My name is Michael Lee. I play keyboards. I also write music, do some arranging, some string orchestrations, I’ve produced a few albums, and I am a technical consultant for Apple’s Logic Studio software. Like everyone else in this town, I do a little of everything. But mostly, I play keyboards.
Sometime in the 1980’s, everybody forgot how to make face-melting, bone-rattling synths, and started making anemic little samplers. Screw that! When I say, “I play keyboards”, what I mean is, I play a Hammond B3, Fender Suitcase Rhodes, Mini Moog, ARP 2600, ARP Omni 2, a Jupiter 8 through a custom guitar effects pedal-board, Wurtlitzer 200, and a Juno 6.
And, if you insist, I can also wheel out the Triton Studio 88, the MacBook Pro, and the refrigerator rack full of samplers.
Hidalgo (keyboards, vocals on ending credits song), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (live keyboards), The Late Show with David Letterman (live keyboards), The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborne (live keyboards), The Blockbuster Music Awards (house band, keyboards), The Prism Awards (house band, keyboards) Last Call with Carson Daily (live keyboards), Canada AM (live keyboards), The Mike Bullard Show (live keyboards), VH1 Divas (house band, keyboards), The Dr. Phil Show (keyboards on season promo), She Spies (sideline keyboards), Pantene Presents: Live from Central Park on MTV2 (live keyboards)
Over the past few years, most of the projects I’ve played are remote sessions. The gear stays setup at my place, with a full ProTools HD rig, Logic Pro, and all of the vintage keyboards. Your engineer can upload the tracking mixes to my server, and when the project is finished the keyboard tracks can either be sent back over the internet, or mailed back to you on a CD-R. We can do a live video chat during the tracking, or you can just send me the session files and let me find my own way through the songs.
If you’d rather take the session to a studio, I highly recommend Eldorado Recording in Burbank. I’ve done dozens of sessions with them, and the result is always something that artists are excited about. They staff the room with professionals, their equipment is pristine, and their selection of vintage mics and outboard gear brings out that huge sound that you can only get from a classic LA studio.
If you’re interested in having me record on your project, send me an email, and let’s start talking.
This is a partial list of recent compositions. If you’re interested in performing any of the piece listed, or in commissioning a new work, please contact me.
Our Father, Vindicate (December, 2008)
This is a dramatic setting of The Lord’s Prayer, with emphasis on the contrast between early transmission of the text into Middle English, and modern interpretations of the text. Written for 8-part a capella men’s choir, it attempts to recapture the revolutionary tone and eschatological perspective of the original prayer. This piece was commissioned by the Azusa Pacific University Male Chorale, and will be performed by them in Spring of 2009.
Wexford Carol (December, 2008)
The Wexford Carol is a haunting Celtic melody, hundreds of years old. This setting calls for 4 virtuosic players, with both expressive passage of simple exposition, and complex poly-rhythmic development. Commissioned by Christ Community Church in Buena Park, this arrangement was first performed there in December of 2008 by an ensemble of guest artists. This piece was also selected as a featured work for the 2009 LA Composers Workshop.
Rhythm-a-ning by Thelonious Monk (February, 2007)
One of Thelonious Monk’s best known pieces, the melody of the original piece takes simple phrases and places them in angular relationships to each other. This arrangement for two pianos heightens the effect of that imbalance, and pushes the harmonic development into the outer boundaries, where Monk himself spent most of this time. First performed by Joel Clifft and myself at the Faculty New Music recital at Azusa Pacific University in Spring of 2007.
call me: (323) 271-0872
email me: michael@michaelleemusic.com
facebook me: facebook.com/michaelleemusic