A friend of mine shared Edo Lee’s “Black Coffee” on Soundcloud and I was instantly hooked (thanks, Rachel!). Lee’s style has everything I love: laidback beats, smokey jazz melodies, and The Big Lebowski.
Edo Lee, born Adrian Lee Hayman, hails from New York City and is a mere 21 years old. In an interview with ThrdCoast, Lee reveals his love for Nujabes, Flylo, and Madlib. He started life playing saxophone and piano, later learning guitar from his mother.
When asked to describe his musical style, Lee said “In my music I think I go for that smooth, nostalgic sound, but I’m constantly looking to evolve and experiment with different instruments, samples, and textures.”
Partnering with other beat-makers Iota and Matas, their albums are works of art, taking sounds from around NYC. The song “Footsteps” from the album Sleepwalker features saxophone played by an anonymous street performer in New York.
Lee samples from many jazz artists like Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, and Billie Holiday. He even samples The Dude from The Big Lebowski in “Likewise.”
All four of his current releases are gold. I cannot stop playing his albums back to back. Check him out on Soundcloud and buy his stuff on Bandcamp if you like it.
You can follow the music I’m discovering on my Soundcloud.