Jeanne Lee
Jeanne Lee combines acrobatic vocal maneuvers with a deeply moving sound and quality that allows her to alternate between soaring, upper register flights and piercing, emotive interpretations. She's extremely precise and flexible, and moves from a song or solo's top end to its middle and bottom accompanying an instrument with a stunning ease. Though many critics have cited Lee as creating free jazz's most innovative vocal approach, she's done very little recording, almost none of it as a leader, and even less on American labels. She's best-known for her many sessions with Gunther Hampel. Lee studied dance rather than music at Bard College, but while a student there, she met Ran Blake. They formed a duo, and she did her first recordings with him, which excited many critics. They toured Europe in 1963. Lee moved to California in 1964 and worked with Ian Underwood and sound poet David Hazelton, whom she later married. She and Hampel established their musical relationship while Lee was in Europe in 1967, going on to record over 20 albums together. Lee also recorded with Archie Shepp, Sunny Murray, and Hampel in the late '60s, and with Marion Brown, Anthony Braxton, Enrico Rava, and Andrew Cyrille in the '70s, while also working with Cecil Taylor. She began composing extensively in the '80s and began concentrating on performing her original material, which frequently included poetic and dance components. Most of her recordings have either been done for European labels or small independents. After living in New York in the mid-'90s, Lee taught at two music conservatories in Europe for several years. In 2000, Lee faced colon cancer without medical insurance. Some months after surgery, creative music lost a great voice. Benefit concerts (to help the family with expenses) were held by a number of jazz musicians, including Joseph Jarman, Gunter Hampel, Rashied Ali, Hamiet Bluiett, Abbey Lincoln, and many more.
© Ron Wynn /TiVo
Discography
12 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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The Newest Sound Around! (Remastered)
Vocal Jazz - Released by RevOla on 15 Jul 2019
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Newest Sound Around
Vocal Jazz - Released by RCA Victor on 25 Apr 2016
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Newest Sound Around
New Age - Released by Glass Ark Music on 15 Apr 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Afternoon Of A Georgia Faun
Marion Brown, Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea, Andrew Cyrille, Jeanne Lee, Bennie Maupin
Jazz - Released by ECM on 10 Aug 1970
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Free Standards - Stockholm 1966
Jazz - Released by Fresh Sound Records on 18 Jul 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nuba
Jimmy Lyons, Andrew Cyrille, Jeanne Lee
Jazz - Released by Black Saint on 1 Jan 1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
You Stepped Out Of A Cloud (Eng 11 Août 1989 Boston)
Jazz - Released by Universal Music Division Decca Records France on 11 Aug 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Newest Sound Around
Jazz - Released by Starlight Jazz on 25 Apr 2016
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ran Blake & Jeanne Lee. "Free Standards" Stockholm 1966
Jazz - Released by Fresh Sound Records on 18 Jul 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
You Stepped Out Of A Cloud (Eng 11 Août 1989 Boston)
Jazz - Released by Universal Music Division Decca Records France on 11 Aug 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Scheiße '71
Jeanne Lee, Gunter Hampel, Michel Waisvisz, Freddy Gosseye, Sven-Ake Johansson
Electronic - Released by Black Truffle on 9 Jun 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo