It's hard to believe that in his over-50-year career, guitarist
Lee Ritenour has never released a solo guitar album. He rectifies that fact on 2020's warmly delivered
Dreamcatcher. The record follows
Ritenour's star-studded 2015 album
A Twist of Rit, in which he reworked songs from throughout his career with a bevy of special guests.
Dreamcatcher finds him taking a more introspective, stripped-down approach, but one that still showcases his lyricism and adept fretboard skills. Recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic,
Ritenour produced the album himself at his home, working remotely with studio assistance by
Gary Lee and
Brian McShea. There's an intimacy to the recordings that has the feeling of a small private concert, or it's as if you're eavesdropping on
Ritenour just jamming for his own pleasure. Comfortable in electric and acoustic settings, and with a career that has straddled the rock, jazz, and pop worlds, the guitarist takes an equally expansive approach on
Dreamcatcher. He dips into folky acoustic balladry on "Starlight," draws upon the sophisticated hollow-body style of
Wes Montgomery on "The Lighthouse," and weaves a delicate patchwork of nylon-string harmonies on the classical-leaning title track. He even rips into far-eyed electric jazz-rock on "Abbot Kinney." There's a shimmering, textural quality to many of these songs as
Ritenour laces together his warm melodies using just a modicum of aftereffects. We also get the nicely arranged "Couldn't Help Myself," a flowing instrumental that evokes
Ritenour's '70s fusion work and features a mix of synths, percussion, and over 20 guitar tracks.
Dreamcatcher is a relaxing, deceptively understated album that showcases
Ritenour's laid-back virtuosity. ~ Matt Collar