Lee RITENOUR and Dave GRUSIN Band at Catalina Jazz Club

Forging a unique creative relationship, Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusins mutual professional history extends back some two decades. Ritenour was a core artist on Grusins label, GRP, throughout the 1980s and early 90s; in 1986, they first collaborated on the Grammy Award winning Harlequin, a critically-acclaimed, Brazilian-themed recording. Ritenour also appeared on many of the pianist/composers film scores and solo recordings, and the two jammed together on GRP Super Live in 1987. Two Worlds, the classical-oriented labor of love that reunites the two legends, is more than simply a beautiful creative departure from their usual jazz-oriented projects...

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Forging a unique creative relationship, Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusins mutual professional history extends back some two decades. Ritenour was a core artist on Grusins label, GRP, throughout the 1980s and early 90s; in 1986, they first collaborated on the Grammy Award winning Harlequin, a critically-acclaimed, Brazilian-themed recording. Ritenour also appeared on many of the pianist/composers film scores and solo recordings, and the two jammed together on GRP Super Live in 1987. Two Worlds, the classical-oriented labor of love that reunites the two legends, is more than simply a beautiful creative departure from their usual jazz-oriented projects. A blend of original compositions and respectful reworkings of timeless classics from Bach, Bartok, Villalobos, Mompov, and Segovia, the collection -- which features stellar guest performances by opera star Renee Fleming, violinist Gil Shaham, and cellist Julian Lloyd-Webber -- finds Ritenour and Grusin joyously reconnecting with their rich classical roots. Among the highlights are the lush, highly percussive Vivaldi/Bach piece Bach Concerto, featuring a twenty-piece string section; Bachianas Aria, a piece from Brazilian composer Villalobos, provides a showcase for opera diva Renee Fleming. As for the original compositions, theres the haunting, melodic Elegia, which Grusin composed many years ago for his late father, a violinist, featuring Gil Shaham; Lagrima (Lees Prelude), a graceful Ritenour original led by the classical guitar; Rivers Song, Grusins clever medley adaptation of the folk songs The Water Is Wide and Shenandoah, featuring Fleming on vocals and Canto, an Italian-styled winter song which Grusin originally wrote for a Ritenour project in the late 70s. Timeless yet contemporary, Two Worlds is beautiful reunion of these musical soul mates. - allmusic.com

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