Ep. 70 – Ryan Lee: Lessons from Bobby Watson, Cross-Genre Collaborations, Looking Beyond Your Local Scene

Ryan Lee was born and raised in Kansas City, MO, and earned a bachelor’s degree in music from The Conservatory at The University of Missouri-Kansas City. New York, Nashville and LA are established as places from which to launch an international performing career, but Ryan has stayed in Kansas City and found many opportunities to perform around the world with artists including Jose James, Tony Tixier, and A Bu. He remains a fixture on the Kansas City scene, having established himself as a creative voice in many circles including jazz, hip-hop, funk, gospel, and the projects that often result from KC’s various musical camps joining forces and overlapping.

In this podcast, Ryan talks about:

How new skills, from bass to piano to Ableton and in-ear systems, help him conceptualize his creative projects

Studying with Bobby Watson, and how he’s just beginning to understand some of what Bobby taught

Recording Watson’s big band album, Gates BBQ Suite

His collaborations with KC trumpeter Hermon Mehari

How a huge opportunity came at the worst possible time, and the learning experience that ensued

Being part of a local scene while still exploring opportunities and experiences around the world.