**
This album features contributions from Gregoire Maret, Ivan Lins, Tatiana Parra, Celso Fonseca, Chico Pinheiro, and others. The collaboration between these world-class musicians from various corners of the globe works wonderfully. For those unfamiliar with contemporary jazz, here’s a brief introduction to the two main artists on this album.
Lee Ritenour, a 68-year-old guitarist, has explored all avenues of jazz and world music, as showcased in this album. He is also a member of the famous group Fourplay. “BRASIL,” the new album by Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin, is a showcase of the unique talents of two of the most successful and influential musicians of their generation. Their enduring friendship and collaboration, which began at the renowned Baked Potato in Los Angeles in the 70s, have led to numerous projects on Dave’s albums and films, Lee’s records, and many years of touring together on major stages.
The result is particularly convincing. The compositions are often complex, adhering to the codes and values of both jazz and Brazilian music, featuring incredible arrangements and beautiful vocal parts. Over nine tracks, it feels like a musical world tour. The vocal duet between Ivan Lins and Tatiana Parra is a pure gem, almost starting a cappella, allowing the talents of Lee Ritenour (guitar), Dave Grusin (piano & keyboards), Edu Ribeiro (drums), Bruno Motta (bass), and Marcello Costa (percussion) to shine. Each musician brings a special sensitivity, creating a gracefully delicate harmonic form. “When I first heard ‘Meu Samba Torto’ by Celso Fonseca, a composer, singer, and guitarist, I fell in love with the song,” says Lee. “I knew it would be a great piece for us with Celso. It’s a very hypnotic song that we had to slip into, and it turned out fantastic!” Dave adds, “The melody was very interesting, almost like a survivor of the Brazilian music tradition – bossa nova – from which we have never strayed.”
After several listens, the joy these artists had working together continues to shine through. Ritenour and Grusin have left an indelible mark on the music industry. With the release of “BRASIL,” they continue to demonstrate how their longevity and success are a testament to their ability to stay at the forefront of today’s music scene. “Brazilian music continues to spread around the world,” observes Lee. “It was time and inspiration to go to Brazil and make this recording.” And their musical magic continues!
This album embodies the magic that musicians can bring after decades on stage and the remarkable encounters that such great artists can experience throughout their careers. Naturally, we have fallen under the spell of this album and can only recommend it, placing it rightfully among our “Essentials”!
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, July 24th 2024
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An interview with Lee Ritenour about his May, 2024, album with Dave Grusin: “Brasil.” He talks about the collaborators on the album, choosing particular songs for the project, new arrangements of these songs, new compositions included in the collection, the essence of the music of Brazil, and more: