Primary Instrument: Sax, tenor
At age of 15, KyungGu happened to see the saxophones in a department store. Then a year had passed before he got a chance to play the instrument that had delighted and enchanted him. From the moment he laid his fingers on it he instantly fell in love; the saxophone and he were destined to go through life together.
In 1999, he enrolled into Seoul Institute of Arts, which had produced a large number of distinguished musicians in Korea, and had the first opportunity to interact with other musicians. This immersion into a community of great musicians and the learning that came from interacting with them were just two of many benefits he reaped. While at Seoul Institute of Arts, he joined the National Navy Entertainment Band as a saxophonist. For three years, he had traveled the country extensively and performing regularly during this time was an extremely valuable experience. After graduating the school, he performed in main stream of Korea such as National Theaters, TV shows, and local jazz clubs. In addition, he taught jazz through private lessons and as a staff of several music schools in Seoul.
Despite his settled music life in Korea, he came to New York to pursue his dream further in January of 2006. He believes that everything he respects and loves about jazz exists New York. He first enrolled to the prestigious New School for Contemporary and Jazz Program and got opportunities to study with Jim Snidero, Dan Greenblatt, Rory Stuart, Joel Frahm, Donny McCaslin, Jimmy Green, Rich Perry, Charles Tolliver, Reggie Workman, and Mark Turner. Then, he has continued his studies at SUNY Purchase College for graduate study with Steve Wilson, Eric Alexander, Ralph Lalama, Hal Galper, John Faddis, and Todd Coolman. All his learning experiences with them have broadened and enriched his music.
Kyunggu Lee is a versatile jazz musician: tenor saxophonist, arranger, composer and producer. He wants to contribute to the art and enjoyment of jazz and help those people who have strong desire to learn more about jazz.
Disclaimer: All About Jazz is not responsible for the accuracy of the discographical data at the website(s) provided. If a link is no longer valid, please contact discography@allaboutjazz.com. Thank you.
Primary Instrument:
Sax, tenor
Willing to teach:
Advanced students only.
