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Scott Lee

As a college student in Chapel Hill, N.C., Scott Lee switched from a tennis career to a commitment to jazz. Upon finishing college, he dove into music by studying from books, band stand training, and taking lessons from the likes of Charlie Banacas, Dave Holland and Homer Mensch.

Arriving in New York in the late 70’s, one of Lee’s first gigs was touring and recording with Chet Baker. He went on to work with Lee Konitz, Zoot Simms, Al Cohn, Red Rodney, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Werner, and Joe Lovano. Also, he accompanied many singers such as Nancy Wilson, Chris Conner, Morgana King, Betty Buckley, Helen Merrill, Susannah McCorkle, and Anita O’Day.

In the orchestral world, Scott has shown his versatility by being part of the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s performance of Puchini’s “Gianni Schicci”, to the World Premiere of Charles Ives’ “Universe Symphony”. He has also toured and recorded with the Andy Statman Quartet playing the music of the Jewish Mystics.

Recently, he has been leading his own group featured on his CD With Ease, recording and playing with the Loren Stillman Quartet, and staying active in New Music Ensembles in the New York area. Currently he can be heard on Joe Lovano’s Blue Note release Viva Caruso, and just completed another European tour with Joe.

Scott has finished his first book, Playing the Body Playing the Bass, practices Qi Gong daily and is a Reiki Master.

He lives with his wife Sue Anne and daughter Aria in Manhattan and Bucks County, PA., where he is a faculty member in the Music Dept. at Kutztown University. Source: Scott Lee

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159
Take Five With...

Take Five With Scott Lee

Read "Take Five With Scott Lee" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Meet Scott Lee:Scott Lee switched from a career in tennis at UNC-CH to jazz, after hearing the Bill Evans Trio. Arriving in NY in the '70s, he worked with Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Al Cohn, Red Rodney, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Lovano, Kenny Werner, Andy Statman, Chris Conner, Morgana King, Helen Merrill, Betty Buckley, and Anita O'Day. In the orchestral world, he has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Guild and the world premiere of Charles Ives' ...

223
Album Review

Scott Lee: Leaving

Read "Leaving" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


Scott Lee is a bassist who sports a persuasive compositional pen. An educator, session ace, and solo artist, Lee and his constituents impart a highly-rhythmic slant on the progressive-jazz vernacular amid a few intermittent nods to the avant-garde spectrum throughout Leaving. His quartet instills a rite of passage, chocked full of nifty theme-building exercises, intriguing harmonic propositions and the swing element. The redeeming values of “Two Ways" are symmetrically balanced in a heady, odd-metered take on jazz-funk. With ...

107
Album Review

Scott Lee: Leaving

Read "Leaving" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


One word album titles often invite a lot questions about intent and direction. What exactly is bassist Scott Lee leaving behind? The answer is: nothing, and a little bit of everything at the same time. Lee is no newcomer on the scene and, for the past decade, he and his musical cohorts have been working out ideas on how to expand improvisational possibilities. While some people find it challenging enough to improvise over a given form, this quartet makes it ...

112
Album Review

Scott Lee: Leaving

Read "Leaving" reviewed by Mark Corroto


Maybe te annual jazz awards need to add a new category for musicians like Scott Lee. It could be titled “master musicians deserving of wider recognition." The veteran bassist has been on the New York scene since the 1970s, and a member of numerous bands including those led by titans Chet Baker, Joe Lovano, and, Kenny Werner. He has also been a sympathetic contributor to the careers of Loren Stillman and Andrew Rathbun. With Leaving, his followup to One Thought ...

101
Album Review

The Scott Lee Quartet / The Jeff Williams Quintet: With Ease / Jazzblues

Read "With Ease / Jazzblues" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Hard Bop/Post Bop. Cathexis records has released two collections of crashing, banging, squealing Hard/Post Bop Jazz. Bassist Scott Lee and Drummer Jeff Williams lead quartet and quintet combos respectively. This is music that owes much to and extends the language created by Miles Davis’ ‘60s quintet. The music on both is thoughtful and controlled without ever being boring or contrived. Percussion is the name of the game and it is fine through out. Music like this displays the importance of ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Leaving

SteepleChase Records
2010

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With Ease / Jazzblues

Cathexis Records
1999

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