Pages tagged “Amos Lee”

Still got that soul

Maybe the third time’s the charm. Amos Lee’s eponymous 2005 debut was a polite, pleasant dollop of Starbucks soul, and though his 2006 follow-up Supply and Demand showed more grit and texture, it offered fewer hooks. Last Days at the Lodge finds Lee at his melodic and passionate best, given a considerable sonic boost from legendary Muscle Shoals session master Spooner Oldham on Hammond B3, and blues guitarist Doyle Bramhall, Jr.

Amos Lee's soul-infused croon and tasteful guitar work have haveearned the road warrior the ringing endorsement of Paste editors and the chance to open for luminaries like Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard. Lee's third full-length album, Last Days at the Lodge (set to be released June 24 on Blue Note), continues the Philadelphia-based musician's tradition of stick-in-your-head, bluesy riffs and introspective (but never glum) meditations on subjects ranging from infidelity ("Truth") to born-again ex-cons ("Street Corner Preacher") to good, ol'-fashioned lust ("Baby I Want You"). Paste recently spoke to Lee about who makes his iTunes "Most Played" list, his work ethic at the titular Lodge, the rock 'n' roll session veterans who play on the new album, and his pal Oliver Wood's favorite down-home Atlanta blues joint.

After serving up the backing track for AT&T commercials, Amos Lee is ready to be front and center again. On June 24. the soulful folk singer will release his third studio album Last Days at the Lodge.

Produced by Don Was (Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Carly Simon), this will be Lee’s first release since his 2006 gem, Supply and Demand. Tour dates will be announced in the near future, but until then you can enjoy this little snippet of the singer/songwriter’s live show:

Related links:
AmosLee.com
Amos Lee on MySpace
Paste: 4 to Watch: Amos Lee

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October 3 sees the release of Amos Lee’s second full-length, Supply and Demand, on Blue Note. In support of the album, the singer/songwriter is embarking on a short tour, including two dates as Paul Simon’s opener.

For more information and complete dates, visit amoslee.com.

Philly native stakes claim to soul-singing greatness

You can think of him as Noah Jones if you like, the male equivalent of Norah. The comparison is inevitable on this Philadelphia soul man’s debut. He’s on the same label, he shares the same band, he employs the same understated acoustic soul/folk/blues template, and the Grammy Queen herself plays piano and sings backup vocals on a couple tracks.

But although Jones is clearly the touchstone for his music, Amos Lee has created an amalgam all his own. Mixing Al Green’s otherworldly falsetto, Otis Redding’s pleading ballad style, and the folk underpinnings and languorous phrasing of James Taylor’s early-’70s work, Lee delivers an album that nods to the past while still sounding timeless and vibrant. The secret weapon is Lee’s voice—silky smooth and urbane here, gritty and gutbucket there, a supple, soaring instrument capable of inexhaustible variations in timbre and inflection. He’s a terrific singer, and when he pairs his voice with the Dylanesque “Seen It All Before,” the tender Otis impression on “Arms of a Woman” and the gospel-inflected “Black River,” the results are very fine indeed.

Although “Give It Up” and “Bottom of the Barrel” add some needed funk, this is predominantly a low-key affair. Sometimes a little too low key. A number of the arrangements beg—fervently at times—to be relegated to background mood-setting at dinner parties. But they are consistently redeemed by the beauty of Lee’s voice. He’s succeeded in delivering a remarkably stylish, assured debut.

Starting a career in the proving grounds of open-mic nights could be the most harrowing and humbling initiation for any songwriter, but Amos Lee took to it with ease. After teaching literacy to second graders in Philly’s inner-city school system, one’s constitution is not rattled by much, except of course for the emotional decision to give up the blackboard for the blacktop. The difficulty of connecting with jaded seven- and eight-years-olds seemed the perfect preparation for facing discerning and cantankerous crowds. Lee did so well, he soon found himself opening up for such legends as Bob Dylan, B.B. King and Mose Allison. But it was opening for Norah Jones in Europe and the U.S.—sometimes in front of 10,000 or more people, armed only with his guitar and voice—that made him realize he made the right choice. Blue Note agreed and signed on to release his eponymous debut.

On first listen, the easy-going, 27-year-old folk/soul singer’s sound conjures intimations of a neo-Sam Cooke laced with Donny Hathaway and Martin Sexton inflections. But with further lyrical scrutiny the overall package is more Bill Withers’ heart pierced by John Prine’s vigor. In fact, when asked what song inflicted the most damage to his chances of remaining a teacher, the answer quickly falls on Prine’s lifeline, “Angel from Montgomery.”

“That tune followed me everywhere I went when I was thinking about being a musician,” Lee says. “Anytime I went to see a show, somebody played it—I mean every time. Bonnie Raitt, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, you name it—everybody just relates to that song. Ironically, most people have no clue that Prine wrote it.”

Lee’s back-to-the-woodshed mentality feeds his soul, and it’s clear the constant flux and fluidity of being a musician on the road is something that has been injected into his veins.

“When my manager asked me what I wanted, I just said I wanted a career. I want to be able to play in any club all over the country and beyond. Non-stability is an earmark in my life, and I feel I will always be that way. I still reach out for the stable shit—having a family and chilling and not worrying about all the crap that comes with being on the road—but nothing’s perfect, and that’s what the music is all about.” Before he leaves for the stage, he laughs and adds, “Hell, if there is one thing I brought to this project and my music, it’s imperfection.”