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Lyle Ritz took
a few turns before
returning to uke
By John Berger The music business is full of twists and turns. Lyle Ritz's career is a good example. Ritz visualized the potential of the ukulele as a serious jazz instrument in the '50s but shelved his dreams of a career after two precedent-setting albums for Verve Records went begging for attention from jazz fans.
Special to the Star-BulletinWhen it came to playing the bass, though, Ritz was well known in Los Angeles. Some classic rock fans know him as a member of the Wrecking Crew that worked for Phil Spector and arranger Jack "Specs" Nitzsche in constructing Spector's "Wall of Sound" hits. Ritz also worked with Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Sonny & Cher, Herb Alpert and Linda Ronstadt.
Years passed. Ritz was starting to think about retirement. Then, 15 years ago, Roy Sakuma invited him to appear as a guest in his annual ukulele festival. Ritz started thinking more about the uke and one thing lead to another.
Ritz became a regular at Sakuma's annual festival. He and his wife moved to Hawaii. Ritz recorded his third album, "Time ... Ukulele Jazz," for Sakuma's record label in 1995, and was contacted more recently by L.A.-based ukulele promoter and book publisher "Jumpin' Jim" Beloff, who was impressed by the sophistication of Ritz's playing and asked him to share his knowledge.
On stage
Who: Lyle Ritz performance and book signing
So Ritz is now celebrating the publication of his instructional songbook, "Ukulele Masters: Lyle Ritz Jazz," which illustrates the chords used to play 25 American pop standards on either a soprano or tenor ukulele. The book comes with a CD that allows fans and students to hear how Ritz plays the basic note-for-note melodies on both instruments (see www. fleamarketmusic.com).
"It was Jim Beloff who suggested doing a CD with it because the songs are complex and a new player would find it difficult. The CD is not the kind you're going to put on and listen to during dinner. It's strictly for reference," he said.
"The songs are standards but the chords and the background harmonies are really elegant and proper for this kind of music. Gone are the simple three-chord accompaniments."
Ritz will be playing tomorrow evening at The Ukulele House in Waikiki. He'll be joined by his daughter, Emily, a serious player who is a uke instructor at one of Sakuma's studios. It will be his only scheduled public performance here this spring. He starts a mainland promotional tour next week. He'll also be going into the studio for a reunion with another artist he worked with in the '60s, Joanie Sommers of "Johnny Get Angry" fame.
Ritz' musical odyssey began with violin lessons; he says he enjoyed the instrument but never got beyond "second fiddle" status in school. He played tuba in the school band and developed an interest in rhythms that eventually lead him to the string bass and electric bass. But before that happened, he discovered the uke.
In 1950, hordes of people wanted play the ukulele just like Arthur Godfrey, who played the instrument on his TV show. Ritz was in school in L.A. and had a part-time job in a music store that carried ukuleles. Ritz learned just enough so that he could demonstrate the differences of the instruments, but the tones of the tenor uke captured his imagination.
"This was the instrument that really knocked me out five decades ago when I first picked it up. It was the sound of the instrument (and) the mellowness. It's still the same intervals and the relation between the strings except it's all lower and there's such a beautiful tone quality. You hit a note and it will dwell longer just because the string is longer," he explains.
Ritz admits he didn't know much about what Hawaiians were doing with the instrument or even that most people here used it as part of the rhythm section. He also didn't know one of his interested buyers was Barney Kessel, West Coast representative for Verve Records .
"I played something and Barney came over and introduced himself and I went through the floor I was so shocked. He told me to call him after I got out of the army if I wanted to do something."
But Ritz didn't call, opting to enroll in art school after he got out of the Army. After a couple of semesters he realized that music meant more to him than art. He called Kessel and was signed by Verve. American jazz fans didn't respond to Ritz albums, "How About Uke" and "50th State Jazz." Ritz turned his attention to the bass. Two decades of success as a studio musician working with hitmakers like Spector followed.
"Spector always knew what he wanted, he was very bright with a subtle sense of humor, and was always, in my experience, a gentleman. He loved jazz players. He loved (jazz guitarist) Barney Kessel and I suspect he hired me to play bass because he remembered those Verve albums. I saw him a few years ago and he still remembers," Ritz says.
Even after Sakuma brought him to Hawaii, Ritz says, "I never really did grasp the rhythm and the strums of island-style playing -- which I kind of regret -- but on the other hand I've decided I would leave Hawaiian music to those who really know it and know how to play it."
For now Ritz has the new book to promote, the mainland tour, and a performance at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in June. He's also looking forward to doing another show with local musician Byron Yasui, who also plays ukulele and acoustic bass.
"We've played often and we toured the East Coast a few years ago. We have a shtick where we switch instruments right in the middle of song. He's a wonderful musician and it's always great fun."
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