Lee Ritenour’s latest album, Brasil, finds the jazz icon traveling to São Paulo with co-producer Dave Grusin to immerse themselves in the nation’s rich musical heritage. Performed and composed by some of São Paulo’s top musicians, the album is 10 songs showcasing Rit’s passion for the guitar. The result is pure syncopated ecstasy.

How far do you and Dave Grusin go back?
He goes back to the very beginning for me. I’ve known Dave since I was 18, but I knew about him before that because he was the most popular and respected TV and film scorer in Los Angeles when I was in my late teens and early 20s. I watched shows like “I Spy” and “The Name of the Game,” and loved Howard Roberts’ playing. He was a great jazz guitarist and studio musician with a phenomenal sound. There would be a chase scene with five minutes of music and this guitar player blowing over the top of these chase scenes – that was Howard Roberts!

I asked my dad, “Who is this composer with this guitar player blowing all over the top of this music?” It was Dave. Later, I got a gig with Sergio Mendez and Brazil ’66. Dave was the force behind those early hits, so the connection happened through Sergio. Later, I was playing at the Baked Potato with drummer Harvey Mason. Harvey said, “Let’s call Dave.” I said, “Dave isn’t going to play with us…” But sure enough, he started coming every Tuesday night. After that, I started doing all of Dave’s film and TV work and working with pop artists. He’s been on just about all of my records. Dave loves guitar and always features guitarists on his projects because it’s such an emotive instrument.

What gave you and Grusin the idea to produce Brasil?
I thought it would be a good time to revisit Brazilian music. I thought, “Maybe there’s a way to record with the guys down there.” We could have done the project in L.A. and got the best players, but to go down there and put ourselves in their environment was a whole different thing.

I kept hearing about new talent there, so I started picking songs based on those artists. The top studio musicians in Brazil are just as good as the top guys in L.A., New York, and Nashville. They’re the crème de la crème – great players who can bend and go with you. They add the flavor of where they’re from, which is Brazil. We worked with an incredible drummer, Edu Ribeiro, guitarists Chico Pinheiro and Celso Fonseca, and a great singer, Tatiana Parra. It was a first-class project.

You and Chico play so well together on “Stone Flower.”
I first recorded that song on A Twist of Jobim in 1997. Chico is such a great jazz player and singer. I thought it would be fun to do that tune with him and feature both of us.

How do Brazilian rhythms influence your jazz playing?
The key word is rhythm. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved the rhythmic aspect of the guitar. I grew up while Motown was happening, and I was getting called as a session musician for lots of R&B work. Working with Quincy Jones, where rhythm was the most important thing, fell over into Brazilian music’s influence on me. I learned to play Bossa Nova songs as a teenager and I’ve always been fascinated with the rhythmic aspect of Brazilian music.

Talk about your Sadowsky LS-13.
For years, I was a Gibson guy – I still am. I had a Custom Shop Lee Ritenour L-5 that got cracked on a flight. After that, I was leery about bringing it on the road. Roger Sadowsky said, “Why don’t you try one of mine?” He provided me with an LS-13 and a couple of his jazz guitars. I put flatwound strings on the LS-13, which was the perfect choice for the road and recording. On Brasil, the electric stuff you hear is the LS-13, and it travels with me all over the world.

It’s very airy and vivid sounding. Is it completely solid?
There’s a hollow part right down the center, which gives it a little bit of a chamber. But for the most part it’s 90 percent solid. I didn’t even think about what guitar I would use on the album. Between the LS-13 and my Yamaha Classical NCX2000, I knew I would be covered.
The Yamaha was a good match with the other acoustic performers.

When I wasn’t playing the Yamaha, Chico ended up using it on the first track. Celso Fonseca ended up using that guitar on his tune, “Meu Samba Torto.” On “Stone Flower,” I’m playing the LS-13. Chico is using the Yamaha. I remember calling up Yamaha and telling them, “Your Yamaha is all over the record in several ways (laughs).”

This article originally appeared in VG’s September 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.