CULTUURPODIUM BOERDERIJ, Zoetermeer

Ongeveer een jaar geleden was Lee Ritenour ook te zien en te horen in Cultuurpodium Boerderij en ook dit jaar was de snarenvirtuoos te bewonderen met in zijn gezelschap Patrice Rushen, zijn oude makker op toetsen en zelf een begenadigd artieste en songschrijfster voor onder meer filmmuziek.

Ook dit derde concert op rij van Lee Ritenour - Groningen en Hengelo gingen aan Zoetermeer vooraf - was zeer goed bezocht want de zaal was vol. In plaats van drummer Will Kennedy (Yellow Jackets had Ritenour nu een andere routinier achter de drumkit, te weten Sonny Emerson, die ooit bij Earth, Wind & Fire speelde. De schier onafscheidelijke Mel Davis bespeelde de 'gewone' en zevensnarige basgitaar.

De avond stond in het teken van softjazz, een stijl die Ritenour heeft uitgevonden met hier en daar uitstapjes naar de jazzrock, rock en reggae met het door Patrice gezongen Get Up, Stand Up van Bob Marley. Ruim de helft van de setlist was dezelfde als die van vorig jaar, dus dat vond ik toch een beetje jammer maar leuke nieuwelingen waren de 'hit' die Rushen ooit had met Forget Me Knots en een hommage aan Les Paul afkomstig van zijn nieuwe project 6-String Theory. Dit nummer heet namelijk L.P. een sfeervolle track die met jazzlegendes Pat Martino (gitaar) en Joey DeFrancesco (orgel) werd opgenomen.
 
Ook van dit album, opgenomen met John Scofield, werd het prachtige Lay It Down gespeeld, uiteraard in een arrangement met alleen Ritenour zelf. De open 'silent guitar' van Yamaha was achtergebleven en hij bespeelde voornamelijk de Gibson L-5 en in het laatste deel de Gibson Les Paul. De lichtshow was wat minder gevarieerd en soberder dan vorig jaar terwijl een extra gast, zoals Annekei er dit keer niet bij was. Al met al toch een zeer geroutineerd concert voor een enthousiaste publiek, dat ongetwijfeld weer terug zal komen als Ritenour besluit volgend jaar weer op tournee te gaan naar Nederland en de rest van Europa. Een totaal andere setlist zou gezien 's mans enorme repertoire dan wel aardig zijn, maar een fabelachtige en immer goedlachse gitarist blijft het!

ENGLISH:

Just about a year ago, Lee Ritenour performed in Zoetermeer and the show had been received very well indeed. Having released his collaboration project 6 String Theory recently and after touring Japan, Ritenour and friends were in the Netherlands once again. First in Groningen, then in Hengelo and the last show was at Cultuurpodium Boederij in Zoetermeer. Again, the venue was sold-out. This time he brought his old band mate Patrice Rushen with her on keyboards, just like last year Melvin Davis on the bass and instead of drummer Will Kennedy (Yellow Jackets), Ritenour now had drummer Sonny Emory (ex-Earth, Wind & Fire)in the band. Ritenour chose for simplicity because there were no guests, he brought only two guitars: the Gibson Les Paul and Gibson L-5, so he left his 'silent guitar' by Yamaha at home.

Lee Ritenour opened with Memeza from the album Smoke 'n' Mirrors in his classic smooth and jazzy style. Melvin Davis, sitting on a chair, played his enormous seven string bass guitar with ease, Sonny Emory contributed by sophisticated and subtle drumming and Patrice Rushen merely had an accompanying role. In the same soft style the band continued to play 13 from the album Rit's House with Ritenour on the Gibson L-5 and Rushen with her first dazzling solos. Of course, the band played an arrangement without the brass. Next track, also a very jazzy one with long duets between guitar and piano, was Stone Flower, taken from the album Twist Of Jobim. On it went with a combination of Wes Bound from the eponymous album and the groovy Little Bumpin' from Alive in L.A.

So far only Memeza was the difference with last year's show. Rushen needed her glasses for a while but put them off again later in the show. Of course, Ritenour invited the audience to visit his shop with the new CD, which the band was prepared to sign after the show. Unfortunately, from all his albums there was only a very small selection available. His hommage to Les Paul featured his next section in the show: L.P., a superb tune, on the album recorded with jazz legends Pat Martino (guitar) and Joey DeFrancesco (organ). Lay It Down too was taken from the new album, a magnificent funky tune originally recorded with John Scofield, another great guitar player. For this occasion 'Captain Fingers' did it all by himself with nice contributions by Rushen, Davis and Emory.

Thanks to one of the employees of the venue (cheers Paul!), I got hold of a setlist but to be honest I'm not sure if the band performed Morning Glory. No doubt however the quartet played Get up, Stand Up, a tribute to the late Bob Marley, featuring Partrice Rushen on vocals. Even more she stood in the spotlights, because she got the opportunity to perform one of the few hits she recorded, although she wrote quite a few good songs. With an extensive story about her record company, not liking Forget Me Nots at all, it became a huge hit nevertheless. It's a sweet soulful song, a mixture between pop and funk. Ritenour exchanged his L-5 for the classic Les Paul for the last part of the show by the way. Most certainly, Ritenour played the title track of his 2006 album Smoke 'n' Mirrors, but I'm not sure if this was the very last song. His music however was superb and unique and is not within my usual realm of progressive rock...

Anyway, the audience was ecstatic and the atmosphere was great. The band played for about two hours, but somehow the chemistry of these four people, who have played together for so many gigs, wasn't as cheerful as last year, although Lee never seemed to stop smiling. Without guest or additional musicians, the set was a bit shorter than last year's show and the lights a bit less playful, but I cannot say I didn't enjoy the show, because I did. However, the abovementioned facts and considering Ritenour's huge repertoire, I had hopes for a totally different setlist than last year's and that dream didn't come true... but a wonderful evening it was and what a brilliant technique this guitar virtuoso still has! 

Line-up: Lee Ritenour - guitars, Patrice Rushen - keyboards, Melvin Davis - bass, Sonny Emory - drums.

Setlist: Memeza, '13', Stone Flower, Wes Bound, Little Bumpin', L.P., Lay It Down, Morning Glory, Get Up, Stand Up, Forget Me Nots (Rushen), Smoke 'n ' Mirrors.