MOMOKO in ADVANCED DOMESTIC TOUR BUDOKAN 1985

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 jazz-rock collaborator Ernie Watt, and David Benoit, master of a "jazz-lite" 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, easy-going and mellow are the watchwords on this program - not surprising since the players tend to be based in Los Angeles. Ritenour's "Etude" stands out for its creation of atmosphere, and so do Dave Valentin's solo melodic meanderings on a selection of wooden flutes backed by his own vocal effects. All elements considered the bill is a demonstration of top-drawer musicianship, awareness of contemporary styles – and versatility.

After three decades as the colorful bandleader to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, master trumpeter Doc Severinsen defies nature with a relentless schedule of touring, teaching and performing into his nineties…

The young jazz saxophonist Morris Poole is at the height of his career. When his wife dies he is almost overcome by grief and blames himself. When after a while he finds a new love, he ends up in a situation that reminds him of his wife's mysterious death.

It was recorded at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia on 18 December 1981, for what was the penultimate show of the band's U.S. tour that year. The show was the first-ever live pay-per-view broadcast of a music concert.

Lee Ritenour is one of the world's most renowned jazz guitarists. Initially performing and recording as a sideman with the likes of The Mamas And The Papas, Tony Bennett, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd and Dizzy Gillespie, since 1976 he has been a major solo artist with over 30 albums to his credit. Overtime was filmed in high definition in Enterprise Studios, Burbank in front of a small audience and is a career retrospective of this extraordinary guitarist in which he is accompanied by some of his many collaborators down the years. The concert is split into four distinct sections. The program starts with acoustic jazz and then moves into Brazilian music, followed by Lee's early fusion music and concludes with a set of his most popular tracks from more recent albums. Interviews with the participants are interspersed between the live performances.

The "Rit Special" DVD captures a live concert performance by Lee Ritenour and his band in California, 1984. The concert showcases a mix of jazz-rock and instrumental pieces, with Ritenour leading the ensemble through various moods and musical styles. The show includes both vocal and instrumental tracks, with vocalists Phil Perry and John Massaro sharing the spotlight on some songs.

Filmed in Los Angeles in 1990, the complete Live at the Cocoanut Grove will do nothing to alter indifference from jazz purists toward fusion guitarist Lee Ritenour. But hardcore Rit fans and other viewers without a jazz-pop ax to grind will find this concert a particularly stimulating, wonderfully textured musical event built around the star and a parade of international talent.