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Will Lee Late Night TV’S Ace of Bass Releases a Star-Studded Solo Project

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Will Lee Late Night TV’S Ace of Bass Releases a Star-Studded Solo Project ISSUE #30 MMUSICMAG.COM Q&A S andrine L ee WILL LEE Late night TV’s ace of bass releases a star-studded solo project HIS NIGHTLY GIG ON THE LATE SHOW An autobiographical tune? walked in. But something happens when With David Letterman makes Will Lee one of Very much so. They all are, but that one’s he gets behind a microphone. There’s a America’s most visible bassists. Since 1982, directly related to my alcohol/cocaine body language that happens—he’s able to Lee has excelled in the pressure cooker of recovery trip that I’ve been on for the last undulate with his movements. James is totally live TV, backing countless guest stars. He 28 years. I entered rehab on March 1, 1985, establishing the groove, where there’s no also tours with Israeli guitarist Oz Noy and and I’m lucky to be alive. doubt of what to play. It was nothing but a takes the stage weekly with the Fab Faux, pleasure, and we just couldn’t do wrong. a group that performs stunning recreations What pushed you to do the album? We were like the Godfatherettes! He was of the Beatles catalog. Now Lee is releasing I kind of started to explode with information one of the giants. Love, Gratitude and Other Distractions, his after enough years had gone by. Writing is first solo album in 20 years. And though a time-consuming, selfish project, and you You work on the very stage where it boasts guests like Allen Toussaint, Pat really have to be focused. The only thing that Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles. Metheny and Billy Gibbons, it’s still Lee’s got in the way was the gigs, because I love And I never forget that. It’s so ingrained in show, with soulful vocals complementing to do everything. my being. After I watched that February 9, stunning bass work. 1964 telecast, I went back to the drums I had On the Late Show, how does the band had for years and never played. Suddenly What’s the genesis of the record? put together the commercial bumpers? this was my world—I now knew what to do. At first I didn’t know it was going to be a For the play-ons we try to grasp onto I saw the obvious equation: “Do this and record at all. I got started with the song “Miss something we know about the guest—maybe chicks scream with delight!” Understanding.” I thought, “Hey that’s pretty their name or a movie they’re pushing. But cool, that’s fun.” And who cares about albums we don’t have a lot of time to figure it out. Any advice to aspiring musicians? anymore, right? All you have to do is put a Everything happens in that same place, If you called my formative years of playing song on iTunes and call it a day. But then I whether it’s a comedy rehearsal or a whole so-called crappy gigs “paying dues,” I would wanted to record “Smile.” When I had these band doing a soundcheck. And we have 10 disagree. I’ve never felt like I was anything two songs I realized they’ve got nothing to or 15 minutes to figure out our night’s duties. other than super lucky to be playing music do with each other. So who cares? If this is at all. And I think that’s the attitude anybody ever going to be a collection, just treat it like Any of the countless guests stand out? has to have. You have to just love it to death, a greatest-hits record. I felt like “Gratitude” James Brown back in ’82. We had a heavy and realize that the music is the boss. should be the first one, somehow. combination of respect and fear when he –Bob Cannon ‘I’ve never felt like I was anything other than super lucky to be playing music at all.’ 68 M mag 30.indd 68 10/12/13 9:05 AM.
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