Amos Lee preview

Amos Lee
Park West, Chicago
Monday, August 11, 2008

Though it’s a prevalent theme on his newest record, Last Days At The Lodge, struggle hasn’t been much of factor in Amos Lee’s musical career so far. That’s not to trash talk Lee or brand him a dislikable silver spooner, only to say if he doesn’t succeed as a singer-songwriter, the finger can’t be pointed anywhere but at himself.

After all, only one year after releasing his 2003, five-song EP, Lee was scooped up by iconic jazz label Blue Note and on the road opening for their biggest act, Grammy hog Norah Jones, who also appeared on a handful of tracks from Lee’s 2005, self-titled, full-length debut. And before he even released a second album (2006’s Supply And Demand), the Philadelphian had performed on both “The Late Show With David Letterman” and “Austin City Limits” as well as shared stages with Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, and John Prine. Plus, for a relative – 30-years old – youngster, Lee has an awful lot of veteran help on Last Days, including Doyle Bramhall II (Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Clapton), Spooner Oldham (Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash), and drummer James Gadson, who has played with Bill Withers (an obvious influence on Lee’s material) among a host of other big names.

Spoiled? We don’t think so. If the music industry actually worked the way it should, the amentities would go to the best talents. Lee can do soulful R&B (“Jails And Bombs”), gritty blues (album standout, “Truth”), tender folk (“Better Days”), and even dusty country (“Ease Back”) without pigeonholing himself as just any one. In fact, through the the record’s 11 songs, he only takes one real misstep, bedroom anthem “Won’t Let Me Go,” which sounds like a bad sketch-comedy parody of ’70s soul.

— Trevor Fisher

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly