AMP Festival, Wolfville, NS

Steve Lee, one of the Valley’s most inspiring guitar players, will be performing at the Saturday afternoon show of the AMP Festival. Below is an article which appeared in the Grapevine last year (April 10, 2008):

Steve Lee’s Passions

Ain’t it something! In these parts, people do it very early in life. And they keep at it for ever, from a single digit age all through to the triple numbers. I’m talkin’ ’bout guitar playin’. They play blues like Scott and Ryan, they play rock, country, bluegrass and traditional Irish music like Bob and Aaran. Some play original folk music like Heather, Rose, Adam and Emily, and some play Jazz. They do.

One of ‘em is Steve. Steve Lee. He has, in fact, built quite a reputation for himself. He’s been a favourite of mine ever since I first saw him play. Must ‘ave been at the Market, distracting shoppers from their lists, and keeping yours truly glued to the spot. I was curious. Then, last Sunday, I had the opportunity to sit down with him at Rosie’s Restaurant in Wolfville and have a little chat. With a dessert, of course.

Steve’s Dad was a born McIsaac and an adopted Lee. He was raised in New Waterford, Cape Breton. The family history of both parents includes mining pits, occupational lung disease, diesel and hard work. It would have been the sixties, when young Steve managed to extract a steel string acoustic guitar and lessons from his folks. As parents often do, they made him see it through for several years. Instruction and sight reading were “tough sloggin’” at times. Memories of mom’s dad playing honky tonk piano, a gritty local rock and blues feel and the values of his parents must have left a lasting impression on Steve. He left his home town at age 18 to become a lab technician in Halifax.

Steve caused quite a bit more than raised eye brows among his family when, in his twenties, he sold car and bike to pay for Jazz studies at St. F/X. You never know where it leads when you buy a guitar for a child. His years studying Jazz are remembered as the most fulfilling musical experience. Twelve hours a day were spent living, breathing, playing and talking about music. It’s part of him, built into the fabric of his being. Steve played swing, Latin, blues, Celtic reggae. You name it. Jazz is what he’s known for.

It was twenty years ago, when Steve came to the Valley. Here he played with living legends like Bob McCarthy, Hugh Sweeney and many others. He played regularly at “Chez LaVigne”, and now plays every Thursday evening at the Tempest with fellow jazzer Ian Brownstein, who’s famed for his great humour, both on the bass and in person. They both make Michaels food taste even better, if that’s possible at all.

I spied Steve and Ian playing with Rod, of course, with Hugh, with Heather, Paul, Denise, Nick, Jazz Generations and countless others. It’s always an intriguing give and take. They make things happen. “It’s about Dialog”, Steve says, “I’ve never seen anybody play from whom I couldn’t learn”. Musicians are his friends. All of them: His children, Carrol, his co-performers, his guitar students and players up and down the Valley. Starting next Tuesday, Steve and Ian will host a weekly open-mic event at the “The Port” in Port Williams. Watch out!