A Twist Of Marley: A Tribute
Lee Ritenour made quite a splash with his A Twist of Jobim CD, in which he pulled together a rotating cast of all-stars to offer a program of contemporary jazz updates of classics from the Antonio Carlos Jobim songbook. He’s used the same formula for this offering, A Twist of Marley. The results are, well, interesting. It doesn’t hue as closely to the contemporary jazz format as the Jobim tribute, nor is it that close to reggae. It creates its own middle ground. There’s a definite native African influence on some cuts, such as “Redemption Song,” which features the vocals, bass, and African hand drums of Richard Bona (the best song of the CD IMHO), and “No Woman No Cry,” which features South African guitarist and singer Jonathan Butler. There’s a higher concentration of vocals throughout the programme, often leaning towards soul/R&B, by vocalists such as Will Downing (“Is This Love”), Patti Austin (“Could You Be Loved”), and Phil Perry (“Stir It Up”). Maxi Priest returns for a new take on “Waiting in Vain” (this originally appeared as a somewhat out-of-place vocal inclusion on Ritenour’s Wes Montgomery tribute Wes Bound ) as well as “I Shot the Sheriff.”
A read through the who’s-who personnel list gives you some idea what to expect. Michael Brecker offers tasty tenor on “Exodus” and “Redemption Song.” Rick Braun floats his recognizable muted trumpet on a bed of background horns and background vocals on “So Much Trouble.” The fact that so many contributors appear on just one or a few songs indicates just how constantly the landscaping changes throughout the album. The new wildcard here is Jochem van der Saag, who provides much of the keyboards, synthesizers, programming, bass, and vocals throughout the album. While there is plenty of programming here, Van Der Saag manages to steer clear of formula and cliche most of the time and can claim some of the credit for the new ground that is broken here.
Lee Ritenour unveils a new chapter in the legacy of Bob Marley with the release of A Twist of Marley, a collection of that artist's songs that are sung and played by some of contemporary jazz' hottest stars. Ritenour expands on Marley's essence gleaned from the experiences of such international stars as Jonathan Butler, guitarist Marc Antoine, Gerald Albright, Patti Austin, Richard Bona, Rick Braun, Michael Brecker, Will Downing, Lisa Fischer, Dave Grusin, Phil Perry, and Maxi Priest. They cover such great songs as "Exodus," with Lisa Fischer wailing the lead vocals over samples from Bob Marley & the Wailers. This song is so emotional, so awesome, and features that penetrating cry from the inner recesses of her heart and soul. Ritenour has also added the melodic vocals of Maxi Priest on "Waiting in Vain" and the controversial "I Shot the Sheriff," with a fresh contemporary jazz perspective. On the radio hit "Get Up, Stand Up," Lee Ritenour's smooth guitar playing replaces Marley's vocals on the melody but he hasn't lost one iota of the song's omnipresent civil rights theme. His guitar stylings weep softly and gently and then gain in strength and resilience, symbolizing the significance of Marley and Peter Tosh's heartfelt lyrics. On the R&B version of the same song, Jochem and Digz interpret it their way and do a great take on this soul jazz rendition. Both Will Downing and Jonathan Butler bring credibility to the project with their soulful takes on "Is This Love" and "No Woman No Cry." Lee Ritenour's homage to the artist, composer, and humanitarian is derived from his appreciation of Marley's ability to touch him in many ways and his blend of contemporary jazz with Marley's pure reggae, ska. and soulful beats is skillfully realized. A Twist of Marley is a unique gift to the music world and to present and future fans of Bob Marley.
Personnel:
Lee Ritenour: Guitars & Producer
Gerald Albright: Alto Saxophone
Marc Antoine: Acoustic Guitar
Patti Austin: Vocals
Dave Grusin: Piano
Richard Bona: African Hand Drums, Vocals
Michael Brecker: Tenor Saxophone
Rick Braun: Trumpet
Jonathan Butler: Vocals, Guitar
Melvin Davis: Bass
Digz: Vocals
Will Downing: Vocals
Sonny Emory: Drums
Lisa Fischer: Vocals
Jerry Hey: Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Dan Higgins: Flute, Tenor Saxophone
Will Kennedy: Drums
Kate Markowitz: Background Vocals
Phil Perry: Vocals
Maxi Priest: Vocals
Bill Reichenbach: Trombone
Jochem Van der Saag: Bass, Synthesizer, Vocal, Programming, Keyboards
Steve Tavaglione: Soprano Saxophone, EWI
Carmen Twillie: Background Vocals
Larry Williams: Synthesizer
Tracklist:
01. Exodus (Michael Brecker: Tenor Saxophone; Lisa Fischer: Vocals)
02. I Shot The Sherrif (Maxi Priest: Vocals; Lee Ritenour: Guitar)
03. Get Up Stand Up (Dave Grusin: Piano; Lee Ritenour: Guitar)
04. No Woman No Cry (Jonathan Butler: Guitar & Vocals)
05. Is This Love (Will Downing: Vocal; Lee Ritenour: Guitar)
06. Redemption Song (Richard Bona: Vocals & African Hand Drums; Michael Brecker: Tenor Saxophone)
07. Jamming (Gerald Albright: Alto Saxophone; Lee Ritenour: Guitar)
08. Waiting In Vain (Maxi Priest: Vocals; Lee Ritenour: Guitar)
09. Turn Your Lights Down Low (Dave Grusin: Piano; Lee Ritenour: Guitar; Lisa Fischer: Vocals)
10. So Much Trouble (Rick Braun: Trumpet; Phil Perry: Vocals)
11. Could You Be Loved (Marc Antoine: Acoustic Guitar; Patti Austin: Vocals)
12. Stir It Up (Phil Perry: Vocals; Lee Ritenour: Guitar)
13. Get Up Stand Up (RnB Version) (Jochem: Vocals & Digz: Vocals)
Ripped @ 320 KBPS
File Size: 135.8 MB
Download Link:
http://upit-downit.com/file/5kahlhxjzd7o/A_Twist_Of_Marley__Tribute.rar.htmlPassword: dire straits
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