Lee Ritenour
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Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s.


Biography

Ritenour was born on January 11, 1952, in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, United States. 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 The Mamas & the Papas were a folk rock vocal group formed in Los Angeles, California, which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. The group consisted of Am ...
. He developed a love for jazz and was influenced by guitarist
Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...
. At the age of 17 he worked with Lena Horne and
Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birth ...
. He studied classical guitar at the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
.


1976–1988

Ritenour's solo career began with the album ''First Course'' (1976), a good example of the jazz-funk sound of the 1970s, followed by ''
Captain Fingers ''Captain Fingers'' is the third studio album by guitarist Lee Ritenour, released in 1977 by Epic Records. Track listing Personnel * Lee Ritenour – guitar, guitar synthesizer * Ernie Watts – saxophone *Dave Grusin – synthesizer (track ...
'', ''The Captain's Journey'' (1978), and ''Feel the Night'' (1979). In 1979, he "was brought in to beef up" one of Pink Floyd's ''
The Wall ''The Wall'' is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest/EMI and Columbia/CBS Records. It is a rock opera that explores Pink, a jaded rock star whose eventual self-imp ...
''s heaviest rock numbers, "
Run Like Hell "Run Like Hell" is a song by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, written by David Gilmour and Roger Waters. It appears on the album ''The Wall''. It was released as a single in 1980, reaching #15 in the Canadian singles chart as well as ...
". He played "uncredited rhythm guitar" on "
One of My Turns "One of My Turns" is a song by Pink Floyd, appearing on their 1979 album ''The Wall''. The song was also released as a B-side on the single of "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)". Composition The song is split into distinct segments: a groupie ...
". 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 Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...
chart. 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 Robert David "Dave" Grusin (born June 26, 1934) is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record w ...
and vocals by
Ivan Lins Ivan Guimarães Lins (born June 16, 1945) is a Latin Grammy-winning Brazilian musician. He has been an active performer and songwriter of Brazilian popular music (MPB) and jazz for over thirty years. His first hit, "Madalena", was recorded by ...
. His next album, '' Earth Run'', was nominated for a
Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance was an award given to a song or album for excellence in the jazz fusion genre, a combination of rock and jazz. It was given at the Grammy Awards, which began in 1958 under the name Gramophone Awar ...
. The album's title track was also Grammy nominated in the category of
Best Instrumental Composition The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (including its previous names) has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of an original piece of music (not an adaptation), first released during the eligibility year. I ...
. ''
Portrait A portrait is a portrait painting, painting, portrait photography, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, Personality type ...
'' (GRP, 1987) included guest performances by
the Yellowjackets Yellowjackets is an American jazz fusion band founded in 1977 in Los Angeles, California. History In 1977, guitarist Robben Ford, for his first solo album, recruited keyboardist Russell Ferrante, electric bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Ri ...
, Djavan, and
Kenny G Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956), known professionally as Kenny G, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and producer. His 1986 album ''Duotones'' brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the best-selling artis ...
. 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 Alan Leonard Broadbent (born 23 April 1947) is a New Zealand jazz pianist, arranger, and composer known for his work with artists such as Sue Raney, Charlie Haden, Woody Herman, Chet Baker, Irene Kral, Sheila Jordan, Natalie Cole, Warne Marsh ...
, bassist
John Patitucci John Patitucci (born December 22, 1959) is an American jazz bassist and composer. Biography John James Patitucci was born in Brooklyn, New York. When he was 12, he bought his first bass and decided on his career. He listened to bass parts in R ...
, and drummer Harvey Mason. During the same year, he composed the theme song for the Canadian TV series ''
Ramona ''Ramona'' is a 1884 American novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. Set in Southern California after the Mexican–American War, it portrays the life of a mixed-race Scottish– Native American orphan girl, who suffers racial discrimination and ...
''.


1990–present

In 1991 Ritenour and keyboardist Bob James formed the group
Fourplay Fourplay (stylized as fOURPLAY) is a contemporary American smooth jazz quartet. The original members of the group were Bob James (keyboards), Lee Ritenour (guitars), Nathan East (bass), and Harvey Mason (drums). In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the ...
. 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.


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 William Bradford Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, musician, arranger, producer, and songwriter. He formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the band Chicago from 1981–2009. ...
* Eric Tagg * Patti Austin *
Ivan Lins Ivan Guimarães Lins (born June 16, 1945) is a Latin Grammy-winning Brazilian musician. He has been an active performer and songwriter of Brazilian popular music (MPB) and jazz for over thirty years. His first hit, "Madalena", was recorded by ...
*
Phil Perry Philip Eugene Perry (born January 12, 1952) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, musician and a former member of the soul group, The Montclairs, from 1971 to 1975. He was also known for performing the opening song to Disney’s sitcom, '' Goof ...
*
João Bosco João Bosco de Freitas Mucci, known professionally as João Bosco () is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist. In the 1970s he established his reputation in ''música popular Brasileira'' (Portuguese: "Brazilian pop music") with lyricist ...
*
Kate Markowitz Catherine Judith "Kate" Markowitz (Born 28 April 1956) is an American singer-songwriter known as a backup singer who has recorded and performed with a number of singers, most notably James Taylor but also Willy DeVille, Shawn Colvin, Mylène Farm ...
*
Maxi Priest Max Alfred "Maxi" Elliott (born 10 June 1961), known by his stage name Maxi Priest, is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with an R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion. He was one ...
* Lisa Fischer * Michael McDonald


Awards


Grammy Awards

Ritenour has received one Grammy award out of sixteen nominations. * Album of the Year, ''Jazziz'' magazine (2010) * Best International Instrumentalist, Echo Jazz Award (2011)


Discography


Albums


Charted singles


As member

Fourplay * ''
Fourplay Fourplay (stylized as fOURPLAY) is a contemporary American smooth jazz quartet. The original members of the group were Bob James (keyboards), Lee Ritenour (guitars), Nathan East (bass), and Harvey Mason (drums). In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the ...
'' (Warner Bros., 1991) * '' Between the Sheets'' (Warner Bros., 1993) * ''
Elixir ELIXIR (the European life-sciences Infrastructure for biological Information) is an initiative that will allow life science laboratories across Europe to share and store their research data as part of an organised network. Its goal is to bring t ...
'' (Warner Bros., 1995) * ''Best of Fourplay'' (Warner Bros., 1997) L.A. Workshop * ''Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)'' (Denon, 1988) * ''Norwegian Wood, Vol. 2'' (Denon, 1994)
GRP All-Star Big Band The GRP All-Star Big Band was a contemporary big band assembled in the late 1980s by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, the founders of GRP Records. The band played new arrangements of popular jazz pieces from the 1950s and 1960s. Its albums '' GRP All ...
* ''
GRP All-Star Big Band The GRP All-Star Big Band was a contemporary big band assembled in the late 1980s by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, the founders of GRP Records. The band played new arrangements of popular jazz pieces from the 1950s and 1960s. Its albums '' GRP All ...
'' (GRP, 1992)


Other credits

* 1977 "
Strawberry Letter 23 "Strawberry Letter 23" is a 1971 song written and composed by Shuggie Otis from his 1971 album '' Freedom Flight''. It is also widely known by the 1977 cover version recorded by the Brothers Johnson and produced by Quincy Jones. History The ...
" from the album '' Right On Time'' by
Brothers Johnson The Brothers Johnson were an American funk and R&B band consisting of American musicians and brothers George ("Lightnin' Licks") and Louis E. Johnson ("Thunder Thumbs"). They achieved their greatest success from the mid-1970s to early 1980s, ...
* 1987 Joyride - track 6 "Midi Citi" - (En Pointe) * 1985 ''American Flyer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' with Greg Mathieson - GRP


As sideman

With Patti Austin * ''
That Secret Place ''That Secret Place'' is the tenth album by Patti Austin, released May 10, 1994. Critical reception Jonathan Widran of AllMusic begins his review with, "The veteran sweet-voiced singer's fourth GRP album is perhaps her most musically diverse, ...
'' (GRP, 1994) * '' Love Is Gonna Getcha'' (GRP, 1990) With
Carole Bayer Sager Carole Bayer Sager (born Carol Bayer on March 8, 1947) is an American lyricist, singer, and songwriter. Early life and career Bayer Sager was born in Manhattan, New York City, to Anita Nathan Bayer and Eli Bayer. Her family was Jewish. She grad ...
* ''Carole Bayer Sager'' (Elektra, 1977) * ''...Too'' (Elektra, 1978) * '' Sometimes Late at Night'' (Boardwalk, 1981) With
George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...
* '' Give Me the Night'' (Warner Bros., 1980) * '' Songs and Stories'' (Concord, 2009) With
Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...
* '' Thankful'' (Capitol, 1977) * '' Stardust'' (Elektra, 1996) With
Brass Fever Brass Fever was an American jazz musical ensemble, which recorded two albums for Impulse! Records. Consisting of both session musicians and leaders such as Shelly Manne, their two albums covered jazz and R&B genres. Their second album charted a ...
* ''
Brass Fever Brass Fever was an American jazz musical ensemble, which recorded two albums for Impulse! Records. Consisting of both session musicians and leaders such as Shelly Manne, their two albums covered jazz and R&B genres. Their second album charted a ...
'' (Impulse!, 1975) * '' Time Is Running Out'' (Impulse!, 1976) With
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
* ''
You In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from the Proto- ...
'' (Atlantic, 1975) * '' Sweet Passion'' (Atlantic, 1977) With
Art Garfunkel Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, poet, and actor. He is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Highlights of Garfunkel's solo music career include one top-10 h ...
* '' Breakaway'' (Columbia, 1975) * '' Fate for Breakfast'' (Columbia, 1979) With
Melissa Manchester Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Since the 1970s, her songs have been carried by adult contemporary radio stations. She has also appeared on television, in films, and on stage. Early l ...
* '' Don't Cry Out Loud'' (Arista, 1978) * ''
Mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
'' (MCA, 1985) With
Alphonse Mouzon Alphonse Lee Mouzon (November 21, 1948 – December 25, 2016) was an American jazz fusion drummer and the owner of Tenacious Records, a label that primarily released Mouzon's recordings. He was a composer, arranger, producer, and actor. He ga ...
* ''
Mind Transplant ''Mind Transplant'' is the third album by American jazz drummer Alphonse Mouzon recorded in 1974 and released on the Blue Note label.
'' (Blue Note, 1974) * ''
The Man Incognito Produced By Skip Drinkwater Co-Produced By Alphonse Mouzon ''The Man Incognito'' is the fourth album by American jazz drummer Alphonse Mouzon recorded in 1975 and released on the Blue Note label.Leo Sayer Gerard Hugh "Leo" Sayer (born 21 May 1948) is an English-Australian singer and songwriter whose singing career has spanned five decades. He has been an Australian citizen and resident since 2009. Sayer launched his career in the United Kingdom ...
* '' Endless Flight'' (Chrysalis, 1976) * ''
Thunder in My Heart ''Thunder in My Heart'' is the fifth album by the English singer-songwriter, Leo Sayer, and was released in 1977. In 2006, a Thunder in My Heart (song), remixed Electronic dance music, dance version of the track, entitled "Thunder in My Heart A ...
'' (Chrysalis, 1977) With Carly Simon * ''
Playing Possum ''Playing Possum'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on April 21, 1975. It was Simon's third consecutive album to reach the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Pop albums chart, peaking a ...
'' (Elektra, 1975) * ''
Torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. In ...
'' (Warner Bros., 1981) With
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
* '' Lazy Afternoon'' (Columbia, 1975) * ''
Songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 5000 ...
'' (Columbia, 1978) * ''
Guilty Guilty or The Guilty may refer to: * Guilt (emotion), an experience that occurs when a person believes they have violated a moral standard Law *Culpability, the degree to which an agent can be held responsible for action or inaction *Guilt (law) ...
'' (Columbia, 1980) – recorded in 1979–80 With others *
Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. Alpert has recorded 28 albums that have landed on the ...
, ''
Herb Alpert / Hugh Masekela ''Herb Alpert / Hugh Masekela'' is collaborative studio album by Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela. It was recorded in Hollywood, California, and released in 1978 via A&M Records and Horizon Records labels. Track listing Personnel *Acoustic guit ...
'' (Horizon, 1978) *
Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...
, ''The Painter'' (United Artists, 1976) * Stephen Bishop, '' Careless'' (ABC, 1976) *
Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...
, '' Basic'' (Capitol, 1978) * Paulinho da Costa, '' Agora'' (Pablo/Concord, 1977) * John Denver, '' I Want to Live'' (RCA, 1977) *
Diana DeGarmo Diana Nicole DeGarmo (born June 16, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She rose to fame in 2004 as the runner-up of the third season of ''American Idol'', releasing her debut studio album, '' Blue Skies'', later that year. The ...
, '' Blue Skies'' (RCA, 2004) *
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...
, '' Heartlight'' (Columbia, 1982) *
Sheena Easton Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress. Easton came into the public eye in an episode of the first British musical reality television programme '' The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to ...
, ''
A Private Heaven ''A Private Heaven'' is the fifth studio album by Scottish pop singer Sheena Easton, released on 21 September 1984 by EMI America Records. The album featured two US Top 10 hit singles: the lead single "Strut" and the controversial "Sugar Walls". ...
'' (EMI, 1984) – recorded in 1983–84 * Yvonne Elliman, ''Yvonne'' (1979) *
Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the Billboard Magazine, ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", "Feel Like M ...
, '' I'm the One'' (Atlantic, 1982) *
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
, ''
The Wall ''The Wall'' is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest/EMI and Columbia/CBS Records. It is a rock opera that explores Pink, a jaded rock star whose eventual self-imp ...
'' (Harvest/EMI, 1979) * Dizzy Gillespie, '' Free Ride'' (Pablo, 1977) *
John Handy John Richard Handy III (born February 3, 1933) is an American jazz musician most commonly associated with the alto saxophone. He also sings and plays the tenor and baritone saxophone, saxello, clarinet, and oboe. Biography Handy was born in ...
, ''
Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...
'' (ABC/Impulse, 1977) * Eddie Henderson,– '' Comin' Through'' (Capitol, 1977) *
Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...
, '' Black Miracle'' (Milestone, 1976) *
Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
, ''
Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...
'' (A&M, 1977) * Karimata, ''Jezz'' (Aquarius, 1991) – on "Rainy Days and You" only *
B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...
, '' King Size'' (ABC, 1977) *
Ben E. King Benjamin Earl King (né Nelson; September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015) was an American soul and R&B singer and record producer. He is best known as the singer and co-composer of " Stand by Me"—a US Top 10 hit, both in 1961 and later ...
, '' Let Me Live in Your Life'' (Atlantic, 1978) * Carole King, ''
Speeding Time ''Speeding Time'' is an album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1983. King's 13th album in 14 years, ''Speeding Time'' was poorly reviewed and was her first album not to chart. Following the album's release, King did not rec ...
'' (Atlantic, 1983) * Peggy Lee, '' Let's Love'' (Atlantic, 1974) *
Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded as Loggins and Messina from 1972 to 1977. His ...
, ''
Celebrate Me Home ''Celebrate Me Home'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, released in 1977. The album, Loggins' first since splitting from Loggins and Messina, represents a slight move away from the folk-rock leanings of his pr ...
'' (Columbia, 1977) – recorded in 1975–76 *
Barry Manilow Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", "I Write the Songs", " Can ...
, '' Even Now'' (Arista, 1978) *
Bette Midler Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...
, ''
Broken Blossom ''Broken Blossom'' is the fourth studio album by American singer Bette Midler, her second album release in 1977 and her fifth on the Atlantic Records label. Just as Midler's three previous studio albums ''Broken Blossom'' includes songs from a w ...
'' (Atlantic, 1977) *
Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album ''The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...
, '' Skull Session'' (Flying Dutchman, 1975) *
David "Fathead" Newman David "Fathead" Newman (February 24, 1933 – January 20, 2009) was an American jazz and rhythm-and-blues saxophonist, who made numerous recordings as a session musician and leader, but is best known for his work as a sideman on seminal 1950s an ...
, '' Keep the Dream Alive'' (Prestige, 1978) *
Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...
, ''
Soul Kiss ''Soul Kiss'' is the twelfth studio album by English-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 25 October 1985 by Mercury Records in Europe, by Festival Records in Australia, and by MCA Records in the United States. It reached  11 ...
'' (MCA, 1985) *
Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single " Lovin' You" and her four octave D3 to F7 coloratura soprano range. She is also widely known for her use ...
, '' Love Lives Forever'' (Capitol, 1980) – recorded in 1978 * Sonny Rollins, '' The Way I Feel'' (Milestone, 1977) * Brenda Russell, ''Between the Sun and the Moon'' (Dome, 2004) * Lalo Schifrin, ''
Rollercoaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...
'' (MCA, 1977) – soundtrack *
Diane Schuur Diane Joan Schuur (born December 10, 1953), nicknamed "Deedles", is an American jazz singer and pianist. As of 2015, Schuur had released 23 albums, and had extended her jazz repertoire to include essences of Latin, gospel, pop and country music ...
, ''Schuur Thing'' (GRP, 1985) *
Neil Sedaka Neil Sedaka (; born March 13, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collabo ...
, '' In the Pocket'' (1980) *
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, '' O Dia em que a Terra Parou'' (1977) *
Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor (born November 21, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. Born in Boston and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he is the brother of singer-songwriter James Taylor, singer-songwriter Kate Taylor, singer ...
, '' Three Way Mirror'' (Epic, 1978) * Naoko Terai, ''Live'' (Videoarts Music, 2001) *
Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion ...
, '' Everybody Come On Out'' (Fantasy, 1976) * Sarah Vaughan, ''
Songs of the Beatles A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...
'' (Atlantic, 1981) * Frankie Valli, ''
Valli Vaḷḷi ( ta, வள்ளி) ("Creeper, Sweet potato plant") is a Hindu goddess, and the second consort of the deity Murugan. An incarnation of the goddess Sundaravalli, daughter of Vishnu, Valli is born on earth as the daughter of a chieft ...
'' (Private Stock, 1976) * Grover Washington Jr., ''
The Best Is Yet to Come "The Best Is Yet to Come" is a 1959 song composed by Cy Coleman to lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. It is associated with Frank Sinatra, who recorded it on his 1964 album ''It Might as Well Be Swing'' accompanied by Count Basie under the direction ...
'' (Elektra, 1982) *
Syreeta Wright Syreeta Wright (February 28, 1946 – July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights we ...
, ''
Syreeta Syreeta Wright (February 28, 1946 – July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights we ...
'' (1980)


References


External links


Lee Ritenour official siteLee Ritenour Interview
NAMM Oral History Program (2014) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ritenour, Lee 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists American jazz guitarists Smooth jazz guitarists American session musicians Singers from California 1952 births Living people Grammy Award winners USC Thornton School of Music alumni GRP Records artists Epic Records artists Elektra Records artists Warner Records artists Guitarists from California Fourplay members GRP All-Star Big Band members Brass Fever members Discovery Records artists The Love Unlimited Orchestra members