Dave Lee (pianist)

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David "Dave" Lee (* 12. August 1926 in London as David Cyril Aaron ) is a British jazz pianist and film composer .

Live and act

Lee began playing in local bands as a teenager in Whitley Bay . As early as 1942, he led the Melody Maker poll as best new pianist. In 1947 he moved to South Africa, where he played in the nightclubs of Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg and received his bachelor's degree from the Johannesburg Conservatory of Music . 1954 persuaded Johnny Dankworth to return to Great Britain with him as arranger and pianist for his band. He has also performed with Buddy Tate, Jack Parnell, and Sonny Terry / Brownie McGhee . Since 1959 he has led his own trio, with which he recorded several albums. His album New Big Band frpm Britain was six weeks in the top ten of Cashbox . He arranged for Norman Wisdom , Benny Hill and Judy Garland , for whom he also acted as musical director.

As a composer, he wrote the music for films such as The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956) and Masque of the Red Death (1964), but also the musical Our Man Crichton (1964). He also wrote pop songs with lyricist Herbert Kretzmer, such as Bangers and Mash (1961, interpreted by Peter Sellers ), Goodness Gracious Me (1960, for Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren ) and Kinky Boots (1990, for Honor Blackman and Patrick Macnee ). In 1983 he was hailed as the BBC Jazz Society Musician of the Year . In the 1990s he was one of the founders of the British jazz radio station Jazz FM .

Lexical note

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Jazz Rough Guide states that he was born in 1930
personal data
SURNAME Lee, Dave
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lee, David; Aarons, David Cyril (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British jazz pianist and film composer
DATE OF BIRTH August 12, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH London