Will Lee

Celebrating The Third Story at 10 with Will Lee and Amanda Sidran

by Leo Sidran
February 4, 2024

Ten years ago, on a bit of a whim, I invited bassist Will Lee to come over to my home studio in Brooklyn to do an interview with me for a new project I was starting: a podcast. A year or two earlier, my friend had turned me on to Marc Maron's WTF podcast, and I was totally hooked on the concept of casual long form interviews among peers. At the time Maron spoke almost exclusively to comics, and I ...

Steve Khan: Arrows

by AAJ Staff
January 25, 2023

By Steve Khan With The Blue Man not selling as well as Tightrope, Dr. George Butler requested that I have a co-producer for the next CD. I was lucky to be able to land the engineering / production talents of my old and dear friend, Elliot Scheiner. Elliot and I had recorded together on countless sessions, but perhaps most people link us together because it was Elliot who recommended me to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker for AJA, which, of ...

Mike Levine: Just Chillin

by Edward Blanco
April 7, 2021

A proponent of the more relaxing side of the jazz spectrum, pianist and keyboardist Mike Levine presents his fourth album as leader, offering thirteen primarily original pieces falling decidedly within the smooth jazz category. A talented composer, Levine's music seems to eschew the core jazz tenet of improvisation in favor of catchy melodies perfect for those chilling-out moments that overwhelm us all sooner or later. A first-call musician by anyone's count, Levine draws on his vast experience performing ...

Oz Noy: Snapdragon

by Mike Jacobs
November 17, 2020

It's an old sentiment but it still holds that great instrumental chops, enthralling as they may be, are fairly meaningless on their own. And quite frankly, they are pretty ubiquitous these days with the internet exposure machine going full tilt. Given all that, it's quite easy for the listener to become inured with technical prowess-- especially wizardry of the fretboard. So to say Oz Noy is a fantastic guitarist just isn't enough anymore. It's fortunate then that what ...

Wayne Krantz: Write Out Your Head

by Mike Jacobs
May 9, 2020

What do you want from Wayne Krantz anyway? It's a particularly relevant question when new release time rolls around for the guitar icon(oclast). Not that Krantz himself seems to give the question much thought. He's more known for being preoccupied with things like inventing (and reinventing) himself, exploring and capturing ineffable group mojo, or pushing the envelope toward things he has yet to try or accomplish. And, as many longtime Krantz fans would surely tell you, rightfully so. ...

The Complete Arista Albums Collection

by John Kelman
December 14, 2012

When fusion first emerged in the late 1960s/early '70s with artists like trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Chick Corea and guitarist John McLaughlin, the emphasis was on guitar and keyboard heavy lineups like Return to Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra, with an equally strong predilection for the intensity and volume of rock and a kind of thundering funk that was different than the kind of music coming from R&B and soul artists like Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire. Parallel to ...

South Korean Jazz Pianist Ellie Lee's 'Escape' Available Today

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
May 24, 2024

Pianist Ellie Lee grew up in Seoul, South Korea, and earned a Bachelor of Music in Classical Piano Performance from Sookmyung Women’s University. She moved from classical music to jazz because “I’ve always had a desire to play music freely without being constrained by rules. Eventually, I found jazz music, which has a certain frame but also can be changed freely.” The transition to jazz was helped by a scholarship to Boston’s Berklee College of Music where she received a ...
read more

Lee Ritenhaur and Dave Grusin: Brasil

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
May 23, 2024

Just as sunshine pop offered a counterweight to psychedelic hard rock in the late 1960s, soft jazz evolved in the 1970s as a lighter FM alternative to the mystical psychedelic jazz fusion movement. Two artists who helped pioneer soft jazz were guitarist Lee Ritenour and keyboardist Dave Grusin. Mind you, these categories weren't exclusive. There was plenty of crossover by musicians between the two genres. Now Ritenour and Grusin have teamed up on the newly released Brasil (Candid). Recorded in ...
read more

Documentary: Lee Morgan: I Called Him Morgan

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
April 23, 2024

Lee Morgan is still not fully appreciated for all of the music he left behind and how he changed the sound of the trumpet. The glorious way he bent notes and tore into solos with economy and fervor became a fingerprint of sorts. He first stood out as a purposeful hard-bop player in Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers and then recorded a long string of superb albums as a leader for Blue Note. In 2016, Kasper Collin, a Swedish ...
read more

Pianist Michael Wolff Guests with Bassist Leon Lee Dorsey and Drummer Mike Clark on Evocative Tribute Album, 'Letter to Bill Evans'

Source: Lydia Liebman Promotions
March 9, 2024

For their seventh outing together as a close-knit, collaborative rhythm tandem, bassist Leon Lee Dorsey and drummer Mike Clark tapped pianist Michael Wolff as third man in their ongoing trio adventures. Wolff, who had previously appeared with Dorsey and Clark on 2020’s Play Sgt. Pepper, was indeed the perfect choice to complete the triumvirate on this heartfelt tribute to the late, great pianist-composer known for his contributions to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue as well as his hugely influential trio ...
read more

Just Announced: More Artists Added To Star-studded Celebration Of Peggy Lee And Frank Sinatra In Newark on February 8th

Source: AMT Public Relations
January 3, 2024

Thursday, February 8, 2024 @ 7:30 p.m. New Jersey Performing Arts Center 1 Center Street Newark, New NJ 07102 $49-$99. To purchase, contact NJPAC at 1.888.GO.NJPAC / 1.888.466.5722 or visit NJPAC.org. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) celebrates the close friendship of legendary singer and songwriter Miss Peggy Lee and the greatest vocal star of all, Frank Sinatra. This one-night-only event on Thursday, February 8, 2024, features Christian McBride as Musical Director, with a lineup of ...
read more

Samara Joy And Lee Ritenour Are First Two Headliners Announced For Rochester International Jazz Festival In June 2024

Source: Dalmath Associates Inc.
December 8, 2023

CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival producers Marc Iacona and John Nugent today announced the first two headliners for the 21st Edition June 21 to June 29, 2024. The Festival is one of the world's leading jazz festivals, presenting 1750 artists from around the world at 20 venues over nine days. Tickets for both shows go on sale this Friday, December 8th at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time only at rochesterjazz.com or call (585) 454-2060. 2023 GRAMMY-winning Artist of the Year, ...
read more

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center Announces 2024 Winter Jazz Performances Including Max Roach Centennial Celebrations, All-Star Musical Exploration Of Peggy Lee-frank Sinatra, And More

Source: AMT Public Relations
November 28, 2023

Thursday, January 18 at 7:00 p.m. Max Roach Centennial: The Drum Also Waltzes Documentary Film Screening + Panel Discussion Celebrate Max Roach’s centennial with a screening of the new documentary Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes at The Newark Museum of Art. Afterwards, a panel discussion will include Max’s son Raoul Roach and the film’s director / producers Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro. Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes explores the life and music of the legendary drummer, composer, bandleader ...
read more

Singer/Songwriter Kristen Lee Sergeant Gives Museumgoers a Soundtrack for Manet

Source: All About Jazz
November 15, 2023

An “unauthorized" audio guide is shaking things up for art goers at Metropolitan Museum in New York City, centered around an exhibit that features an artist who was no stranger to scandal himself. Kristen Lee Sergeant, an NYC based singer/songwriter, had been writing songs inspired by Manet's artwork since seeing an exhibit at the Getty years ago. When the Met announced the arrival of the “Manet/Degas" exhibit this fall, she recorded demos of the songs that corresponded to the paintings ...
read more

Jazz Musician of the Day: Lee Morgan

Source: Michael Ricci
July 10, 2023

All About Jazz is celebrating Lee Morgan's birthday today!

Morgan was a jazz prodigy, joining the Dizzy Gillespie big band at 18, remaining a member for two years. Beginning in 1956, he began recording as a leader, mainly for the Blue Note label, eventually he recorded twenty-five albums for the company. Morgan's principal influence as a player was Clifford Brown, having had direct contact with him before Brown's premature death. He was also a featured sideman on several early Hank ...
read more

"Late Show" Bassist Will Lee Releases New CD His First (as a leader) In 20 Years: Love, Gratitude and Other Distractions

Source: Michael Bloom Media Relations
July 13, 2013

A brilliant showcase for Will’s talents as a singer, songwriter and bassist, Love, Gratitude and Other Distractions (Sinning Saint Ltd. / August 20, 2013 release) also has the consummate team player getting a little help from his friends on this long-overdue second outing as a leader. Being the hardest working man in show business has been a boon to Will Lee’s career but prevented the ubiquitous bassist from diligently pursuing his own personal recording projects over the years. Between his ...
read more