Dreamcatcher

Lee Ritenour Celebrating 60 years of playing guitar with a first ever “solo guitar” album, entitled Dreamcatcher! For Lee Ritenour, there aren’t many ‘firsts’ left to achieve. During his dazzling five-decade career, the fabled LA guitarist has taken his music to the outer limits, alighting on every genre and occupying every position in the rock ‘n’ roll firmament. He’s been an enfant terrible of ’70s fusion, a crossover star of the ’80s pop chart, an honorary exponent of Brazilian jazz, and the fingers behind ’90s supergroup, Fourplay. Ritenour’s accolades include: 45 albums,16 Grammy nominations, Alumnus of the year at USC, Los Angeles’ Jazz Society Honoree (2019), plus thousands of sessions with legends such as Frank Sinatra, Pink Floyd, B.B. King, Tony Bennett, among others. And yet, when he checks the rear-view mirror, the 68-year-old acknowledges he’s never made a record like Dreamcatcher.

After producing a trio of richly sentimental discs under the titles Kodachrome, Ektachrome and Verichrome, Dylan Boyd has emerged from his Tulsa, Oklahoma darkroom with a hypnotic new album. Dreamcatcher offers up the same wistful, tranquil beats that have made previous works such easy listens. While its cover fits neatly with past work, the music’s less specific imagery represents another step forward for the soloist. His music comes from a similarly unique perspective. Tracks like “Morning Memories” and “Dandelion Wishes” are pure-spun dreampop gold. Boyd’s decision to feature guitar sounds prominently throughout the album (often in a manipulated form) sets Dreamcatcher apart from much of what we’ve heard so far this year…