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CHRIS LEE is a North Carolina-born, Brooklyn-based singer and songwriter. He was a high school quarterback, philosophy student, college radio DJ, journalist, and serial sideman before bursting out in the late '90s under his own name, with a string of stirring solo performances that turned the heads of local cognoscenti. His self-titled debut, released in August 2000 on the Misra label and co-produced by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, marries classic soul music to the amateur clang of punk and new wave. After a warm critical reception and short tour Lee was back in the studio by the end of the year, at work on his sophomore effort, Chris Lee Plays & Sings Torch'd Songs, Charivari Hymns & Oriki Blue-Marches. Again co-produced by Shelley, this time for his Smells Like Records imprint, the album mines a lower-key atmosphere, based primarily around acoustic guitar, with upright bass, keyboards, brass, and Shelley's subtle percussion cushioning Lee's multilayered vocals. Among its highlights are cameos by the Antibalas horns and ace guitarist Smokey Hormel (Beck/Tom Waits), who contributes to a winning version of Neil Young's classic "On The Beach". June 2003 saw the release of Lee's third album, Cool Rock. Recorded spontaneously over the summer and fall of 2002, and mixed in Nashville by Marky Nevers (Lambchop, Will Oldham, Vic Chesnutt), the album again features Shelley's powerhouse drumming, longtime bassist Jeremy Wilms, and the Antibalas horns, alongside agile jazz drummer Greg Gonzalez and vibraphonist Yusuke Yamamoto. Combining the electric rock and soul of Chris Lee and the more acoustic, introspective explorations of Plays & Sings..., Cool Rock is definitive evidence of the breadth and promise of Lee's musical vision. Lee has made a name for himself in New York through rapturous live performances, showcasing both his own songs and those of a diverse corps of contemporary masters, from Neil Young and Dan Penn to Sade and Prince, and backed by a rotating cast of some of the finest young players in New York City. He has also spread the word city by city, touring tirelessly both as a headliner and as support for acts such as Luna, Low, American Music Club, The Frames, Idlewild, Stereolab, Richard Buckner, and Tanya Donelly, and appearing at festivals such as the CMJ Music Marathon, South by Southwest, and All Tomorrow's Parties. He is currently writing and rehearsing new material, and performing sporadically in New York City. |
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photo by Sophie Paris
