Customer Reviews

First Course

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
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Very different from Lee's subsequent and later releases, First Course is the definitive '75 time capsule of the finest in west coast funk. Envelope filters, talk boxes, wahs, phasers, echoes, Clavs, Rhodes, Moogs, horns, and more abound - all played skillfully - making this one VERY funky record. I would have preferred another release or two in this style but alas, this vein tapped out quickly. He never again used several of his guitar trick sounds which many others copied. This is a 'go-to' record for mid-'70s, west coast, studio-pro funk.

There are a handful of fusion jazz albums as good as this one but none better. What puts it in that class are the songs which are fabulous and the fact that Lee Ritenour is the best rhythm guitar player ever and he played all of the rhythm guitar parts, for the only time on one of his studio albums. The amazing inventiveness of his rhythm parts are worth more than the price of this one.

very few jazz rock guitar album can rank with the majestic beauty of this first album ,,only heart string-earl klugh,,larry coryell-coryell,,inner mounting flame-john mclaughlin sleep walk-larry carlton,,blow by blow-jeff beck.if you have all these albums then you can comfortably watch the passing of time without being out of tune with the realms of modern jazz guitar.all praises to mr.ritenour for giving us a lifetime legacy thru this album.buy this album while it is still available thru amazon.