From Raleigh NC to Los Angeles (1970s) to East Nashville one-time drummer, truck driver and now singer-songwriter, recording and touring act Phil Lee has seen both the underside of life, worked his butt off playing dives in America's big cites, and more than once had to play the waiting game before everything dropped into a comfortable place on the record front.
His latest album Some Gotta Lose… has a feel good relaxed feel from beginning to end, and it wasn't recorded in Nashville but a big house in Upstate New York. ‘Quick and live with few overdubs and no edits’. It has some bonafide mistakes admits Lee, but far from undervaluing the record these minor hard to detect mishaps just add to the free ’n easy feel of the music, and possess the suppleness of music as it should sound.
Lee’s sharp-witted no messing, uncompromising style coupled with an ability to serve up a killer groove make making music (good music) so easy. His some time whisky toned, at times brittle vocals have a great deal of soul, here is a man who knows his capabilities better than any one; plus Lee loves nothing more than to tease the listener with his lyrics.Lazy paced “If Frogs Had Wings” doused in electric lead guitar, smart rhythm, piano, harmonica and fiddle like with a few more tracks is one you don’t want to end. When it comes to innovative flare his cover of traditional classic “Lil’ Liza Jane” places him up with the best going. Top drawer! Given an up tempo electric guitar powered, pulsating rhythm section and rousing harmony vocals the old-timey song is given a new set of wings. Not content on using country as his base Lee also pulls the strings on jazz tune “Beautiful Bubble” and near neighbour, Robert Hill and Lester Allen’s “Kiss Of Fire” (beautifully ignited by soothing fiddle and neat bustling rhythm). “No Taking It Back” not for the one and only time in his recording career places him in a precarious position in a relationship and how they (Lee and his lady) are running out of time before her man comes back!
Others of note include chugging ode “I Pray It Never Comes To This” (Pat MacDonald), loaded with piano, country twang lead guitar and lyrics like ‘where silence is golden and ignorance is bliss'..'shoot me if i start to reminisce'; plain and simple it is a wonderful old-fashioned style barroom country shuffle. While with splendid electric lead guitar in the mix and piano and more Lee closes up shop in style with “Wake Up Crying”; arguably the best song on the album it contains a hint or two of classic tunes without it losing a genuine Phil Lee feel as it bounces along the tracks. Musicians include producer Willy Mason (guitar, vocals), Jan King (electric guitar), Sam Cohen (guitar, steel guitar), Otto Hauser (drums, percussion), Kenny Segal (bass, vocals), Marco Benevento (piano, organ) and Nina Violet (violin, clarinet, vocals) and Marciana Jones on harmony vocals, plus Lee on guitar, harmonica. Lee has made some fine albums but arguably non better than Some Gotta Lose....
Maurice Hope