PRESS ARCHIVES
1999 NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Lisa Grey Communications
914-762-2976
DAVID ZEE RELEASES DEBUT CD "CAN'T SIT STILL"
Independent artist David Zee has released his debut CD "Can't Sit Still." The self- produced disk features the blues-swing- rock sound he has perfected for over 20 yearsin the clubs, bars and coffee houses of the northeastern U.S.
All of Zee's influences come into play on "Can't Sit Still" - the boogie-woogie piano pounding that conjures up images of a long-haired Jerry Lee Lewis; the sharp, funny lyrics that were undoubtedly influenced by Zee's years on the road with Gross National Product, a nationally touring polical comedy troupe; and the hot swinging grooves absorbed from his insatiable love of old Elmore James and Louis Jordan records.
A first-time listener to one of Zee's live sets may be confused by the inevitable audience cry, "Hey Zee, play the dog song!" That would be the audience favorite, "Leave Your Dog," a funny and ironically sentimental love song. "It's an old Motown song I just wrote," explains Zee.
Other songs include "Absolutely Baby," a New Orleans guitar rocker about the endless battle of the sexes; "Moonlight Cruise," a Drifters-style tribute to city harbor sailing boats; and the title track, a straight-ahead swing shuffle.
Zee also has a serious side. An accomplished television composer, he has won several national awards for his work, including a 1994 New York Film Festival award for original music and the grand prize in the 2001 Music to Life competition for songs of social concern sponsored by Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary. His TV soundtracks have supported programs on the Discovery Channel, Home and Garden Television, and PBS.
"I've enjoyed writing songs for other people's TV shows for many years," explains Zee. "I wanted to write about my own experiences for a change, in the styles I love to play."
Longtime music friends filled out the instrumentation on "Can't Sit Still." Drummer Ralph Tucker has performed with trumpeter Dizzy Gilespie and the Stan Kenton Big Band. Saxophonist David E. Smith has performed sideman duties for organ legend Jimmy McGriff and jazz singer Ethel Ennis.
David Zee wrote a song with his [former] wife Ashley Pound called "Children of Conflict" that was chosen as one of ten finalists in the "Music To Life" song competition sponsored by the Public Domain Foundation. PDF was founded by Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary in the early 70s to receive and distribute the royalties from THE WEDDING SONG to public charities, and has given almost $2 million to family and children's organizations worldwide.
This year the foundation invited songwriters to submit compositions that speak of social and/or political issues of concern. An esteemed judging panel of well-known songwriters including Len Chandler, Tom Chapin, Christine Lavin, Tom Paxton, Mary Travers, Cheryl Wheeler, and Peter Yarrow chose the winners. David and the nine other finalists played a concert on Saturday afternoon, June 2, in Texas at the Kerrville Folk Festival, one of the biggest annual folk music gatherings in the U.S.
As grand prize winners, Ashley and David received a donation of $1,000 for Seeds of Peace, the organization that inspired the lyrics. David also had the honor of giving the opening performance on the Kerrville Main Stage Saturday night.
The second runner up, Eileen Hemphill-Haley received a charitable donation of $250 for her song THE BEGINNING OF THE END; she will allocate her award to the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric Aids Foundation. First runner up was Michael Veitch whose PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE received $500 which will be donated to various organizations.
A compilation CD of the finalists' live performances will be available later this month on the PDF site (www.pdfoundation.org) and through the NEWORLD MULTIMEDIA store. All proceeds support Public Domain and its charitable activities. "Having heard them, I can highly recommend these thought-provoking songs from talented and committed writers," David said.
The original recorded version of "Children of Conflict" is included on the CD "Absolutely," available only by mail order on www.davidzee.com
"Ashley and I are very grateful to the Public Domain Foundation for the award, as well as Rod Kennedy and the Kerrville Folk Festival for hosting the event," David said.
"We congratulate Noel Paul Stookey, Elizabeth Stookey Sunde, and PDF for creating this forum for songs of social relevance. We also commend Seeds of Peace, a non-profit, non-political organization for bringing teenagers from regions of conflict together to learn the skills of making peace."
For more information on the Public Domain Foundation song contest, go to www.pdfoundation.org
Info on the Kerrville Folk Festival, www.kerrville-music.com
Info on Seeds of Peace, www.seedsofpeace.org
2001
DAVID ZEE WINS GRAND PRIZE IN MUSIC TO LIFE SONG COMPETITION AT KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL
DAVID ANTHONY ZEE DISCOVERED BY NOEL PAUL STOOKEY (PETER, PAUL & MARY)
Emerging Artist's Debut Collection "AfterTime" Produced by Stookey, Released on his Label
Maryland singer/pianist David Anthony Zee has released his debut album of overlooked hits from the jazz era, "Aftertime," produced by Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul & Mary. The CD features reworked versions of overlooked jazz/pop hits from the last century.
Standards still high in popular memory, including "It Had to be You," "Baby Face," and "Undecided," join more obscure compositions originally recorded by mostly forgotten artists such as The Boswell Sisters and The Four Freshmen. Most of the included songs were well-known hits in their time.
"David brings not only his talent but his humor and a facile lightness of touch to this collection," noted Stookey. Zee added, "I have always performed songs from different eras, but these arrangements would never have occurred to me without Noel's guiding hand."
AfterTime is available from Stookey's Neworld Media online store, and will be available soon through the CD Baby site. The collection is on the Neworld label, which includes recordings from several other artists.
OCTOBER 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE