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Guitarist Lee Ritenour is best known in the jazz world, where his pop-textured fretwork has found favor among contemporary jazz fans. Chances are that you've heard Ritenour play, even if you don't follow jazz music, as he is also an accomplished studio musician in Los Angeles who has brought his immense six-string talents to over 3,000 sessions, starting with the Mamas and the Papas when he was only sixteen years old.


In the studio through the years, Ritenour has played soul (The Four Tops); funk (The Brothers Johnson); pop (Seals & Crofts); blues (B.B.King); and rock (Steely Dan, Pink Floyd); as well as a myriad of differing jazz styles, which means that he's one deft dude on the guitar. Ritenour has also released better than three dozen instrumental albums of his own, cementing his status as one of the jazz genre's fleet-fingered elite. In recognition of his 50 years of guitar playing, Ritenour thought that it would be pretty cool to bring together a bunch of world-class pickers and make an album in celebration of the guitar.

Lee Ritenour's 6 String Theory

The results of Ritenour's artistic whim was 6 String Theory, a collection of fifteen inspired collaborations that came out much better than it had any right to (or many expected). Featuring performances by such disparate and diverse talents as John Scofield, Pat Martino, George Benson, B.B. King, Vince Gill, and many others, 6 String Theory offers up a glorious buffet of jazz, blues, rock, and pop music that celebrates the sheer joy of playing the guitar and all the possibilities that ensue.

A number of the finest instrumentalists from the blues world contributed to 6 String Theory, and it's only fair that we focus on those nearest and dearest to us in discussing the album's merits. For instance, Keb' Mo' and the great Taj Mahal have their own loyal fans, but their collaboration on the Delta-influenced "Am I Wrong" is nothing short of stunning. Both men are often more acclaimed for their songwriting or stylistic achievements, but here you get to hear them in a different light, as accomplished guitarists swapping licks on a raw, powerful performance. Ol' Taj lays down some fine harmonica riffs here as well as the band provides a sparse, but steady backdrop for the two artists to play against.

Why I Sing The Blues

It wouldn't be a celebration of the guitar without blues great B.B. King at the party, and he is joined on a soaring performance of his "Why I Sing The Blues" by Ritenour, Keb' Mo', Vince Gill, and Jonny Lang, each guitarist allowed their own elegant solo, each providing their own twist on the vocals. It's a wonderful collaboration, beautifully arranged and showing each man's talents in the best possible light. Joe Bonamassa and Robert Cray team up on a cover of Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason," the pair reaching down into the song's deep blues roots and pulling out a plum of a performance, their different vocal and guitar styles complimenting one another and providing the song with great soul and emotion.

There are a number of other songs on 6 String Theory that may be of interest to the blues fan, starting with the melodic rock of "68." Featuring guitarists Steve Lukather (Toto), Neal Schon (Journey), and Slash (Guns 'n' Roses), the song is an invigorating romp across a prog-rock landscape with elements of blues and hard rock rising to the top. British shredder Gutherie Govan is assisted on his song "Five" by bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, who has been touring and recording most recently with the great Jeff Beck. Here Govan sounds a lot like Beck, his complex fretting melding jazz-rock fusion with an underlying blues feel for an exciting, fast-paced musical joyride.

The Reverend's Bottom Line

While not strictly a blues album per se, 6 String Theory will be of interest to any serious fan and/or student of the guitar. Featuring over 20 of the most talented instrumentalists in any genre, these performances are full of life, energy, and the sort of artistic commitment that only comes from practicing and playing your instrument for decades. True, much of 6 String Theory skews towards the jazz stylings of the majority of the players, but that shouldn't stop the blues fan from enjoying the album in its entirety. More than just another superstar collaboration, Lee Ritenour and friends have created a near-perfect celebration of their creative and artistic lifeblood: the guitar. (Concord Records, released June 29, 2010)

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