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American bassist (born 1952) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Will Lee is an American bassist known for his work on the Late Show with David Letterman as part of the CBS Orchestra, and “The World's Most Dangerous Band" during Letterman’s tenure as host of NBC’s "Late Night".[1]
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Will Lee | |
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Born | 1952 (age 71–72) |
Genres | Jazz, rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Bass, vocals |
Years active | 1973–present |
Website | www |
Lee has recorded and toured with many artists. He appeared on the Mark & Clark Band's hit record Worn Down Piano. He performs with his Beatles tribute band, The Fab Faux,[2] which he co-founded in 1998.[3]
Lee was greatly influenced to pursue music because of his parents. His father, William Franklin Lee III played piano, trumpet and the upright bass professionally. Lee's mother Lois sang with big bands. Lee took up drums after seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, and by the time he was 12 had formed his first band in Miami. The band members each earned $6 a night playing the popular surfing tunes characteristic of the 60s. With the great numbers of drummers in Miami, Lee shifted to bass, an instrument that offered more opportunities. Lee was part of a succession of bands including top 40 bands with names like "Chances R" "The Loving Kind", and "Green Cloud."
Lee studied French horn for a year and then switched to a bass major. After classes, he worked on bass fundamentals listening to not only the Beatles, but also Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Miller, The Rascals, Motown, Sly & the Family Stone, among others. He would put it all into practice six sets a night playing with various local bands, including a horn band called "Goldrush."
Lee then went to New York City. Trumpeter Randy Brecker called Lee out of class one day and invited him to audition for jazz-rock group Dreams. He won the part and played on the album Imagine My Surprise as a bassist and vocalist. After Dreams disbanded, Lee's career as a session musician flourished, and he toured with many artists. Lee played in the New York "24th Street Band" which had great success in Japan, giving him a solo artist career that yielded him a top 5 single. Most recently, his solo CD entitled OH! reached the #1 position on the "Jazz Beyond" chart there. On January 20, 2016 Lee played bass with Christopher Cross at the Moody Theater in Austin, TX at a taping for Austin City Limits.
In 1982, Lee became one of the original members of The World's Most Dangerous Band, the house band on NBC's Late Night with David Letterman. He holds the distinction of playing with Paul Shaffer, on both Late Night and the Late Show, longer than any other member of the CBS Orchestra.[4] Before the Late Show began taping, he often tossed out guitar picks to the audience as souvenirs. On the May 13, 2015 episode of the Late Show with David Letterman, as Letterman was interviewing Paul Shaffer, Shaffer gave recognition to the members of his band, and lastly mentioned Lee as the "man has been with us on bass since the first night we were on Late Night, Will Lee."
Lee uses the Sadowsky Will Lee model, 4 and 5-string Fender Jazz-style basses with a narrower nut width of 1.45" [37mm] instead of the usual 1.5" [38mm], 22 frets and a Hipshot D-tuner. This is the only instrument offered by Sadowsky that has a midrange control, an on-off toggle switch selectable between 500hz and 800hz. The bass was built for him by Roger Sadowsky and has now become a production model within the line of Sadowsky basses.[6]
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With Alessi Brothers
With Peter Allen
With Joan Armatrading
With Patti Austin
With Aztec Camera
With Carole Bayer Sager
With Joe Beck
With Bee Gees
With George Benson
With Michael Bolton
With The Brecker Brothers
With Dan Brenner
With Hiram Bullock
With Gary Burton
With Peabo Bryson
With Irene Cara
With Mariah Carey
With Felix Cavaliere
With Beth Nielsen Chapman
With Cher
With Clarence Clemons
With Jimmy Cliff
With Linda Clifford
With Natalie Cole
With Judy Collins
With Randy Crawford
With Peter Criss
With Christopher Cross
With D'Angelo
With Sheena Easton
With Donald Fagen
With Art Farmer
With Roberta Flack
With Michael Franks
With Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
With Ace Frehley
With Steve Goodman
With Lawrence Gowan
With Al Green
With Henry Gross
With Arlo Guthrie
With Spyro Gyra
With Major Harris
With Cissy Houston
With Janis Ian
With Chaka Khan
With Kool & the Gang
With Yusef Lateef
With Lori Lieberman
With Fred Lipsius
With Steve Lukather
With Delbert McClinton
With Taj Mahal
With Melissa Manchester
With Barry Manilow
With Herbie Mann
With Meco
With Glenn Medeiros
With Melanie
With Bette Midler
With Liza Minnelli
With Tim Moore
With Kenny Nolan
With Laura Nyro
With Odyssey
With Leslie Pearl
With Esther Phillips
With Nicole Renée
With Vicki Sue Robinson
With Diana Ross
With David Sanborn
With Leo Sayer
With Lalo Schifrin
With Helen Schneider
With Diane Schuur
With Don Sebesky
With Neil Sedaka
With Janis Siegel
With Nina Simone
With Carly Simon
With Phoebe Snow
With Bert Sommer
With The Spinners
With Dusty Springfield
With Ringo Starr
With Steely Dan
With Mike Stern
With Cat Stevens
With Barbra Streisand
With Bonnie Tyler
With Frankie Valli
With Dionne Warwick
With Vanessa Williams