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| Lee Alexander grew up in Boston surrounded by music. His mother was a big jazz fan who loved to listen to Ahmad Jamal and Duke Ellington. His father, a musician himself, brought the Elvis, Ray Charles and Johnny Cash records with him from his native state of Kentucky.
The younger of two children, Lee started on viola then soon switched to guitar and eventually bass. After highschool, he attended Art School where he tested the watersas a Visual Artist. He went on to attend Boston's Berklee College of Music, graduating in 1993 and playing bass with various musicians. One of those musicians left a lasting impression. "I played bass on this record with Victoria Willaims", says Lee, " I was a fan before but actually getting to work with her was incredibly inspiring and it made me wish I were a songwriter."
In 1999, Lee Alexander met Norah Jones at a Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Washington Square Hotel in New York. She needed a bass player for the gig, and Lee came highly recommended by a friend. Lee and Norah claim that they got into songwriting around the same time. "We help each other," says Norah. " He writes simple songs, and I like them simple and honest. (Lee's songs) are little jewels."
Lee and Norah's first collaboration in 1999, lead to a quintuple-Grammy sweep at the 2003 Grammy Awards, where Norah Jones' debut album COME AWAY WITH ME (Blue Note), took home "Album of the Year". |
Jody Gerson
