Lee Mack "Captain Fingers" Ritenour is an internationally acclaimed guitarist, recording artist, composer and producer. He began his career at the prodigious age of 16 and has appeared on over 3000 sessions, recorded over 40 albums, and has charted over 30 instrumental & vocal contemporary jazz hits since 1976. He is probably best known for the hit "Is It You" in 1981. Ritenour is considered to be a pioneer in the smooth jazz and jazz-funk genres of music.
Ritenour was born January 11, 1952 in Los Angeles, California. He played his first session when he was 16 with the Mamas and the Papas and given the moniker, "Captain Fingers", because of his manual dexterity on the guitar. Ritenour was a sought-after session guitarist by the mid-1970s, and won Guitar Player Magazine's Best Studio Guitarist twice in the 1970's. He is noted for playing his red Gibson ES-335 and his Gibson L5 guitars.
One of his most notable influences is the pioneering jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery among others like Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell and John Mcglaughin. His prolific career includes a Grammy Award for the collaboration work Harlequin (1985), and 17 other Grammy nominations. Ritenour also holds the distinction of having two of the promotional videos for his songs "Is It You" and "Mr. Briefcase" being played during MTV's first day. Ritenour has been at the top of many guitar polls throughout the world.