Lee Ritenour@Catalina’s 05.22.11
By George W. Harris

When you see a group of stellar musicians like the group that studio
stud Lee Ritenour assembled on stage at Catalina’s for a weekend of
straightahead jazz, you realize that the rest of the world outside LA
lost something by not having pros like these touring around all the
time. An evening of tasty, energetic and rollicking music was provided
by artists that are always in the background of your mind, but each
deserving stars on the Boulevard just a few blocks away.

The “supporting” team of John Beasley/p, Melvin Davis/b and Sonny
Emory/dr have enough endorsements from the likes of Steely Dan, Earth
Wind and Fire and Bette Midler to fill a half dozen portfolios. Lead by
Ritenour’s good natured playing on tunes like “Etude” and “Night
Rhythm,” the whole team delivered exciting rhythms, with resonant
grooves supplied by Davis’ 7 string strutting, and Emory’s effervescent
trap work. Ritenour himself was the epitome of taste, style and swing,
as he changed guitars between and during hard bopping tunes like “Wes
Bound” and the finger picking good “LP” from his latest thrilling
release Six String Theory. The band could get down and dirty as well,
as on “Lay It Down” that had Ritenour tap into his inner Jeff Beck,
while the closing “Get Up, Stand Up” delivered reggae on a sizzling
plate.

If you don’t become a fan of the six string after listening to Ritenour
deliver a peerless evening of blues, bunk, bop, rock and reggae, you
just need to face the facts and switch over to something like macramé,
as Ritenour is the best evangelist of the axe around. Check out the
disc, as well.