“Music is a good healer”
Thus spoke birthday boy Lee Ritenour in explaining why he and longtime friend Dave Grusin felt an evening of musical festivities was needed to counteract the trauma of the local fires that has consumed so much of people’s hopes and possessions.
The 73 year old Ritenour teamed with the nonagenarian keyboardist, son Wes on drums and bassist/vocalist Munir Hossn for a 90 minute celebration of not only his latest co-release of Brasil, but of a musical career and legacy that stretches back to the days of the Nixon administration.
Ever the master of taste and style, Ritenour started the evening off with a couple of ballads, as a graceful solo intro was deftly accompanied by Wes’ brushes and the rippling waters of Hossn’s bass on “Pearl”, with Grusin providing a reflective piano intro of dew droplets on the samba “Chovendo Na Roseira”.
From there, drums and bass galloped on a rollicking “The Village” before the two cantered like gazelles on the stampede of “Stoneflower” that had father Lee digging in deep with some wonderful lines and Grusin adding bluesy ivories over Wes’ sizzling ride cymbals. A drop dead gorgeous guitar opening to “For The Palms” wafted over Wes’ understated brushes as Grusin’s slinky keys wafted in and out like a subliminal thought. Grusin then gave a lovely impressionist solo sonata featuring one of his award winning compositions, this one being the infectious theme from the film Tootsie.
Hossn then took the spotlight as he added rich vocals to the festive dance of “Etude”, exuding warmth and romance on Ivan Lins’ “Vitoriosa” and going mano a mano with the Birthday Boy on a relentless “Cave E Canela”, landing the plane on a back beating funk fest of “Harlequin”.
And just when you thought all of the candles were blown out, up from the audience pops producer/studio stud Greg Phillinganes, who upped the groove factor by three by sitting next to Grusin and jamming with the band on a searingly sweet “Lay It Down”. Like all guests having a good time,, Phillanganes was slow to leave the party, not willing to close down before laying down a soul trained take of “Happy Birthday”.
The only wrong note played the whole night was when Master Grusin commented to the packed house that “you don’t enjoy listening to us as much as we do playing it”. After a week of hellfire and headache, the audience was more than willing to beg to differ.
Upcoming shows at Catalina’s include Tierney Sutton 01/17-18, Simon Phillips 01/23-25, Jimmy Webb 01/31-02/01 and Judy Wexler 02/13