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Amos Lee

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Amos Lee
File:Amos Lee shot by KK.jpg
Lee performing at Poptech in 2008
Background information
Birth name Ryan Anthony Massaro
Born (1977-06-20) June 20, 1977 (age 47)
Origin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Genres Soul, folk
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments Guitar, vocals
Years active 2004–present
Labels Blue Note
Website amoslee.com

Amos Lee (born Ryan Anthony Massaro, June 22, 1977)[1][2] is an American singer-songwriter whose musical style encompasses folk, rock and soul. He was born in Philadelphia and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English. After working as a schoolteacher and bartender he began to pursue a career in music. His manager submitted a demo recording to Blue Note Records which resulted in a recording contract and an association with singer Norah Jones.

Since that time Lee has recorded five albums on Blue Note Records and has toured as an opening act for Norah Jones, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Van Morrison, John Prine, Dave Matthews Band, Adele, the Zac Brown Band, Jack Johnson, The Avett Brothers, and David Gray. His music has appeared on the soundtracks of numerous TV shows and movies. He has performed on several late night TV shows and at a voter registration rally for Barack Obama. In 2011, his album Mission Bell debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.[3][4][5]

Early life and education

Lee was born as Ryan Anthony Massaro in 1977 and was raised in Kensington, Philadelphia.[6][7] He moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey at age 11 and graduated from Cherry Hill High School East.[4][5][7] Lee attended the University of South Carolina and graduated with a degree in English and a minor in education.[8] During his college years he developed an interest in music after being inspired by the John Prine album, Great Days.[5][8] During this period he began playing the guitar and bass as part of a band (Hot Lava Monster) and listening to the music of Donny Hathaway, Joni Mitchell, Luther Vandross, Bill Withers and Otis Redding.[8][9][10]

Career

After returning to Philadelphia, Lee worked as a second grade school teacher at the Mary McLeod Bethune School and as a bartender at local music venues. He performed at "open mic" events in the area and, through his contacts with promoters, was hired as an opening act for artists like Mose Allison and B.B. King.[7]

In 2003, Lee's manager sent a four-song demo CD to several record labels, and the representative at Blue Note Records was "immediately struck by his [Lee's] voice".[8] Afterwards, Norah Jones heard Lee's music while visiting the record company and invited Lee to be the opening act for her 2004 tour.[5]

The friendship between Lee's manager and the manager for Bob Dylan resulted in Lee touring with Dylan as his opening act in early 2005.[7][11][12][13] Later Lee began touring on his own and recorded his self-titled and "widely praised" debut album of "subtle, folky soul"[6][10][14][15] which included vocals and instrumentation by Norah Jones and members of her band.[8] After it was released, the album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and Lee was named one of Rolling Stone's "Top 10 Artists to Watch."[9][16] One song from the album, called "Colors", appeared on the TV show Grey's Anatomy and in the film Just Like Heaven.[17] Lee's music received additional media attention when he performed on late night TV shows such as the Late Show with David Letterman[18] and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[19]

In 2006, Lee recorded his second album, Supply and Demand which was produced by Barrie Maguire. An NPR Music reviewer described it as having "more complicated instrumentation and production" than his prior work.[15] The song "Shout Out Loud" was released as a single and peaked at No. 76 on the Billboard 200,[20] and another song, called "Sweet Pea", was used in an AT&T ad campaign.[17]

Lee's third studio album, Last Days at the Lodge was released in 2008 and re-emphasized "his grounding in folk and soul". The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 chart and Lee performed at the Change Rocks, voter registration rally for Barack Obama, in Philadelphia that summer.[4][21][22]

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.[23] The album's single, "Windows are Rolled Down", became a top 10 hit on USA Today's adult-alternative chart.[17] However, the album also has the dubious distinction of being the lowest selling, number one Billboard album as of 2011 selling only 40,000 copies.[24] Guest artists on the album included Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, Priscilla Ahn, Pieta Brown, James Gadson, and Sam Beam.[12][25] The album was described by critics as tunes placed in "a stark landscape, enveloped by rustling percussion and reverberant drones" with tones and lyrics that were more optimistic than prior albums.[26][27] Other critics called it "a restless album with a gentle soul" and "another fine showcase for his [Lee's] elegant, soothing songwriting".[28]

Lee appeared at Farm Aid 2013 [29] and on the compilation album, The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver.[30] He released his fifth studio album, Mountains Of Sorrow, Rivers Of Song in October 2013.[31]

Reception

Lee's "folksy, bluesy sound" has been compared to that of John Prine and Norah Jones.[32] His music is said to utilize 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 Withers and Minnie Ripperton".[7] A New York Times music critic described Lee 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.[26] 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".[27] Simultaneously Lee has been both lauded and dismissed as the "male Norah Jones" and[3] his lyrics are said to convey "the complexities of everyday emotions" without falling into flowery imagery.[8] Lee's songs have appeared on a number of TV shows including Parenthood.[17][33]

Personal life

Lee describes himself as being of "mixed" ethnicity[34] and maintains a residence in West Philadelphia.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
US
[35]		 US Rock
[36]		 AUT
[37]		 FRA
[38]		 GER
[39]		 NL
[40]		 SWI
[41]
Amos Lee 113 — 72 112 75 13 —
Supply and Demand
  • Release date: October 3, 2006
  • Label: Blue Note Records
  • Formats: CD, music download
 76 25 — — — 23 —
Last Days at the Lodge
  • Release date: June 24, 2008
  • Label: Blue Note Records
  • Formats: CD, music download
 29 11 — — — — —
Mission Bell
  • Release date: January 25, 2011
  • Label: Blue Note Records
  • Formats: CD, music download
 1 1 — — 98 39 61
Mountains Of Sorrow, Rivers Of Song
  • Release date: October 8, 2013
  • Label: Blue Note Records
  • Formats: CD, music download, Vinyl
 16 7 — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Live albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
US
[35]		 US Rock
[36]		 US Folk
[42]
Live at Red Rocks[43]
(Amos Lee with The Colorado Symphony)		 103 16 4

Extended plays

Title Details Peak chart
positions
US
[35]		 US Rock
[36]
Amos Lee (EP)
  • Release date: 2004
  • Label: Blue Note Records
  • Formats: CD, music download
 — —
Live from KCRW
  • Release date: 2005
  • Label: Blue Note Records
  • Formats: CD, music download
 — —
As the Crow Flies
  • Release date: February 14, 2012
  • Label: Blue Note Records
  • Formats: CD, music download, 10" vinyl[44]
 67 16
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year Single Album
2010 "Windows Are Rolled Down" Mission Bell
2011 "Flower"
2013 "The Man Who Wants You" Mountains Of Sorrow, Rivers Of Song
"Chill In the Air"

Other charted songs

Year Single Peak positions Album
US
2012 "Day That I Die" (with Zac Brown Band)A 104 Uncaged

DVD's

  • Live From Austin, Texas - (2008) New West
  • "Amos Lee: Live from the Artists Den" - (2013)

References

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External links

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  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hiltbrand, David (March 21, 2011) Amos Lee: Philadelphia's anonymous hit-maker Inquirer/Philly News
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Graham, Renee (February 27, 2005) "Former Teacher Gets a Lesson in the Big Time", The Boston Globe page N5
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lindquist, David (October 21, 2005) No bells or whistles; Amos Lee, on his first tour as a headliner, aims to serve the song above all, The Indianapolis Star page=34
  11. ↑ (June 26, 2005) Watch this Face: Amos Lee, Independent on Sunday (London) page 15
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 PBS New Hour, Mission Bell Amos Lee enriches his songwriting with star power, April 28, 2011. Saskia De Melker, Retrieved July 2011
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ (March 4, 2005) The Ticket; CD Reviews, The Irish Times, page 13
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ (June 10, 2006) Top Heatseekers, Billboard (magazine)
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Green, Andy (February 17, 2011) Unlikely Billboard Champion Amos Lee Performs New Song, Violin, On 'Letterman Rolling Stone Retrieved December 3, 2011
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Burger, David (February 2, 2011) Amos Lee's new album debuts at No. 1, The Salt Lake Tribune , Retrieved July 2011
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Poulsen, Drew (June 5, 2013) amos-lee-sets-date-for-mountains-of-sorrow-rivers-of-song-album Billboard, accessed Aug 6, 2013
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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