Joe Lee Wilson
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Joe Lee Wilson is a gospel-influenced jazz singer originally from Oakland, CA , USA. He is considered by many one of the great jazz singers, and maybe the greatest ballad singer, of his generation.
As his band’s name (Joy of Jazz) suggests, Joe Lee’s rich baritone voice personifies the life-affirming nature of jazz and blues. Seeing Billie Holiday perform in 1951 began his jazz odyssey; he studied in LA before touring the West Coast, where he sat in with Sarah Vaughan, and down to Mexico. In New York in the 60s, he worked with Sonny Rollins, Lee Morgan, Miles Davis, Pharoah Sanders and Jackie McLean; during the 1970s, he operated a jazz performance loft in New York City's NoHo District known as the Ladies' Fort.
In 1971-72 he sang with Archie Shepp, providing dynamic lead vocals on the seminal albums Things Have Got To Change and Attica Blues. He also sang with Eddie Jefferson, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Dorham and others. He recorded a live radio program at WKCR-FM, Columbia University, on July 16, 1972, which was released as an LP, "Livin' High Off Nickels & Dimes," on the short lived Oblivion Records in New York. Joe's rendition of "Jazz Ain't Nothing But Soul" was a radio hit on New York jazz radio in 1975. The entire LP is available for free download at the Oblivion Records blog (see below).
Nowadays based in Paris, Tokyo and the UK, he has recorded regularly with US pianist Kirk Lightsey, including the Candid recording Feelin’ Good. There is also a recent CD Italian recording with Riccardo Arrighini and Gianni Basso, ‘Ballads for Trane’ (Philology W707.2).
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