Artist description Tenor, alto and soprano saxophone, guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion

Music Style World Music / Afro American / Jazz

Musical Influences John Coltrane, Charlie Parker

Artist History George Lee, born Kwame Narh Kojo Larnyoh in Sekondi Ghana, began his long career in the international music industry when as an 18-year-old bandleader he was chosen to tour with Louis Armstrong, on the jazz legends historic tour of Ghana in 1958. Already a popular local musician, George and his band were sent to the prestigious arts and culture school in Ghana by the then President Kwame Nkrumah, to learn the extensive west African rhythms before being sent as cultural emissaries to the 1962 World Fair in Berlin. George's illustrious career path has taken him on stages big and small, in theatres, recording studios, clubs & TV studios around the world, until 1984 when after years of working with the many South African musicians in exile throughout the UK and Europe, and an inspirational tour to Mozambique with jazz giant Chris McGregor, he decided to bring his skills , experience and resources back home - to Africa. In early 1985 George released his debut album ANANSI in the UK which was his home base for 28 years, the album achieved some success as a quality indie in the UK music charts , the A side of the single Sea Shells was adopted as the theme tune for the popular long running BBCTV arts programme EBONY. Arriving in South Africa from Swaziland in 1990 George Lee was involved as featured composer, arranger, producer, musical director or performer in various corporate projects including Vodacom, SAA and global telecommunications giant NORTEL NETWORKS. A look at George's current CD NETWORKING reveals NORTEL NETWORKS continued support for George Lee Music. As featured songwriter, arranger, producer and performer, George appeared in the Hollywood movie A Good Man In Africa starring Sean Connery, which as made in South Africa. He has been featured in a number of television music programmes including 2 one-hour Jazz Studio programmes, as well as guest appearances with John Davies Winds of Change Big Band and Jonas Gwangwa on other Jazz Studio Programmes. Appearing also for SABCTV1in the long running Skokian series. As one of the featured composers in the series Music From Within directed by Anne Williams for NNTV, George was seen in a less familiar role as pianist and singer songwriter. On MNET George made appearances as guest percussionist, vocalist and saxophonist with Jonas Gwangwa, on the Dali Tambo show Night Moves. He's appeared on the ETV Jazz Cafe as featured composer and bandleader, and most recently in the first of the current ETV in depth series Jazz Indaba. George Lee was the subject of several television profiles including one for SABCTV2's Artworks, and the critically acclaimed Without Borders produced for NNTV by Hariet Gavshon. Other appearances in television specials on the role of the African Drum, and African traditions. Theatre also captured George Lee's attention when his talents and experience were called upon in the UK to co-adapt the popular Gilbert and Sullivan light opera The Mikado which went on the become the worldwide hit musical The Black Mikado, he was the first musical director and band leader during the initial four year run in London's west end Cambridge Theatre. In South Africa George Lee wrote, arranged, directed and performed the music for Kweku Ananse a musical play that introduced Ghanaian folklore to South African theatregoers. The first Wole Soyinka play to be performed in South Africa was Death and The Kings Horseman for which George was the musical supervisor. In Natal he was closely involved with literary giant Khaba Mkhize's VITA award winning play Pity!Maritzburg, the first community production to legitimise the Durban Playhouse theatre in 1991. George Lee songs have been recorded by artistes in many parts of the world. Johnny Nash, with whom he worked in the UK and across America for 4 years recorded several of George's songs, and a range of singers from Ghanaians in Germany, Nigerians in London, Americans in Canada, South African Chris McGregor in France, and local jazzman Mike Makgalemele features a George Lee song on his recent SAMA award winning CD. As a saxman and horns arranger George worked with the legendary reggae king Bob Marley for a number of years. Check out the sax solo on Bob Marley's Natty Dread! Skills sharing is a way of life for George Lee who maintains close links with the community, particularly in Alexandra where he trained and developed a group of mature student musicians over five years of free weekly workshops. The workshop band appeared with George's band ANANSI at a number of significant functions for NUMSA, NOCSA, DTI, the UN, Ministry of Health, Ambassadors and NGO's dealing with AIDS and abuse. George Lee was one of the first African musicians in the South African classrooms in 1990 since when he has conducted many formal and informal workshops on drums, percussion, ensemble, and various instruments. Undoubtedly the highlight of George's residence in South Africa was the singular honour to lead one hundred cross-cultural drummers in tribute, at the inauguration of President Nelson Mandela in May 1994. The privilege of performing at the World Festival of Sacred music, the millennium project of the Dalai Lama during His Holiness visit to South Africa, ended 1999 on a very high note. January 2000

Group Members George Lee Larnyoh (composer, songwriter,saxophonist, percussionist), Robert Payne (keyboards), Ernet Mothle (Bass), Winston Delandro (Guitar), Kofi Adu (Drums), Nana Tsibo (Persussion).

Location Johannesburg, Gauteng - South Africa

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).