Lee Ritenour with special guests Live in Montreal

A strong representation of the current jazz fusion scene got together in july 1991 with this sampling of artists from the GRP label They included frequent jazzrock collaborator Ernie Watt and David Benoit master of a jazzlite style But guitarist Lee Ritenour is key man here he calls most of the shots and six of the eight pieces are his including a fine tribute to early inspiration Wes Montgomery on 24th Street Blues For the most part easygoing and mellow are the watchwords on this program not surprising since the players tend to be based in Los Angeles Ritenours Etude stands out for its creation of atmosphere and so do Dave Valentins solo melodic meanderings on a selection of wooden flutes backed by his own vocal effects All elements considered the bill is a demonstration of topdrawer musicianship awareness of contemporary styles and versatility