Each month, we will profile a smooth jazz artist we feel has made a great contribution to the music universe we have come to know and love as smooth or contemporary jazz. This month, we throw our spotlight on…

Lee Ritenour – Musical Longevity and Perception Paying Off Big

Growing up in L.A. in the 1960s, Grammy award-winning guitarist Lee Ritenour received a rich cross section of exposure to jazz, rock, and Brazilian music and exposure to the greats of the time in both jazz and rock – Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, Howard Roberts (he took lessons from Pass and Roberts) on the jazz side, and The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Canned Heat, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton on the rock side. 

Both he and Larry Carlton (who recorded the historic Larry & Lee for GRP in 1995) studied with the same classical guitar teacher in the late 60′s before rising to prominence playing the same model, a Gibson 335.

From one of his first sessions at 16 with the Mamas and Papas to accompanying Lena Horne and Tony Bennett at 18, his eclectic and storied career spanning over 40 years is highlighted by a Grammy Award win for his 1986 collaboration with Dave Grusin, 17 Grammy nominations, numerous #1 spots in guitar polls, and the prestigious “Alumnus of the Year” award from USC. He has recorded over 40 albums, with such notable chart songs as the Top 15 hit “Is It You,” which has become a contemporary jazz radio classic.

In the ‘90s, Ritenour was a founding member of Fourplay, the most successful band in contemporary jazz, with keyboardist Bob James, bassist Nathan East, and drummer Harvey Mason. The first Fourplay album in 1991 spent an unprecedented 33 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s contemporary jazz chart, while their Grammy-nominated follow-up, Between the Sheets, captured the top slot on the Billboard, R&R, Gavin and NAC charts on its way to a gold sales certification.

Adding to this legacy is his remarkable 2010 project, Six-String Theory, his Smoke ‘n’ Mirrors CD, the Grammy-nominated recording Amparo, (a follow-up with Dave Grusin to their highly-successful 2001 Grammy Award-nominated contemporary classical crossover CD), and serving as producer of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band’s Grammy-nominated Act Your Age CD.

It’s been a long road since the seventies, when Ritenour’s legendary Tuesday night appearances at the famed Baked Potato with a band including Dave Grusin, Patrice Rushen, Harvey Mason, and Ernie Watts became part of the musical landscape for five years. Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Joe Sample, and even Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell could be seen in the audiences that would pack the house till the wee hours of the morning. From rock to blues to jazz, his diverse music became the foundation of over 3,000 sessions as a young guitarist with a broad spectrum of artists such as Pink Floyd (The Wall), Steely Dan (Aja), Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, B.B. King, Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel, Ray Charles, Peggy Lee, Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand. In addition, let us not to forget the dazzling array of talent appearing on his solo works and collaborations, notably– Phil Collins, Brazilian greats Ivan Lins, Caetano Veloso, Djavan and Jao Bosco, George Benson, Chaka Kahn, Herbie Hancock, Michael McDonald, opera great Renee Fleming, and the incredible collection of talent appearing on his latest, Six-String Theory.

In addition to producing his own recordings, Ritenour has produced projects for such artists as Eric Marienthal, Phil Perry and Vesta, which were released on his i.e. music label, along with A Twist of Jobim. Additional production credits include Patti Austin, Will Downing and the A Twist of Marley project.

On musical diversity, Rit states, “It’s always seemed to me that the industry has created too much of a division between straight-ahead acoustic jazz and the funky fusion I also love. “The idea behind such recordings as Rit’s House is creating a collective expression of both of these types of music, reconciling the two while incorporating some of the Brazilian styles I’ve also enjoyed exploring. There’s a vintage, classic old school soul-jazz approach which captures my influences and many of my unique experiences since 1976. You would certainly add to that his latest effort, Six-String Theory, which heavily incorporates rock and blues.

“From the time I was 12 years old and my dad would take me to Hollywood’s Guitar Center, I wanted to play both jazz and rock like crazy. Fusion was, for me, the best of both worlds,” he says. “Yet in the end, I opted for the more sophisticated sounds of jazz and its harmonies, rhythms, and melodies. That need to explore led me to Brazilian music, which became a major part of my life, as well. I was classically trained. I had a lot of jazz studies and devoured rock and roll and pop. And what I loved about records was not only the soloist on the record, but the orchestral arrangements as well. Even if I was listening to Miles Davis or Wes Montgomery, I was always attracted to the whole package.”

Recent developments:

Ritenour’s new release, Color Rit, was just released this month.

On Jan. 6, Ritenour performed at the beautiful Max Fisher Music Center in Detroit. He will also be touring Europe in the spring, as well as embarking on an extensive U.S. spring tour.

On January 21, Ritenour performed at the ‘Muriel Anderson All Star Guitar Night’ along with Mike Stern, Sonny Emory, and Melvin Lee Davis. There, he announced the kick-off for the 2012 Yamaha 6-String Theory Guitar Competition. This year’s competition has been expanded to include 3 new instruments: Keyboardist, Bass, and Drums. The inaugural Lee Ritenour/Dave Grusin Rhythm Section Competition will debut along with the 3rd Annual Six String Theory Guitar Competition. The 2012 contest started Jan 21, 2012 and goes through May 1, 2012. Details and registration are available at: www.sixstringtheory.com

“I’m really grateful for the longevity I’ve had, and my ability to always focus on the creativity even when the business end of things gets frustrating,” says the guitarist.

Rit’s dazzlingly adept style, perception, interpretation of music as a whole, and his drive are clearly what shape the artist and his colorful efforts. Contemporary jazz, as well as all of the other genres that have benefited from his presence and contributions, will always bear his signature as one of the true musical cross-cultural pioneers. — Ronald Jackson

Many thanks to VerveMusic.com and LeeRitenour.com for substantial portions of this article.