Jazz Reviews : Lee Ritenour’s Acoustic Guitar Sets Strand Afire

It’s easy to take Lee Ritenour for granted. His reputation as the “Captain Fingers” of the guitar--the player whose nonpareil technical excellence made him the wizard of the recording studios for nearly a decade before he took off on his own solo career--may have overshadowed his more subtle musical skills.

But Ritenour is more than a digital dexterity machine, more than a musical chameleon. Last Thursday night, in the large, pleasantly amiable environs of Redondo Beach’s Strand Club, he provided a somewhat more balanced view of the funk and the fun, as well as the spirit and the soul of his playing.

Among the best moments were those in which he soloed on acoustic guitar. Somehow finding a unity between the passionate intensity of flamenco lines and the slip-sliding twists of blues licks, he brilliantly juxtaposed them against high-voltage rhythmic strumming and lush chording.

Ritenour’s electric work also bristled with energy. Virtually everything he played was tinged with the blues, but an occasional solo line here and there also revealed the jazz phrasing that is equally intrinsic to the life of his music.

Ritenour featured vocalist Phil Perry on several attractive pieces, including “Malibu” (scheduled for release later this year on a new GRP album) and the Brazilian-styled “Latin Lovers” and “Asa.”

Shining equally brightly in the spotlight was saxophonist Ernie Watts, a Ritenour regular, and a player who has done a superbly effective job of integrating avant- garde whips and whirls into the disciplined structure of his improvisations. Bassist Anthony Jackson and versatile keyboardist Dave Witham also made the most of their brief solo moments.