Joe Lee Wilson
Joe Lee Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 22, 1935 Brighton, England |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
Joe Lee Wilson (December 22, 1935 – July 17, 2011)[1] was an American jazz singer from Bristow, Oklahoma, who lived in Europe since 1977.[2]
Biography
Part African-American and part
As his band's name, Joy of Jazz, suggests, Wilson's
He also sang with Eddie Jefferson, Freddie Hubbard, and Kenny Dorham.
Wilson had a minor radio hit from a live radio recording he did on a radio program hosted by Sharif Abdus-Salaam (né Ed Michael) at WKCR-FM, Columbia University, on July 16, 1972. The live shot was released as an album, Livin' High Off Nickels & Dimes, on the short-lived Oblivion Records in New York. Wilson's rendition of Norman Mapp's "Jazz Ain't Nothing But Soul" was a radio hit on New York jazz radio in 1975.[6]
In 1977 he and his English wife Jill Christopher moved to Europe.[3] While based in Paris, Tokyo, and the United Kingdom (for a time living in the London flat of Val Wilmer, before settling in Brighton, Sussex),[3] he recorded regularly with the American pianist Kirk Lightsey, including the Candid recording Feelin' Good. One of Wilson's last albums was an Italian recording with Riccardo Arrighini and Gianni Basso, Ballads for Trane (Philology W707.2).
Wilson was inducted into the
Wilson is the subject of a documentary film, Around Joe Lee, by Yves Breux and Brad Scott.[9]
Discography
As leader
- The Great City (Powertree, 1964)
- Livin' High Off Nickels and Dimes (Oblivion, 1974)
- What Would It Be Without You (Survival, 1975)
- Shout for Trane (Trio/Whynot, 1976)
- Secrets from the Sun (Inner City, 1977)
- Without a Song (Inner City, 1978)
- The Shadow (Cheetah, 1990)
- Feelin' Good! (Big City, 2001)
- Come and See with Jimmy Ponder (Explore, 2007)
As sideman
With Clifford Jordan
- Inward Fire (Muse, 1978)
With Mtume
With Archie Shepp
- Things Have Got to Change (1971)
- Attica Blues (1972)
- The Cry of My People (1972)
- A Touch of the Blues (Fluid, 1977)
References
- ^ a b c Peter Keepnews (July 22, 2011). "Joe Lee Wilson, a Leader of '70s Loft-Jazz Movement, Dies at 75". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Ron Wynn. "Joe Lee Wilson biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
- ^ a b c John Fordham, "Joe Lee Wilson obituary: Eloquent jazz vocalist who drew on the raw passion of the blues", The Guardian, July 18, 2011.
- ^ Scott Albin, "Joe Lee Wilson Speaks in 1974" Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, JazzTimes, July 31, 2011.
- ^ Elizabeth Mistry, "Joe Lee Wilson: Celebrated jazz singer who had his roots in the blues", The Independent, September 3, 2011.
- ^ Fred Seibert, ", Oblivion Records Tumblr, 2006-2015.
- ^ "Joe Lee Wilson", Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.
- ^ Roy Pennington, "Joe Lee Wilson, jazz singer, died last Sunday: R. I. P.", The Argus, July 19, 2011.
- ^ "Around Joe Lee - documentary on Joe Lee Wilson", YouTube.
External links
- Elizabeth Mistry, "Joe Lee Wilson: Celebrated jazz singer who had his roots in the blues", The Independent, September 3, 2011
- Obituary in The Guardian, July 18, 2011
- Joe Lee Wilson at Discogs
- Joe Lee Wilson's last public performance, at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in November 2010.
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