Phil Lee was the guitar player, reticent in the band mix that the players asked to ‘turn up’ because he was such a fine musician that needed to be heard more. Being introverted in the public’s eye was possibly his worst enemy but musicians knew just how good he was.
It wasn’t unusual to bump into Phil and wife Doris wandering across Richmond Park or Hampstead Heath as they loved walking but also telling you about a new traditional continental coffee and cake shop they had discovered.
I played with Phil in a fun band called Impulse in the 1970s mostly at The Bell Codicote with Brian Miller, Frank Ricottii and Chris Laurence, George Chisholm and Les Cirkel . Fusion influenced music of its time Phil played some wonderful solos. He was one of the first if not the first to decipher chord shapes and harmony for contemporary Jazz coming from Europe as well as the US: tunes by Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Herbie Hancock Wayne Shorter…
He was a great teacher. Subsequently, and for a number of years, I played in a trio with Phil and Jeff Clyne, the quiet spots midweek at the 606 and The Vortex in Stoke Newington. We played ‘standards’ and some unfamiliar tunes as Phil , like Pat Smythe was a great collector of good tunes that not everybody knew or played. I was struggling with being able to play that music how I wanted it to sound , play coherent lines and to understand the mechanics . I asked Phil for lessons and he imparted to me invaluable insight into how to create a line and the workings of diatonic harmony, and line creation within the ‘standard’ repertoire. I repeated those lessons throughout my teaching years and always acknowledged Phil for his clear insight and generosity.
Trombonist Chris Pyne had nicknames for just about everybody. Phil Lee was Phlee !! Lovingly meant. In fact he was quite the opposite: a quiet warm gentle giant that those of us that were lucky enough to have known him will remember. RIP
Philip Robert ‘Phil’ Lee. Born 8 April 1943. Died 12 May 2024
8 responses
Phil always seemed underappreciated in his lifetime, and even his obituary comes 4 months after his passing. A really tasteful musician who I always enjoyed listening to – under-recorded, of course, a few spots on Spotlite LPs, a duo album on Cadillac, some appearances with Paz. He deserved to be heard far more often.
Sad to hear of Phil’s passing. I was lucky to see him perform once and meet him on a couple of other occasions. I did a tribute video based on an interview we did in 1999, which is at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsjO-eiJqnE – I remember calling him after I’d been to see Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut and thought I’d recognised him as the guitarist in the jazz club sequence. He confirmed that it was indeed him, despite the lack of credit, and went on to tell me a bit about the filming. RIP Phil.
This is the saddest news. He was such a wonderful man and an absolutely beautiful musician. Rest in peace, Phil.
Phil, as a human and as a player, was something very special. Both in the group we shared with Bobby Wellins and as guitarist in the London Jazz Orchestra for over 20 years, he infected all around him with an unimpeachable, almost naive concentration and focus. No two solos were the same; his drew on a deep musical foundation and secure technique to approach both his instrument and the music he played afresh each time. A true, honest, quiet inspiration to whom I am greatly indebted.
Sad news indeed. I worked on Phil’s instruments in the 90s and also built him a 7-string guitar. He used to play the bass lines on the low A string whilst playing the melody on the higher strings. A great musician who was very quiet and unassuming and it was very sad that he gradually disappeared from the scene as his dementia worsened. It’s a sign of the times that so many of the great jazz musicians are leaving for the great gig in the sky! RIP Phil
Sad loss to music of a wonderful guitarist
I wish we had got to know each other more when I was growing up. I’m only now getting to know a little and appreciate the music – so expansive and rich. Rest in peace uncle Philip
Beautiful human being, kind, sensitive, warm and generous. Never got to meet him in person but we had some lovely phone conversations about his music and incredible lyrical jazz guitar style which I absolutely loved. My favourite album of his was Phil Lee / Jeff Clyne Duo – ‘Twice Upon A Time’. I listeded to it maybe a 100 times and memorised every single guitar part. Of my maybe 10,000 jazz albums as a guitarist myself it’s up there in my top 10 favourites. Gutted that I never got to see him live but his music is a treasure and will be with me for ever.