He “wields a mean blues guitar, and has learned the lessons of the Chicago greats well” (Times Picayune - Jazzfest). His “fiery Telecaster is unstoppable, and his banshee wails blast the tunes into the apogee” (Blues Revue magazine). He “knows how to use dynamics to build an exciting solo” and “instead of bashing you over the head non-stop, he picks his spots” (The Jazz Report). He is none other than Bryan Lee. Here Bryan gives us some insight on everything from his years performing at the famous Old Absinthe House, to the future of New Orleans following Katrina and of course, his love of Quebec. Crossroads Blues is proud to present, Bryan Lee.

CB: The Old Absinthe House in New Orleans and Bryan Lee definitely go hand in hand - even stemming some live albums. How did you land that gig?

BL: I landed it kinda by luck. I moved to New Orleans in 1981, and it was one of the clubs that was running good rhythm and blues, and some jazz too. I was kinda knocked out by the club because it was old and dirty. But at night, it has so much ambience with of the soft lights. It’s like, boy, this club has been here since 1806. Wow! If these walls could talk! I had a house gig at the Blue Saloon and we found that we got our people after 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning, so we’d play until six in the morning, sometimes later. Unfortunately, the people running that club were not paying the bills. It was all going up their noses and it closed down. So, I played around and sat in with other bands and they’d call me when they needed a guitarist. And, I got to sit in with people at the Old Absinthe House. Then I got an afternoon jog at the 544 Club from two in the afternoon to nine at night and then the prime time band would come in. So, I started meeting people and I wanted to do more than the 3 piece afternoon gig, I wanted to land a prime time gig. So, I got a gig at a new club called Dixies and I had two horn players, and I got lucky and was asked to be the house band. Well, sure. Five nights a week, but the owner had personal problems and we were afraid of what he’d do then he go off on one of his tangents, maybe start shooting people. Pretty much a psycho. At that point, we got a chance to come down to the Absinthe club and we jumped at it. It was the coolest club on the street. Well, I lasted there for fourteen and a half years. Lots of people came in and sat in with us…Little Richard’s band, Clapton, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. It was the longest continuous running bar in America, but it needed a new roof, the plumbing was bad, electricity was bad, to it was leased out and all the bar’s memorabilia was sold and now it’s a daiquiri shop. After that, musically the street started getting really bad. It was the one beacon of good music. Once we dig ourselves out of the hole Katrina put us in, it may come back, and it may come back better. Our Jazz festival that just finished had record attendance. So the people will come if we have the product. We had a lot of great festivals this summer. It’s the festivals where the blues really shines, where people really support. I love this club here, the Café Campus.

CB: It’s a great club.

BL: They really promote the blues very well. Of course I love the festival that is up in Mont Tremblant. Unfortunately we didn’t get it this year but we were there last year, and 2003, and I believe 2002 as well. It’s so beautiful up there. I’d like to have a nice lady friend and just go up for the two weeks and just be a tourist, in the audience. The people are just wonderful. They’ve got the right idea in that what they are doing is a tourist business, and I’m sure in the wintertime, it’s the skiing also, so everybody is just stellar, they treat you good, you just love to be there. That’s what we have to do in New Orleans. It’s all there. We have a precious jewel. We can do it.

CB: Since Katrina, have you returned to the French Quarter?

BL: I actually haven’t. Nothing of the French Quarter, downtown, the river walk, uptown, all the places that tourists go to, none of it was hurt. Which goes to prove that the French Canadian who built the first city was a pretty good engineer, back in those 1700s.

CB: So where do you live now?

BL: Well, I was lucky, my house made it. I live out on Meddery Ridge which is a French word which means small farm. So, the area I live, there were a lot of small farms initially. I live 20 minutes from downtown and the Ridge is really high. None of us had any water. We had water around us. But, I also had a music studio behind a friend’s house where the ceiling is about 7 feet high and the water line was about 6 inches from the roof. So 6 ½ feet of water went through there.

CB: You've worked with Montreal sax player Jody Golick and Montreal guitarist Paul Deslauriers on a few occasions. What led to those acquaintances?

BL: Paul I heard when he was living in Vancouver BC at the time and he had a band called Black Cat Bone. I caught them back in 95-95. Jody, I caught him when he was playing with the Stephen Barry Band and the agent who books me here in Quebec also books their band and we were on a couple of shows together. I asked him if he did any freelance work and he say yeah, and I used him in the studio a bit and on some gigs. The only problem now, like last year at the Jazz fest, we didn’t have time to rehearse with him. Our band is growing in a way that we have a lot of material we do that’s structured. You’ve got to rehearse. You can’t just give a guy the key because we’re not just doing 12 bar blues now. We’re doing more than that. I love 12 bar blues, and I’ll be doing some tonight, but a variety is the spice of life. There’s a lot of blues out there. There was a French promoter came backstage at out performance at the New Orleans Jazzfest and he was saying how he likes those records where they have the horns. Yes, but first of all you have to pay them, but even more than that you’ve got to write up the parts and rehearse them. You’ve got to sit down and write it out, because otherwise you won’t have any organization. Like Three Handed Woman from my Six String Therapy CD, you can’t just pull off that tune off the top of your head.

CB: Now you are also linked with Montreal through Justin Time Records.  Why did you choose to work with Justin Time?

BL: Because they returned my phone call. I met them at the Old Absinthe House before Christmas in 1991. They were all jazz at that point and they wanted to get some blues going on. They asked if I was interested and said they would call me, and after Christmas they did. So, I finished a project and they put it out for me, the first CD called Blues Is. It’s been 14 years with them and we’re about to release a new album. Those two live albums from the Absinthe House are still the best selling. I’m very proud of the live CD and DVD recorded at the Spectrum. That was very special, very spiritual night. It was one of those nights where you were totally exhausted but you hated to see it end. The vibe was just right. There was so much love in that theatre.

CB: Why did you choose the Spectrum?

BL: The record company choose the Spectrum because they felt, to make a serious DVD that would be the place in Montreal to do it. It’s set up good and I like the stage, that old kinda stage, the curtains, it has all that, so much wood which is great for sound. That was my first choice if we could get it. Montreal really stood up for me that night.

CB: We spoke about that earlier, the Quebec and Montreal audiences being…

BL: The best! Truly the best. I am brutally honest, and I have to say, Quebec is my best audience. It doesn’t seem to matter where I play in Quebec, how big or small the venue is, the people are just there. I don’t do it for the money, it’s the love, the passion, the joy. If I did it for money I’d have quit years ago. I got wonderful friends all over the world.

CB: It’s nice to see someone who has been at this for as long as you have and speak of people and appreciate people…

BL: I love the people. I love this world. I wish I could do something to help this world.

CB: I believe you are.

BL: I do my small part. I will never, never, never…get up on stage and fake it. It’s doesn’t matter how much my back hurts or how many miles we’ve travelled, when you get on that stage you give of yourself. That’s what it’s about. That’s what the good Lord gave me to do. That’s the gift he gave me and a gift is no good unless you share it. That’s what I do every night.

CB: Ok, lets talk about who you are listening to now. Who’s CD is in your player?

BL: A lady from San Francisco named Kelly Hunt who sings and plays piano. She’s so good. She has a terrific band. This girl can boogie woogie. Also, a gentleman for Toronto, who I think is a fabulous harmonica player, Carlos Del Junco. This cat has something going on. His approach on the blues is pretty interesting. He’s got a good band, so I listen to him, and I got some live Freddie King, some Buddy Guy, and a CD by Linda Hornbuckle from Portland Oregon. She’s an incredible blues singer but nobody knows much about her. She always stayed local, but she does well there. This girl is something.

CB: On a different topic, how about the food in Montreal?

BL: It’s good. It’s good. The best fried potatoes in the world are in Montreal!

CB: So, you’ve been introduced to the poutine?

BL: Oh, I like it. In fact there is some left over from yesterday in my fridge at the hotel that I’ll eat for breakfast in the morning.

CB: On that note, I better let you get to your soundcheck. Thanks Bryan, your Quebec fans will appreciate hearing your thoughts on our venues, people and food!

BL: Thank you very much.

Please check out Mr. Lee’s site at www.braillebluesdaddy.com