/24-7PressRelease/ - December 29, 2007 - LB Creative Works and Berger Platters Records present a CD release party in celebration of THE SOUL OF LEE GENESIS, a smoking new CD (Berger Platters 51547) by soul titan LEE GENESIS, at Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street between 9th & 10th Avenues in New York, on Tuesday, January 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with music by DJ Audi Mansell. The evening's MC and special guest will be international dance industry recording artist Barbara Tucker. Admission is FREE with a $10 minimum at tables; first come, first seated.
Genesis' band features Frank Wilkins on keyboards, Chuck Langford on tenor, Dave Acker on guitar, Tim Ingles on bass, Jim Arnold on drums and two of New York's favorite back-up singers, LaTasha S. Jordan and Michelle Matlock. Performing music from the new CD, Lee and his band know how to get you on your feet or groove you in your seat. For musical samples, go to http://www.leegenesis.com.
An East Coast icon in the late '70s and early '80s, Lee led a Boston-based band called Heat. He was hot then; and now more than four decades later (at age 65!) , he comes out smoking with his debut CD, The Soul of Lee Genesis. A natural talent, with an awesome vocal range and mesmerizing charisma, Lee could and would easily "stop the show" and did so regularly in many of New York's most celebrated clubs including Trude Heller's, The Top Of The Gate, Dangerfield's, Mikells, The Copacabana, The New York Coliseum, Folk City, Tramps, Fives, Oh Ye Fiddlesticks, Pal Joey's, The African Room and The Improvisation. He performed sometimes with his own bands, but often with distinguished jazz artists Red Garland and John Forster (Charles Mingus' pianist) as well as with Jaki Byard and Cecil Taylor. He opened for Dakota Staton and also for Bette Midler and Barry Manilow at the legendary Continental Baths. In addition, Genesis drew rave reviews with LaVerne Baker, George Russell's New York Big Band, Baird Hersey's Year of the Ear Band, Stanton Davis' Mysticism Band and he rocked the New York Coliseum with CITI, the area's renowned roller disco group.
The personification of the word 'gospel,' Lee Genesis was born Lee Antley in Brooklyn, NY, the son of preacher parents who encouraged him to stand up and sing on soap boxes at the tender age of three. Lee would "set up shop on the box" and let the 'good word' be told via song on local street corners and on Sunday mornings in one of Brooklyn's foremost Pentecostal churches, Lambert's Chapel United Holy Church, which was founded in 1959, by his parents. Lee's mother was the congregation's powerful preacher and his father was the brilliant musical director. His dad had also been one of the famous Selah Jubilee Singers recorded extensively in the '30s and '40s and it was he who took the time to train the young Lee in the powerful and charismatic vocal techniques so necessary to preaching the Gospel.
Ordained as a minister at 15 and then trained as an accountant in college, Lee landed a "real" job with the New York Stock Exchange; but in his late-twenties began auditioning for show opportunities. With years of prior experience singing, recording and touring with Pentecostal gospel groups (often as composer, pianist, and director), "Reverend Lee" dove headlong into a pop/R&B/Broadway singing career. He effortlessly landed leading roles in The Me Nobody Knows, Inner City Blues, Mary Jane and finally, Godspell, where he acquired his "Genesis" name after taking suggestions from the Godspell cast members.
"They were jokingly throwing names at me, like Zachariah, Leviticus. Then someone said 'Genesis,' and I said, 'Hey, this is a beginning for me!' So I took it and I've had it ever since."
While Genesis took a long break from stage performances, he has never lost his love for telling stories through song. On this new solo CD, it's obvious that his gospel background doesn't hesitate to sneak to the foreground in today's work. Lee wrote or co-wrote five of the nine cuts on The Soul of Lee Genesis. He pours his heart and soul into every tune from the slamming opener, Reachout, which encourages people to do their part to heal the world, to the lover's laments Forgive and Forget and How Do You Say Goodbye? and his heartfelt Told You So and When You Got Love. The CD also features the Matt Noble/Carol Ann Rowley tune In My Darkest Hour and the beautiful Noble piece, A Simple Act of Faith, plus the Steve Winwood/Will Jennings hit Higher Love and the bluesy More of Your Love from Regine Urbach/Leo Schaff. Lee's sterling vocals joined by wailing saxophone, strong keyboards, soulful back-up vocals and a stellar guitar, bass and drums make The Soul of Lee Genesis a must-hear on stage or on disc.
Genesis kicks off his CD release celebration at Johnny D's Uptown Restaurant & Music Club in Somerville, MA, on January 9.
For more information on The Soul of Lee Genesis, visit http://www.leegenesis.com, http://www.highlineballroom.com or call Highline Ballroom at (212) 414-5994.
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