David Lee (drummer)

{{Short description|American jazz drummer and composer (1941–2021)}}{{Other people|David Lee}}{{Infobox musical artist

| name = David Lee

| birth_date = January 4, 1941

| birth_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.

| death_date = August 4, 2021 (aged 80)

| death_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.

| genre = Jazz

| instrument = Drums

}}

David Lee Jr. (January 4, 1941 – August 4, 2021) was an American jazz drummer and composer.

Early life

Lee was born in New Orleans on January 4, 1941. He played professionally from his early teens, and was a member of bands in the United States Army.

Career

In 1969, Lee co-founded the New Orleans Jazz Workshop.{{Cite Grove |last=Will |first=Patrick T. |date=2003 |title=Lee, David(, Jr.) |url=https://doi.org./10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J262800 |access-date=September 19, 2021}} Dizzy Gillespie brought Lee into his band in 1969; soon after he worked with Roy Ayers (1971) and Sonny Rollins (1972–1975). Lee then formed a quartet and continued to work as a sideman.

Ethan Iverson wrote that Lee in recordings by Rollins in the 1970s was "swinging hard in a traditional manner but also perfect for all the varied grooves embraced by '70's jazz".{{cite web |last=Iverson |first=Ethan |author-link=Ethan Iverson |date=September 19, 2021 |title=George Mraz, Juini Booth, Rick Laird, Peter Ind, George Wein, Phil Schaap, Thurston Briscoe, Ruth Cameron, Sam Reed, Charlie Watts, David Lee, Jerry Granelli, Louis Andriessen, Norm MacDonald |url=https://ethaniverson.com/2021/09/19/george-mraz/ |access-date=September 19, 2021 |website=ethaniverson.com}}

Personal life

He died on August 4, 2021.{{cite news |title=David Lee Jr. |work=The Times-Picayune |url=https://obits.nola.com/us/obituaries/nola/name/david-lee-obituary?pid=199729604 |access-date=September 19, 2021}}

Discography

=As sideman=

With Yoshiaki Masuo

  • 111 Sullivan St. (1975)

With Sonny Rollins

  • Next Album (Milestone, 1972)
  • Horn Culture (Milestone, 1973)
  • Sonny Rollins in Japan (Victor, 1973){{cite web |title=Sonny Rollins Catalog |url=https://www.jazzdisco.org/sonny-rollins/catalog/ |website=jazzdisco.org |access-date=September 19, 2021}}
  • The Cutting Edge (Milestone, 1974)
  • First Moves (Jazz Door, 1974)

With Charlie Rouse

With Lonnie Liston Smith

  • Astral Traveling (Flying Dutchman, 1973){{cite web |last=Henderson |first=Alex |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/astral-traveling-mw0000224800 |title=Lonnie Liston Smith & the Cosmic Echoes / Lonnie Liston Smith: Astral Traveling |website=AllMusic |access-date=September 19, 2021}}

With Richard Wyands

  • Then, Here, and Now (Jazzcraft, 1978)

References