Will Lee (bassist)

Will Lee (bassist)
Will Lee is an American bassist known for his work on the Late Show with David Letterman as part of the CBS Orchestra and before that "The World's Most Dangerous Band" when Letterman hosted the NBC "Late Night" show.
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, which he co-founded in 1998.
Career
Beginnings in music
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."
Professional music career
Lee then went to New York City. Trumpeter Randy Brecker called Lee out of class one day and invited him to audition for "Dreams". In New York, 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.
The CBS Orchestra
In 1982, Lee became one of the original members of The World's Most Dangerous Band, the house band on NBCs 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. 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."
Awards and honors
NARAS MVP Award for bass guitar, 1979, 1982, 1985–1987
NARAS MVP Award for male session singer, 1987
NARAS MVP Virtuoso Award for bass guitar, 1989
Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, Some Skunk Funk, with Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine, Jim Beard, Vince Mendoza, Marcio Doctor, and the WDR Big Band, 2006
Inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014
Basses
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.
Discography
OH! (1993)
Birdhouse (2006)
Love, Gratitude and Other Distractions (2013)
As sideman
With Alessi Brothers
All For a Reason (A&M, 1977)
With Peter Allen
I Could Have Been a Sailor (A&M Records, 1979)
With Joan Armatrading
Me Myself I (A&M Records, 1980)
With Patti Austin
End of a Rainbow (CTI, 1976)
Havana Candy (CTI, 1977)
Body Language (CTI, 1980)
In My Life (CTI, 1983)
With Carole Bayer Sager
Carole Bayer Sager (Elektra Records, 1977)
With Joe Beck
Beck (Kudu, 1975)
With Bee Gees
E.S.P. (Warner Bros., 1987)
With George Benson
Benson & Farrell with Joe Farrell (CTI, 1976)
In Your Eyes (Warner Bros. Records, 1983)
Love Remembers (Warner Bros. Records, 1993)
With Michael Bolton
The Hunger (Columbia Records, 1987)
With The Brecker Brothers
The Brecker Bros. (Arista, 1975)
Back to Back (Arista, 1976)
Don't Stop the Music (Arista, 1977)
Return of the Brecker Brothers (GRP, 1992)
With Dan Brenner
Little Dark Angel (2011)
With Hiram Bullock
From All Sides (Atlantic, 1986)
Give It What U Got (Atlantic, 1987)
Way Kool (Atlantic, 1992)
World of Collision (Big World, 1994)
Manny's Car Wash (Big World, 1996)
First Class Vagabond (JVC Victor, 2000)
Guitarman (JVC Victor, 2000)
Color Me (Via, 2001)
Best of Hiram Bullock (WEA, 2002)
Try Livin' It (EFA, 2003)
Too Funky 2 Ignore (BHM, 2006)
With Gary Burton
Reunion (GRP, 1990)
Cool Nights (GRP, 1991)
Six Pack (GRP, 1992)
With Peabo Bryson
Take No Prisoners (Elektra Records, 1985)
With Irene Cara
Anyone Can See (Elektra Records, 1982)
What a Feelin' (Epic Records, 1983)
With Mariah Carey
Emotions (Columbia, 1991)
With Felix Cavaliere
Destiny (Bearsville, 1975)
Castles in the Air (Epic, 1979)
With Beth Nielsen Chapman
You Hold the Key (Reprise Records, 1993)
With Cher
Take Me Home (Casablanca Records, 1979)
Cher (Geffen Records, 1987)
With Clarence Clemons
A Night With Mr. C (CBS Records, 1989)
With Jimmy Cliff
Give Thankx (Warner Bros. Records, 1978)
With Linda Clifford
I'll Keep on Loving You (Capitol Records, 1982)
With Natalie Cole
Snowfall on the Sahara (Elektra Records, 1999)
With Judy Collins
Fires of Eden (Columbia, 1990)
With Randy Crawford
Raw Slik (Warner Bros. Records, 1979)
With Peter Criss
One for All (Megaforce, 2007)
With Christopher Cross
Secret Ladder (Christopher Cross Records, 2014)
Take Me As I Am (Christopher Cross Records, 2017)
With D'Angelo
Brown Sugar (EMI, 1995)
With Sheena Easton
What Comes Naturally (MCA Records, 1991)
With Donald Fagen
The Nightfly (Warner Bros. 1982)
With Art Farmer
Crawl Space (CTI, 1977)
Yama with Joe Henderson (CTI, 1979)
With Roberta Flack
Blue Lights in the Basement (Atlantic Records, 1977)
With Michael Franks
Burchfield Nines (Warner Bros. Records, 1978)
Objects of Desire (Warner Bros. Records, 1982)
Passionfruit (Warner Bros. Records, 1983)
Skin Dive (Warner Bros. Records, 1985)
The Camera Never Lies (Warner Bros. Records, 1987)
Barefoot on the Beach (Windham Hill Records, 1999)
Time Together (Shanachie Records, 2011)
With Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway (Arista Records, 1980)
With Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley (Casablanca, 1978)
With Steve Goodman
Say It in Private (Asylum Records, 1977)
With Lawrence Gowan
Great Dirty World (Columbia Records, 1987)
With Al Green
Don't Look Back (BMG, 1993)
Your Heart's in Good Hands (MCA, 1995)
With Henry Gross
Show Me to the Stage (Lifesong, 1977)
Love Is the Stuff (Lifesong, 1978)
With Arlo Guthrie
Hobo's Lullaby (Reprise Records, 1972)
With Spyro Gyra
Morning Dance (1979)
Catching the Sun (1980)
Carnaval (1980)
Free Time (1981)
Incognito (1982)
With Major Harris
How Do You Take Your Love (RCA Records, 1978)
With Cissy Houston
Cissy Houston (Private Stock Records, 1977)
Step Aside for a Lady (Columbia Records, 1980)
Face to Face (BMG, 1996)
With Janis Ian
Janis Ian (Columbia Records, 1978)
With Chaka Khan
Chaka (Atlantic, 1978)
Chaka Khan (Warner Bros., 1982)
With Yusef Lateef
In a Temple Garden (CTI, 1979)
With Lori Lieberman
Letting Go (Millennium Records, 1978)
With Fred Lipsius
Better Believe It (Mja Records, 1996)
With Steve Lukather
Lukather (Columbia Records, 1989)
With Delbert McClinton
Never Been Rocked Enough (Curb, 1992)
With Taj Mahal
Evolution (The Most Recent) (Warner Bros., 1978)
With Melissa Manchester
Singin'... (Arista Records, 1977)
Emergency (Arista Records, 1983)
If My Heart Had Wings (Atlantic Records, 1995)
With Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow II (Arista Records, 1974)
This One's For You (Arista Records, 1976)
Even Now (Arista Records, 1978)
One Voice (Arista Records, 1979)
Barry (Arista Records, 1980)
If I Should Love Again (Arista Records, 1981)
Manilow (RCA Records, 1985)
With Herbie Mann
Waterbed (Atlantic, 1975)
With Meco
Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk (Millennium Records, 1977)
With Glenn Medeiros
It's Alright to Love (Mercury Records, 1993)
With Melanie
Phonogenic – Not Just Another Pretty Face (Midsong International, 1978)
With Bette Midler
Bette Midler (Atlantic Records, 1973)
Thighs and Whispers (Atlantic Records, 1979)
With Liza Minnelli
Gently (Angel Records, 1996)
With Tim Moore
Behind the Eyes (Asylum, 1975)
With Kenny Nolan
A Song Between Us (Polydor, 1978)
With Laura Nyro
Smile (Columbia Records, 1976)
Nested (Columbia Records, 1978)
With Odyssey
Odyssey (RCA Victor, 1977)
With Leslie Pearl
Words & Music (RCA, 1982)
With Esther Phillips
You've Come a Long Way, Baby (Mercury, 1977)
With Nicole Renée
Nicole Renée (Atlantic Records, 1998)
With Vicki Sue Robinson
Half & Half (RCA Victor, 1978)
Movin' On (RCA Victor, 1979)
With Diana Ross
I Love You (Parlophone Records, 2006)
With David Sanborn
Taking Off (Warner Bros. Records, 1975)
With Leo Sayer
World Radio (Chrysalis Records, 1982)
Have You Ever Been in Love (Chrysalis Records, 1983)
With Lalo Schifrin
Towering Toccata (CTI, 1976)
With Helen Schneider
So Close (Windsong, 1976)
With Diane Schuur
Talkin' 'bout You (GPR, 1988)
With Don Sebesky
The Rape of El Morro (CTI, 1975)
With Neil Sedaka
A Song (Elektra Records, 1977)
With Janis Siegel
At Home (Atlantic Records, 1987)
With Nina Simone
Baltimore (CTI, 1978)
With Carly Simon
Boys in the Trees (Elektra Records, 1978)
Spy (Elektra Records, 1979)
Come Upstairs (Warner Bros. Records, 1980)
Torch (Warner Bros. Records, 1981)
My Romance (Arista Records, 1990)
Have You Seen Me Lately (Arista Records, 1990)
With Phoebe Snow
Second Childhood (Columbia Records, 1976)
Never Letting Go (Columbia Records, 1977)
Against the Grain (Columbia Records, 1978)
With Bert Sommer
Bert Sommer (Capitol, 1977)
With Dusty Springfield
Living Without Your Love (Mercury Records, 1979)
With Ringo Starr
Ringo's Rotogravure (Polydor Records, 1976)
With Steely Dan
Two Against Nature (Giant, 2000)
With Mike Stern
Is What It Is (Atlantic, 1994)
These Times (ESC, 2004)
All Over the Place (Heads Up, 2012)
With Cat Stevens
Back to Earth (Island Records, 1978)
With Barbra Streisand
Songbird (Columbia Records, 1978)
Wet (Columbia Records, 1979)
With The Manhattan Transfer
Tonin' (Atlantic Records, 1995)
With Bonnie Tyler
Faster Than the Speed of Night (Columbia Records, 1983)
With Frankie Valli
Romantic the 60's (Universal Motown, 2007)
With Narada Michael Walden
Garden of Love Light (Arista, 1976)
With Dionne Warwick
Dionne (Arista Records, 1979)
Friends Can Be Lovers (Arista Records, 1993)
With Vanessa Williams
Star Bright (Mercury, 1996)
Next (Mercury, 1997)
References
External links
Official website
Interview with Will Lee, Making It! series by Terry Wollman, at YouTube
Living people
American jazz bass guitarists
American male bass guitarists
American rock bass guitarists
American session musicians
Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band members
Grammy Award winners
Guitarists from New York City
Aztec Camera members
20th-century American guitarists
Jazz musicians from New York (state)
American male jazz musicians
Dreams (band) members
1952 births