Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz and jazz fusion guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s.
Biography Ritenour was born on January 11, 1952, in Los Angeles, California. At the age of eight he started playing guitar and four years later decided on a career in music. When he was 16 he played on his first recording session with the Mamas & the Papas. He developed a love for jazz and was influenced by guitarist Wes Montgomery. At the age of 17 he worked with Lena Horne and Tony Bennett. He studied classical guitar at the University of Southern California. In the mid-to-late 1970s, Ritenour purchased a 1958 Fender Stratocaster that became one of his primary recording guitars. Between the early 1980s and 1987, it was modified with a 3-ply pickguard, Alembic Strat-o-blaster preamp, an added string tree, a Floyd Rose tremolo with locking nut, and EMG S pickups.
1976–1988
Ritenour's solo career began with the album First Course (1976), followed by Captain Fingers (1977), The Captain's Journey (1978).lee Ritenour Ronniescotts.co.uk, Retrieved 9 October 2025
In 1977, producer Quincy Jones called Ritenour in to perform the iconic, spiraling, triple guitar solo on the Brothers Johnson's smash hit, "Strawberry Letter 23" from their album Right On Time.
In 1979, he "was brought in to beef up" one of Pink Floyd's The Walls guitar parts, "Run Like Hell". He played "uncredited rhythm guitar" on "One of My Turns". As the 1980s began, Ritenour began to add stronger elements of pop to his music, beginning with Rit (1981). Rit became his only release to chart in Australia, peaking at number 98. "Is It You" with vocals by Eric Tagg reached No. 15 on the Billboard pop chart and No. 27 on the Soul chart. The track peaked at number fifteen on Hot Adult Contemporary chart. The videos for "Is It You" and "Mr. Briefcase" were both amongst the first videos played on MTV on August 1, 1981. He continued with the pop-oriented music for Rit/2 (1982) and Banded Together (1984), while releasing a Direct-Disk instrumental album in 1983 called On the Line. He also provided rhythm guitar on Tom Browne's album Funkin' for Jamaica. He recorded Harlequin (1985) with Dave Grusin and vocals by Ivan Lins. His next album, Earth Run, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance. The album's title track was also Grammy nominated in the category of Best Instrumental Composition. Portrait (GRP, 1987) included guest performances by the Yellowjackets, Djavan, and Kenny G.
In 1988, his Brazilian influence came to the forefront on Festival, an album featuring his work on nylon-string guitar. He changed direction with his straight-ahead jazz album Stolen Moments which he recorded with saxophonist Ernie Watts, pianist Alan Broadbent, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Harvey Mason. During the same year, he composed the theme song for the Canadian TV series Ramona.
1990–present In 1991, Ritenour and keyboardist Bob James formed the group Fourplay. He left the group in 1997 and was replaced by Larry Carlton. He released the career retrospective Overtime in 2005. Smoke n' Mirrors came out the next year with the debut of his thirteen-year-old son, Wesley, on drums.
Celebrating his fifty years as a guitarist in 2010, Ritenour released 6 String Theory, a title that refers to six musical areas covered by the use of guitar.
Ritenour has been a judge for the Independent Music Awards.
In 2018, Ritenour lost his Malibu home and personal recording studio in the Woolsey Fire in California.
Lead vocalists Lee Ritenour's first few solo albums consisted entirely of instrumentals. Beginning with Captain Fingers (1977), Ritenour used vocalists on many of his songs: Djavan Bill Champlin Eric Tagg Patti Austin Ivan Lins Phil Perry João Bosco Kate Markowitz Maxi Priest Lisa Fischer Michael McDonald
Awards Grammy Awards Ritenour has received one Grammy award out of sixteen nominations. Year Category Nominated work Result1978Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition"The Captain's Journey"1981Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental PerformanceRIT1985Grammy Award for Best Arrangement on an Instrumental"Early A.M. Attitude"Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)HarlequinGrammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)"Harlequin"1986Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or InstrumentalEarth RunGrammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition"Earth Run"1990Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion PerformanceStolen Moments1993Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance (Instrumental)Between the SheetsGrammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo"4 on 6"Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or GroupWes Bound1994Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocals"Ability to Swing"1995Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz PerformanceElixirGrammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz PerformanceLarry and Lee1997Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz PerformanceAlive in L.A.1997Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover AlbumTwo Worlds Album of the Year, Jazziz magazine (2010) - 6 String Theory. Best International Instrumentalist, Echo Jazz Award (2011)
Discography Albums Title Peak chart positions Label Year released US USJazz First Course — — Epic 1976 Captain Fingers 178 — Epic 1977 Gentle Thoughts — — JVC 1977 Sugar Loaf Express — — JVC 1977 Friendship — — JVC 1978 The Captain's Journey 78 — Elektra 1978 Rio 163 — JVC 1979 Feel the Night 136 — Elektra 1979 Rit 26 — Elektra 1981 Rit/2 99 — Elektra 1982 On the Line — — Elektra Musician 1983 Banded Together 145 — Elektra 1984 Harlequin, with Dave Grusin 192 — GRP 1985 Earth Run — — GRP 1986 Portrait — — GRP 1987 Festival 156 — GRP 1988 Color Rit — — GRP 1989 Stolen Moments — — GRP 1990 Collection — — GRP 1991 Wes Bound — 19 GRP 1993 Larry & Lee, with Larry Carlton — 4 GRP 1995 Alive in L.A. — 18 GRP 1997 This Is Love — 4 I.E. Music 1998 Two Worlds, with Dave Grusin — — Decca 2000 Rit's House — 5 Verve 2002 World of Brazil — — GRP 2003 Overtime — 24 Peak 2005 Smoke 'n' Mirrors — 10 Peak 2006 Amparo, with Dave Grusin — — Decca 2008 6 String Theory — — Concord 2010 Rhythm Sessions — 3 Concord 2012 A Twist of Rit — 3 Concord 2015 Dreamcatcher — — The Players Club 2020 Brasil — — Candid 2024
Charted singles Date Title Position Chart (US) 1981 "Countdown Captain Fingers" 43 Dance "Is It You" 15 Hot 100 1982 "Cross My Heart" 69 1993 "Waiting in Vain" (ft. Maxi Priest) 54 R&B 2007 "Smoke 'n' Mirrors" 27 Smooth Jazz "Forget Me Nots" 14 2010 "Shape of My Heart" (Lee Ritenour, Steve Lukather & Andy McKee) 19 "Put the Top Down" (Dave Koz ft. Lee Ritenour) 1 2012 "Roadtrip" (Michael Lington ft. Lee Ritenour) 3 2013 "The Village" 3 "L.A. by Bike" 15 2015 "A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That" 5
As a member Friendship With Abraham Laboriel, Alex Acuña, Don Grusin, Ernie Watts and Steve Forman Friendship (Elektra, 1979)
L.A. Workshop Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Denon, 1988) Norwegian Wood, Vol. 2 (Denon, 1994)
Fourplay Fourplay (Warner Bros., 1991) Between the Sheets (Warner Bros., 1993) Elixir (Warner Bros., 1995) Best of Fourplay (Warner Bros., 1997)
GRP All-Star Big Band GRP All-Star Big Band (GRP, 1992)
Other credits 1977 "Strawberry Letter 23" from the album Right On Time by Brothers Johnson 1987 Joyride - track 6 "Midi Citi" - (En Pointe) 1985 American Flyers (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) with Greg Mathieson - GRP
As sideman
With Alessi Brothers Driftin (A&M, 1977) Words & Music (A&M, 1978)With Patti Austin Love Is Gonna Getcha (GRP, 1990) That Secret Place (GRP, 1994)With Carole Bayer Sager Carole Bayer Sager (Elektra, 1977) ...Too (Elektra, 1978) Sometimes Late at Night (Boardwalk, 1981)With George Benson Give Me the Night (Warner Bros., 1980) Songs and Stories (Concord, 2009)With The Brothers Johnson Look Out for #1 (A&M, 1976) Right on Time (A&M, 1977)With Natalie Cole Thankful (Capitol, 1977) Stardust (Elektra, 1996)With Judy Collins Hard Times for Lovers (Elektra, 1979) Home Again (Elektra, 1984)With Brass Fever Brass Fever (Impulse!, 1975) Time Is Running Out (Impulse!, 1976)With Aretha Franklin You (Atlantic, 1975) Sweet Passion (Atlantic, 1977)With Art Garfunkel Breakaway (Columbia, 1975) Fate for Breakfast (Columbia, 1979)With Margie Joseph Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling (Cotillion, 1976) Feeling My Way (Atlantic, 1978)With Bill LaBounty Promised Love (Curb, 1975) This Night Won't Last Forever (Warner Bros., 1978)With Melissa Manchester Don't Cry Out Loud (Arista, 1978) Mathematics (MCA, 1985)With Letta Mbulu There's Music in the Air (A&M, 1976) Letta (A&M, 1978)With Alphonse Mouzon 1974: Mind Transplant (Blue Note, 1975) 1975: The Man Incognito (Blue Note, 1976)With Leo Sayer Endless Flight (Chrysalis, 1976) Thunder in My Heart (Chrysalis, 1977)With Neil Sedaka All You Need Is the Music (Elektra, 1978) In the Pocket (Elektra, 1980)With Carly Simon Playing Possum (Elektra, 1975) Torch (Warner Bros., 1981)With Barbra Streisand Lazy Afternoon (Columbia, 1975) Songbird (Columbia, 1978) Guilty (Columbia, 1980) – rec. 1979–1980With others''' Herb Alpert, Herb Alpert / Hugh Masekela (Horizon, 1978) Paul Anka, The Painter (United Artists, 1976) Stephen Bishop, Careless (ABC, 1976) Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira, Corpo e Alma (CBS, 1982) Lisa Hartman Black, Lisa Hartman (Kirshner, 1976) Bobby Bland, Reflections in Blue (ABC, 1977) Bloodstone, Don't Stop (Motown, 1978) Debby Boone, Debby Boone (Capitol, 1979) Glen Campbell, Basic (Capitol, 1978) Captain & Tennille, Make Your Move (Casablanca, 1979) The Carpenters, Passage (A&M, 1977) Keith Carradine, I'm Easy (Asylum, 1976) Casiopea, 4x4 (Alfa, 1982) David Castle, Castle in the Sky (Parachute, 1977) Cher, I'd Rather Believe in You (Warner Bros., 1976) Sparks, Introducing Sparks (Columbia, 1977) Paulinho da Costa, Agora (Pablo, 1977) England Dan & John Ford Coley, Dr. Heckle and Mr. Jive (Big Tree, 1979) John Denver, I Want to Live (RCA, 1977) Diana DeGarmo, Blue Skies (RCA, 2004) Neil Diamond, Heartlight (Columbia, 1982) Will Downing, Sensual Journey (Verve, 2002) Sheena Easton, A Private Heaven (EMI, 1984) Yvonne Elliman, Yvonne (RSO, 1979) Joe Farrell, Night Dancing (Warner Bros, 1978) Roberta Flack, I'm the One (Atlantic, 1982) Pink Floyd, The Wall (EMI, 1979) Four Tops, Night Lights Harmony (ABC, 1975) Ted Gärdestad, Blue Virgin Isles (Polar, 1978) Dizzy Gillespie, Free Ride (Pablo, 1977) Cyndi Grecco, Making Our Dreams Come True (Private Stock Records, 1976) Lani Hall, Sweet Bird (A&M, 1976) John Handy, Carnival (Impulse, 1977) Eddie Henderson, Comin' Through (Capitol, 1977) Joe Henderson, Black Miracle (Milestone, 1976) Marcia Hines, Ooh Child (Miracle Records, 1979) Al Jarreau, All Fly Home (Warner Bros., 1978) Al Johnson, Back for More (Columbia, 1980) Quincy Jones, Roots (A&M, 1977) Karimata, Jezz (Aquarius, 1991) – on "Rainy Days and You" only B. B. King, King Size (ABC, 1977) Ben E. King, Let Me Live in Your Life (Atlantic, 1978) Carole King, Speeding Time (Atlantic, 1983) Peggy Lee, Let's Love (Atlantic, 1974) Kenny Loggins, Celebrate Me Home (Columbia, 1977) – rec. 1975–1976 Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr., Marilyn & Billy (Columbia, 1978) Mary MacGregor, Mary MacGregor (RSO, 1980) Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams, That's What Friends Are For (Columbia, 1979) Barry Manilow, Even Now (Arista, 1978) Lonette McKee, Words and Music (Warner Bros., 1978) Bette Midler, Broken Blossom (Atlantic, 1977) Walter Murphy, Phantom of the Opera (Private Stock, 1978) Anne Murray, Together (Capitol, 1975) Oliver Nelson, Skull Session (Flying Dutchman, 1975) David "Fathead" Newman, Keep the Dream Alive (Prestige, 1978) Olivia Newton-John, Soul Kiss (MCA, 1985) Wayne Newton, Tomorrow (Chelsea Records, 1976)