Amos Lee
Encyclopedia
Amos Lee is an American singer-songwriter
whose musical style encompasses folk
, rock and soul
. Lee has four album
s on Blue Note Records and has toured as an opening act for Bob Dylan
, Elvis Costello
, Norah Jones
, Paul Simon
, Merle Haggard
, Van Morrison
, John Prine
, Dave Matthews Band
and Adele
. In 2011, his album Mission Bell
debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Lee was born in Philadelphia and graduated from the University of South Carolina
with a degree in English. He worked as a schoolteacher and bartender before pursuing a career in music. His manager submitted a demo recording to Blue Note Records
which resulted in a recording contract and an association with Norah Jones.
at age 11 and graduated from Cherry Hill High School East
.
Lee attended the University of South Carolina
and graduated with a degree in English and a minor in education. During his college years, Lee didn't have much interest in music until he heard the John Prine album, Great Days, and got his first guitar. Later, Lee played the bass guitar as part of a band and worked at a record store where he was exposed to music by Donny Hathaway
, Joni Mitchell
, Luther Vandross
, Bill Withers
and Otis Redding
.
School. In addition, he held jobs as a bartender at local music venues and performed at "open mic" nights in the area. Through his contacts with promoters he acquired local performances as an opening act for artists like Mose Allison
and B.B. King.
In 2003, Lee's manager sent a four-song demo CD to several record labels, and Eli Wolf of Blue Note Records, says he was "immediately struck by his voice". Norah Jones heard the demo CD while visiting the record company and invited Lee to be the opening act for her 2004 tour.
The friendship between Lee's manager and the manager for Bob Dylan
resulted in Lee joining Dylan's tour as an opening act in early 2005. Later that year Lee began touring on his own and recorded a self-titled, "widely praised" debut album, described as "subtle, folky soul". Norah Jones and members of her band contributed vocals, guitar, bass and piano to the recording and the album peaked at #2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers
chart and Lee was named one of Rolling Stone
s "Top 10 Artists to Watch." That year Lee performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show
, Total Request Live
, and Austin City Limits
and his song "Colors" appeared on the House M.D., Grey's Anatomy
and in the film Just Like Heaven.
In 2006, Lee second album, Supply and Demand was produced by Barrie Maguire. An NPR Music reviewer described it as having "more complicated instrumentation and production" than his prior work. The album yielded the single "Shout Out Loud" and peaked at #76 on the Billboard 200. The song, "Sweet Pea", was heard in an AT&T ad campaign.
In 2008, Lee's third studio album, Last Days at the Lodge
and re-emphasized "his grounding in folk and soul". The songs, "Listen" and "What's Been Going On", were released as singles and Lee performed at the Change Rocks voter registration rally for Barack Obama
, in Philadelphia.
In 2011, Lee released his fourth album on Blue Note Records, entitled Mission Bell which was produced by Joey Burns of Calexico. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, number one on the Digital Albums chart, number two on the Internet chart and number one on the Amazon Top-Selling Albums and iTunes
charts. The album's single, "Windows are Rolled Down", became a top 10 hit on USA Today
's adult-alternative chart.
Guest artists included Lucinda Williams
, Willie Nelson
, Priscilla Ahn
, Pieta Brown
, James Gadson
, and Sam Beam. The album was described as tunes placed in "a stark landscape, enveloped by rustling percussion and reverberant drones" with a tone and lyrics that were more optimistic than prior albums. Critics called it "a restless album with a gentle soul" and "another fine showcase for his elegant, soothing songwriting".
and Minnie Ripperton". A New York Times music critic described him as having a "honeyed singing voice – light amber, mildly sweet, a touch of grain" which he features "squarely, without much fuss or undue strain" in his "1970s folk rock and rustic soul" musical song craft. According to a music writer at ABC News, Lee "has that folksy, bluesy vibe, with a bit of country twang" and a voice that is "ever soulful". Simultaneously Lee has been both lauded and dismissed as the male version of Norah Jones" and his lyrics are said to convey "the complexities of everyday emotions" without relying on flowery imagery.
Lee's songs have appeared on TV shows and movies such as Six Degrees
, Parenthood (TV series)
, Army Wives
, Studio 60, ER
Brothers & Sisters and My Blueberry Nights
.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
whose musical style encompasses folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, rock and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. Lee has four album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s on Blue Note Records and has toured as an opening act for Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
, Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
, Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, John Prine
John Prine
John Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...
, Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
and Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
. In 2011, his album Mission Bell
Mission Bell (Amos Lee album)
Mission Bell is a fourth studio album by American musician Amos Lee, released on January 25, 2011. The album features Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Sam Beam, Priscilla Ahn, Pieta Brown, James Gadson, and Calexico as guests on the album. Joey Burns, of Calexico produced the album...
debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Lee was born in Philadelphia and graduated from the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
with a degree in English. He worked as a schoolteacher and bartender before pursuing a career in music. His manager submitted a demo recording to Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
which resulted in a recording contract and an association with Norah Jones.
Early life and education
Lee was born Ryan Anthony Massaro in 1978. He was raised in Philadelphia and moved to Cherry Hill, New JerseyCherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a population of 71,045, representing an increase of 1,080 from the 69,965 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census...
at age 11 and graduated from Cherry Hill High School East
Cherry Hill High School East
Cherry Hill High School East is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Cherry Hill Public Schools...
.
Lee attended the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
and graduated with a degree in English and a minor in education. During his college years, Lee didn't have much interest in music until he heard the John Prine album, Great Days, and got his first guitar. Later, Lee played the bass guitar as part of a band and worked at a record store where he was exposed to music by Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, Bill Withers
Bill Withers
William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
and Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
.
Career
Upon returning to Philadelphia Lee worked as a second grade school teacher at the Mary McLeod BethuneMary McLeod Bethune
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune was an American educator and civil rights leader best known for starting a school for African American students in Daytona Beach, Florida, that eventually became Bethune-Cookman University and for being an advisor to President Franklin D...
School. In addition, he held jobs as a bartender at local music venues and performed at "open mic" nights in the area. Through his contacts with promoters he acquired local performances as an opening act for artists like Mose Allison
Mose Allison
Mose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
and B.B. King.
In 2003, Lee's manager sent a four-song demo CD to several record labels, and Eli Wolf of Blue Note Records, says he was "immediately struck by his voice". Norah Jones heard the demo CD while visiting the record company and invited Lee to be the opening act for her 2004 tour.
The friendship between Lee's manager and the manager for Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
resulted in Lee joining Dylan's tour as an opening act in early 2005. Later that year Lee began touring on his own and recorded a self-titled, "widely praised" debut album, described as "subtle, folky soul". Norah Jones and members of her band contributed vocals, guitar, bass and piano to the recording and the album peaked at #2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart and Lee was named one of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s "Top 10 Artists to Watch." That year Lee performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
, Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
, and Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
and his song "Colors" appeared on the House M.D., Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
and in the film Just Like Heaven.
In 2006, Lee second album, Supply and Demand was produced by Barrie Maguire. An NPR Music reviewer described it as having "more complicated instrumentation and production" than his prior work. The album yielded the single "Shout Out Loud" and peaked at #76 on the Billboard 200. The song, "Sweet Pea", was heard in an AT&T ad campaign.
In 2008, Lee's third studio album, Last Days at the Lodge
Last Days at the Lodge
Last Days at the Lodge is the third studio album by singer-songwriter Amos Lee, released on June 24, 2008 through Blue Note. The first single from the album, "Listen", was made available as a digital download on the iTunes Store on April 29, 2008....
and re-emphasized "his grounding in folk and soul". The songs, "Listen" and "What's Been Going On", were released as singles and Lee performed at the Change Rocks voter registration rally for Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, in Philadelphia.
In 2011, Lee released his fourth album on Blue Note Records, entitled Mission Bell which was produced by Joey Burns of Calexico. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, number one on the Digital Albums chart, number two on the Internet chart and number one on the Amazon Top-Selling Albums and iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
charts. The album's single, "Windows are Rolled Down", became a top 10 hit on USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
's adult-alternative chart.
Guest artists included Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Priscilla Ahn
Priscilla Ahn
Priscilla Ahn is an American singer-songwriter.-Early life and education:Ahn was born Priscilla Natalie Hartranft in Fort Stewart, Georgia to Kay and Harry Hartranft and spent her childhood living in the USA and South Korea. She lived in Berks County, Pennsylvania for several years and attended...
, Pieta Brown
Pieta Brown
Pieta Brown is an American musician and singer-songwriter who has released four critically acclaimed albums and three EPs in the last decade. She has performed with artists such as Mark Knopfler, John Prine, Amos Lee and Calexico.-Early life:...
, James Gadson
James Gadson
James Gadson is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B music....
, and Sam Beam. The album was described as tunes placed in "a stark landscape, enveloped by rustling percussion and reverberant drones" with a tone and lyrics that were more optimistic than prior albums. Critics called it "a restless album with a gentle soul" and "another fine showcase for his elegant, soothing songwriting".
Reception
Lee's "folksy, bluesy sound" has been compared to that of Bill Withers, John Prine and Norah Jones. His music utilizes the "supple funk of his vocals and arid strum of his guitar" while recalling "the low-volume, early-'70s acoustic soul of stars like Bill WithersBill Withers
William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
and Minnie Ripperton". A New York Times music critic described him as having a "honeyed singing voice – light amber, mildly sweet, a touch of grain" which he features "squarely, without much fuss or undue strain" in his "1970s folk rock and rustic soul" musical song craft. According to a music writer at ABC News, Lee "has that folksy, bluesy vibe, with a bit of country twang" and a voice that is "ever soulful". Simultaneously Lee has been both lauded and dismissed as the male version of Norah Jones" and his lyrics are said to convey "the complexities of everyday emotions" without relying on flowery imagery.
Lee's songs have appeared on TV shows and movies such as Six Degrees
Six Degrees
Six Degrees is an American dramatic television series about six residents of New York City and their respective relationships and connections with one another, based on the idea of six degrees of separation....
, Parenthood (TV series)
Parenthood (2010 TV series)
Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC...
, Army Wives
Army Wives
Army Wives is an American drama series that follows the lives of four army wives, their families, and an army husband whose wife is in the army. The series, shot at ABC Studios, premiered on Lifetime on June 3, 2007...
, Studio 60, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
Brothers & Sisters and My Blueberry Nights
My Blueberry Nights
My Blueberry Nights is a 2007 romance/drama/road film directed by Wong Kar Wai, his first feature in English. The screenplay by Wong and Lawrence Block is based on a short Chinese-language film written and directed by Wong...
.
Personal life
Lee describes himself as being of "mixed" ethnicity and maintains a residence in Philadelphia and while spending some winter months in San Francisco.Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Rock |
AUT |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
NL MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
||||||||
| Amos Lee Amos Lee (album) Amos Lee is the self-titled debut album by American singer-songwriter Amos Lee, released in the U.S. by Blue Note Records on March 1, 2005. The album was produced by Lee Alexander, the bassist in Norah Jones' band... |
|
113 | — | 72 | 112 | 75 | 13 | — | ||||||
| Supply and Demand |
|
76 | 25 | — | — | — | 23 | — | ||||||
| Last Days at the Lodge Last Days at the Lodge Last Days at the Lodge is the third studio album by singer-songwriter Amos Lee, released on June 24, 2008 through Blue Note. The first single from the album, "Listen", was made available as a digital download on the iTunes Store on April 29, 2008.... |
|
29 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Mission Bell Mission Bell (Amos Lee album) Mission Bell is a fourth studio album by American musician Amos Lee, released on January 25, 2011. The album features Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Sam Beam, Priscilla Ahn, Pieta Brown, James Gadson, and Calexico as guests on the album. Joey Burns, of Calexico produced the album... |
|
1 | 1 | — | — | 98 | 39 | 61 | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||||||||
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Amos Lee (EP) |
|
| Live from KCRW |
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Windows Are Rolled Down" | Mission Bell |
| 2011 | "Flower" |