John Lee (musician)

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Life and career

Born June 28, 1952 in Roxbury, MA, Lee (John Gregory Lee) is the son of an African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) minister, Rev. John W. Lee, and Harriet Holland Lee, who was a career social worker. He grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, Amityville, New York, and Philadelphia, PA. At Philadelphia's Overbrook high school, he met drummer Gerry Brown, with whom he also studied at the Philadelphia Musical Academy (which is now the University of the Arts) from 1970 to 1972. In August 1972 he and Brown relocated to Europe, with Den Haag, Holland as their base. Together they and toured and recorded in bands led by Chris Hinze, Charlie Mariano, Philip Catherine, and Jasper Van't Hof. Lee moved to New York City in October 1974 and worked with Joe Henderson, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Norman Connors until joining Larry Coryell's 11th House in December 1974. In 1975 John Lee and Gerry Brown signed a recording contract with Bluenote Records and formed a working band of their own which continued until 1981. During this period they also recorded for Columbia Records 1978-79. Lee also began producing records in 1977. From 1982 to 1984 Lee worked with the McCoy Tyner Quintet. In July 1984 Lee became Dizzy Gillespie's bassist, touring and recording with Dizzy's Quintet, his Big Band, and his grammy winning United Nation Orchestra until January 1993 when he passed away.[1]

Lee has performed at concert halls and jazz clubs in over 100 countries around the world. He has also toured in the bands of Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Joe Henderson, Pharoh Saunders, Gary Bartz, Gregory Hines, Alphonse Mouzon, Claudio Roditi, Jon Faddis, Roy Hargrove, and Roberta Gambarini. Lee was also a founding member of the The Fantasy Band 1993-1996 with Chuck Loeb, Marion Meadows, and Dave Samuels. In 1996, at the bequest of Dizzy's wife Lorraine Gillespie and the Dizzy Gillespie Estate, Lee became the director and bassist of the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars as well as the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. They have recorded five albums and toured extensively around the world.

As a producer Lee has produced over 50 albums and CDs, and as a recording engineer he has recorded and mixed over 85 albums and CDs.

In 2009 John Lee co-founded the jazz recording label JLP (Jazz Legacy Productions), with partner Lisa Broderick.[2][3]

Selected Albums as a Bassist

With Chris Hinze

  • Virgin Sacrifice 1972 CBS
  • Mission Suite 1973 MPS
  • 2nd coming 1974 CBS

With James Moody, Sahib Shihab, Jeremy Steig, Chris Hinze

  • The Flute Summit 1973 Atlantic

With Charlie Mariano

  • Cascade1974 Limetree

With Toots Thielemans

  • Philip Catherine and Friends 1974 Limetree

With Jasper Van't Hof

  • Eye-Ball 1974 Keytone
  • However 1977 MPS

With Joachim Kuhn

  • Hip Elegy 1975 MPS
  • Spring Fever 1976 Atlantic

With Larry Coryell & The 11th House

  • Level One 1975 Arista
  • Aspects' 1976 Arista

With Luther Allison

    With Mike Mandel

      With Eddie Henderson

        With Philip Catherine

        • September Man 1975 Atlantic
        • Guitars 1976 Atlantic
        • Niram 1976 Warner Brothers

        With Alphonse Mouzon

        • Back Together Again 1977 Atlantic

        With Bluenote All-Stars'

        • Live at the Sunset Grill 1976 Bluenote

        With CBS All-Stars'

        • Havana Jam, vol.1 1977 Columbia
        • Havana Jam, vol.2 1977 Columbia

        With Bob Malach'

        • ?????? 1978

        With Danny Toan'

        • Big Foot

        With McCoy Tyner

        • 'Dimensions 1983

        With Dizzy Gillespie

        • Gillespie & Sanduval 1986 Habacan HABCD-2435
        • Endlessly 1988 Impulse MCAD42153
        • The Symphony Sessions 1989 Sion 181190
        • A Night In Tunisia 1989 First Choice FC 4502
        • Live at Blues Alley 1991 Blues Alley BAMSD 110003

        With Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band

        • Live at Royal Albert Hall 1988 BBC

        With Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra

        • Live at Royal Albert Hall 1989 ENJA
        • Strangers in Paradise 1990 Jazz Door 1269

        With Claudio Roditi

        • Samba Manhattan Style 1995 Reservoir
        • Double Standards 1997 Reservoir
        • Simpatico 2010 Resonance

        With Fantasy Band'

        • The Fantasy Band 1993 DMP
        • Sweet Dreams 1994 Shanachie
        • The Kiss 1996 Shanachie

        With Mike Longo

        • Dawn ff a New Day 1997 CAP 927

        With Slide Hampton

        • Slide Plays Jobim 2002 Alleycat
        • Spirit Of The Horn (World of Trombones)

        With Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars'

        • Dizzy's 85th Birthday Celebration
        • Dizzy's World

        With Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band'

        • Things to Come
        • Dizzy's Business
        • I'm Beboppin' Too

        With Roy Hargrove and the RH Factor'

        With Wolfgang Lackerschmid'

        • Gently But Deep

        With Michael Urbaniak & Wolfgang Lackerschmid'

        With Stephanie Slesinger

        • Angel Eyes 2004 Enja ENJ-94702

        With Yotam Silberstein'

        • Brasil

        Albums as a Producer

        • The New Love Carlos Garnett 1977 Muse 5133
        • Fire Carlos Garnett 32 Jazz 32043
        • Bruce Fisher 1977 Mercury Records
        • Art Webb 1977 Atlantic Records
        • Zbigniew Seifert 1997 Capitol Records
        • Medusa 1998 Columbia Records
        • Chaser John Lee & Gerry Brown 1979 Columbia Records
        • Brothers (Eff Albers, Gerry Brown, John Lee, Darryl Thompson) 1980 Hot Wire EFA12839-2
        • Bigfoot Danny Toan
        • Solo Larry Coryell 1993
        • Sweet Dreams Fantasy Band 1994 DMP CD-508
        • The Kiss Fantasy Band 1997 Shanachie 5028
        • LLL Mental (Wolgang Lackerschmid, Lee, Chuck Loeb) Mental 1997 Hot 9029
        • Endless is Love Jon Lucien 1996 Shanachie 5031
        • Tongo Hip Pocket 1997 TRC 9702
        • Lavender Light Lavender Light 1994
        • Lavender Light Light In The House 1996
        • Once Upon A Time Shirley Marshall 1996 SAMA SO1-918
        • Laura Heumer Laura Huemer
        • Judy Gajary
        • Dizzy's 85th Birthday Celebration Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars 1977 Shanachie 5040
        • Slide Plays Jobim Slide Hampton 2002 Alleycat 20021
        • Live Saundra Santiago
        • Soul Searchin' Winston Byrd 2004 D.Y.P. Limited
        • Gordon James After Hours 2004 Caress Music
        • Dizzy's World Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars
        • Things to Come Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Star Big Band
        • Dizzy's Business Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band
        • American Rath Trombones (James Burton, Michael Dease, David Gibson)
        • I'm Beboppin' Too Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band
        • Spirit Cyrus Chestnut
        • Eloquence Steve Davis
        • Relentless Sharel Cassity
        • Endurance Heath Brothers
        • Incorrigable One for All
        • Grace Michael Dease
        • Musicá Helio Alves
        • Resonance Yotam Silberstein
        • Uplift Monty Alexander
        • Source Benny Green
        • Warriors The Cookers
        • Journeys Cyrus Chestnut Trio
        • Resiliance Tim Mayer
        • Brasil Yotam Silberstein
        • Respect Roy Assaf
        • Coexist Winard Harper
        • Uplift 2 Monty Alexander
        • Blackside Mark Gross
        • Togetherness Jimmy Heath Big Band
        • The Shadow Of Your Smile Roberta Gambarini
        • Angels Andy Scott
        • Melding Hank Jones & Steve Davis
        • Antonio Hart
        • Helio Alves featuring Airto
        • Pulsation Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience featuring Machito Jr.

        References

        1. ↑ http://www.dizzygillespie.org.com
        2. ↑ "Artist: John Lee - (Bass)" (in German). Konzerte im Fronhof. Archived from the original on 16 January 2005. 
        3. ↑ http://www.jazzlegacyproductions.com
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