Anthology

By George Varga | signonsandiego.com

Lee Ritenour is not the most recorded guitarist in the country, but he comes close. Known by fans as both Rit ?and “Captain Fingers,” he is perhaps most noted for his sleek pop-jazz outings, both as a veteran solo artist and for his tenure as the original guitarist in Fourplay, the all-star quartet cofounded by San Diego-bred bass great Nathan East.

But Ritenour, who performs with his band tonight at downtown’s all-ages Anthology, is even more notable as one of the most prolific and versatile guitarists of the past 40 years. After early recording dates with artists as varied as Carly Simon , The Four Tops, Peggy Lee and George Duke, he swiftly became one of the most in-demand studio guitarists in Los Angeles and, by extension, the world. From Aretha Franklin, Rennée Fleming and Dizzy Gillespie to B.B. King , Simon & Garfunkel and arch-rock ?pioneers Sparks, Ritenour has played on more records by more artists than all but a handful of other guitarists. One would expect no less from this six-string ace, who was 16 when he did his first studio date with The Mamas & The Papas and 18 when he backed Tony Bennett and Lena Horne.

By my mathematically impaired count, Ritenour, 58, has done more than 2,500 recording dates. His list of credits includes Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” (that’s him on “Run Like Hell”), Steely Dan’s “Aja,” Bobby “Blue” Bland’s ?“Reflections in Blue,” Barbra ?Streisand’s “Guilty,” The Pointer Sisters’ “So Excited,” Al Jarreau’s “All Fly Home,” The Brothers Johnson’s “Look Out for No. 1,” George Benson’s “Give Me the Night,” the “Saturday Night Fever” film soundtrack and, well, you get the idea.

Given such eclecticism, it’s no surprise Ritenour’s new album, the aptly titled “6 ?String Theory,” showcases 20 other guitar greats, among them King, Benson, Pat Martino, John Scofield, Slash , ?Vince Gill , Robert Cray, Neal Schon ?and Steve Lukather. ?Also featured are artists as varied as Taj Mahal, Joey DeFrancesco and two precocious guitar phenoms, Shon Boublil, ?16, and YouTube sensation Joe Robinson, 18.

Just how Ritenour will be able to pull off these new songs live at Anthology — where he’ll be accompanied by keyboardist Jesse Milliner, ?bassist Melvin Davis and ex-Yellowjackets’ drummer Will Kennedy — is anybody’s guess. But if anyone can figure out how to cover so many multiple guitar parts and styles live, by himself, there are few more qualified candidates.

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Via signonsandiego.com