Lee Ritenour Quartet at Jazz Alley September 03, 2026

Wasn’t sure what to expect with Lee Ritenour on a Thursday. Perhaps there might be a small crowd? Are people still into him in 2026? Well, the answer turned out to be a decided yes, with a packed house, including the 2nd floor seats filled up. Lee still draws!

And for good reason: the 74 year old guitarist puts on a great show. They played fusion, funk and ballads, capturing a sound that worked in the 1970s and still works today. Tunes spanned across his vast catalog (57 albums!) including tunes like “Waltz For Carmen,” “Rio Funk,” and “Captain Fingers” which is an out-of-control track from his second album, intricate fusion galore which the band nailed. He also threw in one cover, “A Little Bumpin” by Wes Montgomery, with those sweet octaves, a nod to his mentor.

There’s something so likable about Ritenour, with his affable smile and enthusiasm, a huge grin at the end of each song, like a kid, looking at his fellow musicians and the audience, like “Damn, wasn’t that cool!” Something infectious about that. Between each song he talked, bringing the audience in, no austerity or pretension, relaying anecdotes and stories.

Ritenour’s guitar playing didn’t disappoint. He had his three-amp rig: 2 Twin Reverbs that were positioned on the left and right of a Mesa/Boogie head with a 2x12 cabinet . The rig gave a super full sound to the two guitars he played, his signature Les Paul as well as his Sadowsky LS-13 Broadway. His technique varied between single note lines with a pick, fingerstyle work (pick stored in his mouth) and, of course, those Wes-style octaves played with his thumb. He could rip 16th note lines, get gritty with distoration, play melodically or do intricate fingerpicking.

The band was comprised of Jacob Mann on piano/keyboards, Melvin Lee Davis on bass and Lee’s son, Wesley Ritenour, on drums. Davis was playing his 7 string bass. His pedal board looked more like a guitarist’s, including a POG 2 that he used when soloing which made his bass sound like a viola in the upper registers. His playing was on point and held the band together.

Lee kept the band on their toes, with on-the-fly direction lent the show spontaneity as he orchestrated things on the fly, the other musicians keyed in to the elder so as not to miss a moment. Good stuff!