Creatively,
Lee Ritenour has had his ups and downs over the years. Many of the guitarist's commercial pop-jazz efforts have wasted his skills as an improviser; when
Ritenour is catering to NAC/smooth jazz radio, improvisation is the usually the first thing to go. But when
Ritenour does have a chance to stretch out, he can be an appealing improviser. Although quite accessible,
Rit's House is among his more memorable and substantial efforts. This 2002 release has a soul-jazz/post-bop outlook that often recalls the late '60s and early '70s; for the most part, it is the sort of album that guitarist
Grant Green would have been comfortable recording during that era. But
Ritenour's guitar playing owes a lot more to
Wes Montgomery, who is obviously his primary influence on
Gabor Szabo's "Mizrab," as well as original tunes like "78th & 3rd" (which features organist
Joey DeFrancesco) and the dusky "Olinda." One of the CD's best tracks has nothing to do with jazz: "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic." Featuring former
Doobie Brothers vocalist
Michael McDonald, this interesting remake of the
Police's 1981 hit is not only a departure from the rest of the album -- it is also a big departure from the original version. While
the Police's version was up-tempo pop/rock,
Ritenour and
McDonald transform "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" into an adult contemporary/quiet storm ballad. That track is the CD's only vocal offering; the rest of
Rit's House is instrumental. Arguably, 1992's
Wes Bound is still
Ritenour's best studio album -- certainly from a jazz perspective. But this CD is also respectable, and those who enjoyed hearing the guitarist stretching out on that mostly straightahead disc will also find a lot to enjoy about
Rit's House. ~ Alex Henderson