1995 · Album
Larry & Lee
Recorded 1995 · GRP Records · Produced by Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour
Two Guitarists, One Room, Pure Chemistry
Carlton and Ritenour trade solos with the ease of musicians who've spent decades in the same studios.
Larry & Lee arrived in 1995 without fanfare—a straightforward meeting of two of session music's most respected guitarists, recorded live in what feels like a jam session with a full band behind them. It never became a commercial juggernaut, but it found its audience among players and serious listeners who understood what was happening: two men at the absolute peak of their studio powers, finally sharing a front-and-center moment instead of rotating through the same hit records. The album builds on the smooth jazz formula Larry Carlton had already established in his solo work and later in Fourplay, but the presence of Lee Ritenour shifts the dynamic. Where Carlton tends toward fluid, singing lines, Ritenour brings rhythmic precision and a sharper attack. They're not fighting—they're completing each other's sentences. Gary Grant and Jerry Hey anchor the brass, Omar Hakim and Harvey Mason trade drum duties to keep things breathing, and Greg Phillinganes and David Witham handle the harmonic architecture. Nothing here surprises you if you know modern session jazz, but that's partly the point. This is professional musicians at work, comfortable enough to play simply and directly. The best moments come when one guitarist steps back and lets the other breathe—Carlton's ballad work on some tracks shows the melodic depth that made him invaluable on Joni Mitchell records decades earlier. It's a solid, enjoyable record that asks nothing of you except to appreciate craftsmanship and chemistry.
Who's playing
Melvin Davisbass
Larry Carltonguitar
Lee Ritenourguitar
Larry Williamstenor saxophone
Gary Granttrumpet
Jerry Heytrumpet
Bill Reichenbach, Jr.trombone
Omar Hakimdrums
Harvey Masondrums
Cassio Duartepercussion
Greg Phillinganeskeyboard
David Withamkeyboard
Rick Jacksonkeyboard
