Search - Lee Ritenour :: Stolen Moments

Memories

Robert Walters | New Orleans, Louisiana | 09/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This albumn is, without a doubt, an example of how well an album can be put together. A very "mood" diverse and entertaining selection that represents the talents of the artist at his best. This will be the fourth time that I have purchased this item in the last 10 years. Most of the time it has been borowed and never returned. I think that I have actually worn out one of the purchases. (originally bought as a cassette)"

Rit playing seriously

Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 07/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the serious album from Rit. Probably the one to passed to history as a player of serious music and not only as the one who invented "elevator Jazz" which is not really something to be proud of. Rit is a very good player. He has a trademark sound and this is the utmost important thing for a musician. He has chops, creativity, melodic control, harmonic knowledge. He has all these gifts. Unfortunatly very often in search for commercial success (that he had plenty of) he traded his musical gifts for money and did record a lot of boring stuff good for elevator people. Music for malls. Frankly he released in all those years few albums that are worthy the ticket price (Rit, Festival, Color Rit, Larry and Lee, Alive in LA, Wes Bound, Earth run, Stolen Moments.. ). This is the most serious album from Rit. The music is pure jazz and Rit plays here the Jazz idiom very well. The Montgomery fascination is evident but nevertheless Rit stll managed to sound like himself and no other. He plays standards in a very convincing way here. The sound that come out of his 1949 L5 is very good. If this album was released by another more serious record company (think to Blue Note etc) probably this album now would be considered memorable. But unfortunatly things never go the way we think they should. No jazz enthusiast now would consider a Rit album from GRP a serious album (serious album are such things as Kind of blue, Trane's Ballads, brubeck's Time out etc). But it is. It is a very good serious Jazz album and from a man who recorded tons of futile music (even if very well played) I think it is a great effort. Uh, I remember this album has been one of the first "real jazz" albums I did purchase, something like ... 16 years ago. Sometimes, I still listen to this music even if I know these songs and solos by memory."

This and Rit's House - his best work

21and12 | Vestavia Hills, AL United States | 01/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remember buying Stolen Moments after its release in 89 or 90 and thinking - "Good grief, Rit, how boring. Why play that 'old sounding' jazz?"My, has time ever changed my opinion of this album! How anyone could listen to this album as well as his latest release, Rit's House", and not count Rit as a pure jazz great is beyond belief. With both these releases Rit clearly defends the thesis that there is the Rit "signature" sound that distinguishes him from other players. His octave playing is astounding - funky, melodic and soulful - and clearly demarks his own sound and style.A true jazz guitar treasure."