The Red and Black

Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: Out & About

Media Credit: Courtesy The Lee Boys Three brothers and three nephews comprise The Lee Boys, who play "sacred steel" music, a mix of gospel, funk, rock and jazz. [Click to enlarge]

The Lee Boys promise their audience no one will yearn for a seat at their concert this Friday as the family band opens for JJ Grey and MOFRO at the Georgia Theatre.

"[The crowd is] always dancing, even when we slow it down," said Alvin Lee, the group's leader. "They're always getting up and clapping and dancing."

Inspired to take their music on the road after Lee's brother, Glenn, died in 2000, the Lee brothers formed a touring band of musical talent that was already overflowing. Glenn Lee was a reverend and helped start the group with his extensive knowledge of many instruments and music.

The Lee Boys' six members are brothers Alvin (guitar), Derrick (vocals) and Keith Lee (vocals) along with three of their nephews, Roosevelt Collier (pedal steel guitar), Alvin Cordy Jr. (7-string bass) and Earl Walker (drums).

"When I grew up playing, I always thought I would love to have a band," Lee said. "When (Glenn) died, it kind of inspired me to take it out of the four walls, because he was so deep in the church."

The family always was musically inclined and trained at the House of God Church in Perrine, Fla., in which the kids were raised. Alvin's father, Robert E. Lee, served as pastor and a steel player of the church.

The "sacred steel" genre of music the Boys play combines gospel music with many other types such as jazz, rock and country, drawing comparisons to artists ranging from Stevie Wonder to Earth, Wind and Fire.

Since the group's 1999 debut release, "I Feel Like Praising Him," The Lee Boys have recorded two other albums, filmed a DVD and traveled throughout the world. The Boys also have met legends in the industry they were at first unfamiliar with, such as Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers.

"That was a humbling experience," Lee said. "We didn't really know them, because we were so deeply rooted in the church, but we have just learned so much from everyone."

"We just met Chris (Robinson) when we did three shows with the Black Crowes," he said. "We're just getting around and getting out there."

The band's show features original tunes with a few classic covers and Gospel hymns and will grace The Classic City for the first time this weekend.

"We're excited about coming," Lee said. "We love MOFRO. They've really helped us out a lot in this career, and they're friends."

After the concert, Lee said his group is booked through the end of the year - a blessing for a band looking to spread its musical gospel.

"Honestly, the greatest show is when someone comes to me and tells me they've been touched by me," Lee said. "If we can touch one person through our music, then our job is done."

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