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Howard Mandel - Future Jazz (1999) |
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| As a college student in Chapel Hill, NC, Scott Lee switched his pro tennis career into a life long commitment with jazz after hearing the Bill Evans Trio with bassist Eddie Gomez. He dove head first into the music by studying from books and band stand training to taking private lessons with the likes of Dave Holland, Homer Mensch, and Charlie Banacas, one of Boston's best.
Arriving in New York City in the late 70's, Scott's first gig was recording and touring with the legendary Chet Baker. This was only the beginning of Lee's professional career as a bassist. He went on to record and tour with Joe Lovano, Mose Allison, Lee Konitz, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Rod Rodney, and Freddie Hubbard, to name a few. Always a favorite with singers, he has accompanied Nancy Wilson, 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 traditional Metropolitan Opera Guild performances of Puccini's "Gianni Schicci" and the contemporary world premiere of Charles Ives' "Universe Symphony" at Lincoln Center. He has even recorded and toured with the Andy Statman Quartet, playing the music of the Jewish mystics. Eventually becoming a band leader of his own Quartets, Scott first assembled with Billy Drewes, Joe Locke, and Tom Rainey. Most recently, he can be seen playing with Billy Drewes, Russ Lossing, and Jeff Hershfield. Always active, he is the co-leader and composer for New Music Ensemble Wood with Billy Drewes, Michael Bocian, and Jon Kass. Scott Lee's debut CD "With Ease" is a culmination of his talent as a performer and composer. It exemplifies Scott's unique ability to transform jazz to yet another level of excellence. "Here's a mainstream ensemble that achieves distinction by building a chamber atmosphere." (Jazziz, September 1999) |
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Excerpted from Jazziz, Sept. 1999
Lee brings to his debut the reed play [Joe Lovano's] feisty decorum - even the most expressionistic moments are treated with meticulousness. Ultimately, it gives the music a modern classical flair... Lee integrates the ensemble pieces with a handful of solo-bass passages. Some are nuggets of mood, a chance for the improvisor to revel in his instrument's rich texture. Excerpted from the Bass Notes column, Bass Player Magazine, April 2000 "Scott Lee - Set & Match," by Harvey Pekar Increasingly, jazz bassists such as Mark Dresser, Mark Helias, Steve LaSpina, and Ed Schuller are composing and creating group styles as leaders. The latest is Scott Lee, whose solo debut With Ease showcases his ensemble concept. Says Lee, "I want to explore the role of the individual and the group - how does the bass player assert himself, break restrictions? I want everyone interacting all the time - a swirl of events." An inventive soloist, Lee possesses an attractive, medium-size pizzicato timbre and a refined, sonorous arco sound. Throughout With Ease, which features saxman Billy Drewes, pianist Russ Lossing, and drummer Jeff Hershfield, Lee's lines are marked by thoughtfulness and grace. His work ranges from the C-pedal based "In the Brightness" and the two-note foundation of "Night Suite" to unaccompanied free arco on "Solo Bass for Andy Statman." Scott exploits harmonics on "In the Brightness" and "Blue Eyes." "Sometimes bassists overlook harmonics as a textural element. And there are melodic possibilities." [With Ease] in large part grew out of his work with Drewes, pianist Kenny Werner, and drummer Jamie Haddad in the experimental group A-Bla-Du. "I like situations where the whole range of bass is explored, not just the traditional walking accompanist's function," notes Scott. "I like to be integrated into the whole of the music." |
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