6 STRING THEORY (LEE RITENOUR)

THE PLOT THUS FAR

6 String Theory is a special project put together by legendary guitarist Lee Ritenour in celebration of the world's most popular instrument - the guitar! Joining him in this tribute to the guitar, the all-star line-up includes George Benson, BB King, Slash, Steve Lukather, John Scofield, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Cray and Vince Gill among many other superstars. Blending rock, blues, jazz, acoustic, country and classical, they come together for a seamless project that promises to take the listener on a musical journey and exploration of the guitar. Also featured on vocals are BB King, Robert Cray, Vince Gill, Keb' Mo', Taj Majal, Joe Bonamassa and Jonny Lang. Debuting on this release is sixteen-year-old guitarist Shon Boublil who was the grand prize winner of Lee Ritenour's Yamaha Six String Theory Guitar Competition.

TRACK LIST

1. Lay It Down (feat. Lee Ritenour and John Scofield)
2. Am I Wrong (feat. Keb' Mo' and Taj Mahal)
3. L.P. (For Les Paul) (feat. Joey DeFrancesco, Pat Martino, and Lee Ritenour)
4. Give Me One Reason (feat. Joe Bonamassa and Robert Cray)
5. "68" (feat. Neal Schon, Slash, and Steve Lukather)
6. In Your Dreams (feat. Lee Ritenour, Neal Schon, and Steve Lukather)
7. My One and Only Love (feat. George Benson)
8. Moon River (feat. George Benson)
9. Why I Sing the Blues (feat. Keb' Mo', B.B. King, Vince Gill, Lee Ritenour, and Jonny Lang)
10. Daddy Longlicks (feat. Joe Robinson)
11. Shape of My Heart (feat. Lee Ritenour, Steve Lukather, and Andy McKee)
12. Drifting (feat. Andy McKee)
13. Freeway Jam (feat. Lee Ritenour, Mike Stern, and Tomoyasu Hotei)
14. Fives (feat. Guthrie Govan and Tal Wilkenfeld)

15. Caprices, Op. 20, No. 2 and 7 (feat. Shon Boublil)

WHAT WE THOUGHT

"6 String Theory" is the vision of legendary jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour who is also celebrating his 5oth year of playing guitar professionally. Lee got his start at 16 years of age with some session work with The Mama’s and Papa’s. Over the last fifty years he has played on more than 3000 recording sessions. Ritenour has worked with artists such as Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Simon & Garfunkel and Frank Sinatra just to name a few. He also has an extensive solo discography. But, this CD goes far beyond Ritenour's personal stylings.

While Lee Ritenour is one of the producers, his guitar (or songwriting) isn't featured on every track. In fact, some of the standout tracks (my favorite, "fives" featuring new shred master Guthrie Govan, bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta) have Lee in the control booth. This is quite an assemblage of players, some well known names like B.B. King, George Benson, Steve Lukather, and Vince Gill (to name a few) and some lesser ones all get a chance to play and show off their chops, sometimes with Lee and other times solo or in other configurations that boast a broad span of music genres. Few genres are ignored, and we experience a collection of world class musicians from rock, blues, jazz, acoustic, country, and classical who all share a common bond — love of the guitar.

The CD is an impressive mix of guest guitarists and Youtube Babies that blend old-fashioned skill and new talent to form a refined sound. Hell, I just enjoyed having Vince Gill in top form. While this might be called a disc of guitar wank, it's still enough to keep even the most snobby of music fans appeased. "Why I Sing the Blues" is still the top track off the album, as it redefines monster jam and allows old pros to tweak their style in long-form. I'd recommend a purchase to all.

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!

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6 STRING THEORY (LEE RITENOUR)

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