By Brooks Geiken

Three guitarists — Bill Banfield, Ray Obiedo, and Lee Ritenour — release superb albums.

Berklee College of music professor emeritus Bill Banfield has issued a stunning album of solo acoustic guitar music titled Take Time to Listen. Nothing if not ambitious — Banfield has composed 12 symphonies, seven operas, and nine concerti — this time around he has released a diverse collection of covers and original songs. Born and raised in Detroit, Banfield absorbed that city’s musical heritage, receiving guidance from none other than guitarists Kenny Burrell and Earl Klugh; the album is dedicated to both of those musicians.

Banfield found just the right places in the album for three original compositions. The melodically inventive “On the Other Side” has a distinct bossa nova feel. Another original, “Pass Me the Blues” spreads out the 12-bar structure as it digs deep into soulville. “Song for Earl” is a very nice tribute to the late musician on the latter’s preferred instrument — a nylon-stringed acoustic guitar.

From his tunes, Banfield jumps into the Great American Songbook, performing a solid version of George Gershwin’s “Summertime.” The elegant simplicity of Banfield’s solo guitar arrangement breathes new life into the time-honored tune “Autumn Leaves.” The last track on the record, “Some Day My Prince Will Come,” recalls the version Miles Davis made famous in 1961.

Moving into the recent past, Banfield chooses some unusual pop songs to get inside of. His rendering of Carole King”s “You’ve Got a Friend” is quite moving. Sting’s “Fragile” is given a pensive and winning Banfield treatment, along with The Isley Brothers’ “For The Love Of You.” Perhaps Banfield’s most surprising cover pick is “The Closer I Get To You,” made famous by Roberta Flack.

Guitarist Bill Banfield. Photo: courtesy of the artist

Given its range, Take Time to Listen offers a variety of riches. For me, Banfield’s clipped rhythmic shifts and the lovely, understated way he presents a melody contribute mightily to what is a very memorable record.

Steel pans and delicious melodies dominate Twist, the latest recording by guitarist Ray Obiedo. He wastes no time in settling down into an infectious carnival feeling with “Nuevo Caribe.” The best kept secret in the Bay Area, Norbert Stachel (flute and various saxophones), does a great job arranging the horns, and the percussion swings mightily courtesy of Jon Bendich and Michael Spiro. Jeff Narrell’s steel pan states the sprightly melody, and he blends very well with Obiedo’s guitar.

On the title track, Phil Hawkins mans the steel pan, and his playing drives the music. Special guest Bob Mintzer, of Yellowjackets fame, steps up with his signature tenor saxophone sound, and Obiedo holds his own, supplying funky zest. Obiedo knows his Bay Area Latin roots and he reaches back to vibraphonist Cal Tjader for the tantalizing track “Curaçao.” Contributions from vocalist Lilan Kane and soprano saxophonist Stachel brighten up that tune. The other nonoriginal song on the album, “All Day Music,” is a worthy, nicely arranged cover of War’s early-’70s funk ballad. Near the end of this number, Obiedo manages to quote from the chorus of the Latin rock hit “Suavecito.” The steel pan is reintroduced on “Alquézar,” with solos by Andy Narrell (the brother of Jeff) on steel pan and David K Matthews on piano revving up the band to some wonderful heights.

On “Zulaya,” Obedido is joined by the Tower Of Power rhythm section, David Garabaldi on drums, and Marc Van Wageningen on electric bass to revive the title song of the guitarist’s 1995 album of the same name. Peter Horvath repeats his role as pianist and Shelia E. returns as background singer, making this a magical musical reunion.

Twist proves that Obiedo has mastered how to make a quality record. Each track is carefully produced and draws on the right musicians, many of whom have been accompanying Obiedo for over four decades. The album is a high-water mark for the veteran guitarist, the culmination of many years of searching for the right combination of musicians and songs.

Since 1979’s Rio, Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin have had an ongoing love affair with Brazilian music. They went to São Paulo recently and selected some of Brazil’s finest young musicians for their new record, Brasil. Edu Ribeiro on drums, Bruno Migotto on electric bass, and Marcelo Costa on percussion lay the foundation for tunes by Milton Nascimento, Ivan Lins, Celso Fonseca, Chico Pinheiro, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. The Americans — Ritenour on electric guitar and Grusin on various keyboards — add their own special sauce to the proceedings.

Ritenour and Grusin’s exquisite taste is evident with their pick of two well-known Nascimento compositions, “Cravo e Canela” (“Clove and Cinnamon”) and “Catavento” (“Pinwheel”). Lead singer Tatiana Parra’s interpretation of the former makes the song totally her own. “Catavento,” a rare instrumental by Nascimento, receives a delightful treatment here, as Ritenour’s guitar and Grusin’s piano trade off on the melody.

One of the stars of MPB (Música popular brasileira), Ivan Lins sings his soft, beautiful ballad “Vitoriosa” in exquisite harmony with Parra. Lins is a special favorite of Ritenour and Grusin; he appeared on their 1985 Grammy award-winning album Harlequin. The tune’s passionate lyrics are deeply heartfelt; it ends with the line “A vida pode ser maravilhosa” (“Life can be marvelous”).

Guitarist and vocalist Fonseca brings his laid back energy to his composition “Meu Samba Torto” (“My Crooked Samba”). Joining him on the chorus is the consistently compelling Parra.

Pinheiro, an in-demand guitarist and composer, contributes his considerable talents to “Stone Flower” by Jobim and his own “Boca de Siri” (“Keep a Secret”). His guitar is prominently featured on “Stone Flower,” where Ritenour and Pinheiro make powerful statements. “Boca de Siri” contains an understated lyric — it is given a great percussive feel, courtesy of Costa.

I have followed Ritenour and Grusin’s Brazilian outings over the years, and this record ranks as one of their finest excursions. The stellar guest appearances by Lins, Fonseca, Pinheiro, and Parra make a visit to Brasil well worth taking.

Brooks Geiken is a retired Spanish teacher with a lifelong interest in music, specifically Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and Black American music. His wife thinks he should write a book titled “The White Dude’s Guide to Afro-Cuban and Jazz Music.” Brooks lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.