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Resume

LEE ROBINSON
SAXOPHONIST/COMPOSER
2750 Locust Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15241
724-969-4308
coldrix@hotmail.com

Lee Robinson has been leading musicians for 25 years beginning with ISKA, the duo I/O, 1996, and The UnSpunt Orkestra 2001.

Noted Performances Lee Robinson and ISKA, Pittsburgh Children's Museum, November 2004-2005 Grand Opening

I/O with Time: Expansions Distillery Jazz Festival 2004, Toronto, Ontario, CA

Three Rivers Arts Festival 2004, Solo Saxophone Opening for the Society of Sculptors International Exhibit, Pittsburgh, PA

LEE ROBINSON and the UnSpunt Orkestra, Live Recording at Quiet Storm Cafe. Pittsburgh, PA

Lee Robinson Time: Expansions with Tim Jenkins at Waynesburg College 2003

I/O performance for Wavelength, Toronto, Ontario CA. 2003

Performed with I/O and special guest Richard Sacks, percussionist, at the North By Northeast Music Expo (NXNE), held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 2003

Featured soloist for St. Paul's Episcopal Church Choir, Black History Month Sermon and Jazz Vespers 2003-05

Saxophonist with the Ken Durham Band and Orchestra, Primerica Financial Services, Atlanta, Georgia, June 2001 and 2003

Featured soloist for Pittsburgh- Saitama Sister City dinner ceremony, both Honorable Mayors and respective Council Members in attendance. 2002

Honored Performer for Black History Month, City of Pittsburgh , Mayor as Opening Speaker, 2002.

Solo saxophone opening performer for The Sabir Mateen Quintet, 2002.

Solo saxophone, opening performer for Ernst Reijsinger and Kaliparush Maurice McIntyre Group up, 2001

Honorable Mention Award John Lennon Song writing Competition, song "Garrett Morgan", Children's Song Category 2000

Featured soloist at the annual Waynesburg College GNP Concert 1997- 2006

The Russian Tea Room, New York, for the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau with Lee Robinson and ISKA, 2000 and 2001

with Ravish Momin in Duo I/O, Saitama / Pittsburgh Sister City Cultural Exchange, Omiya (Saitama City), Japan

Soloist and Music coordinator for burial ceremonies for the late jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, 2000

Concert Performances and Workshops
Slippery Rock University-PA; Waynesburg College,Pa
Wilkinsburg High School
Carnegie Mellon University
Allegheny Dept. of Cultural Programming
University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown,PA
City of Pittsburgh Parks and Recreation Department Shadyside Arts Festival
The Dance Alloy; Three Rivers Arts Festival
Thomas Merton Center sponsored Rock Against Racism Mellon Jazz Festival
Olgeby Stifel Art Center, Olgeby, W.Va.
Lee Robinson and ISKA open for The Stanley Clark Band.
Art Museums, Art Galleries, Theaters, Universities, Clubs and RestaurantsSeveral , 1967- Present

Recordings
Motif - Lee Robinson and ISKA, Live at The Balcony Restaurant, 1988, Pittsburgh, PA.

I/ O Rhea Harmsen, Poet,Lee Robinson , composer, Jack Walker, producer
Lee Robinson SOLO SAXOPHONE - in progress
Lee Robinson and the UNSPUNT ORKESTRA (Trio) 2004-2005

Composer
Lee Robinson Composes original music for film, CD- Rom, theater and dance.
PBS documentary," JOBS: A Way Out"
David a theater documentary
"I Dream A World" a Black History through drama
"Black Raven," an independent suspense film
"With Abandon", an independent film
Composed music for several radio, educational and CD- Rom projects

Creative Skills
Digital video photography
Final Cut digital video editing
Sound /Field recording
Sound manipulation

Associated Musicians in Group Performances
Geri Allen, pianist
Mark Polishook, pianist
Nathan Davis, saxophonist
Leonard Johnson, pianist
Jimmy McGriff, organist
Richard "Groove" Holmes, organist
Mark Leonard, drummer
Rodger Humphries, drummer
Cecil Brooks III, drummer
Greg Humphries, drummer
Ravish Momin, drummer, percussionist
Dwayne Dolphin, bassist
Paul Thompson, bassist
Dave Throckmorton, drummer


Biography

Lee was born south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Clairton, a "steel town" where music and high school sports aspired to the same high acknowledgment. Lee Robinson has been performing since he began playing clarinet at age nine. His first improvisational excursions were on the Marines Hymn during one of his early clarinet practice sessions.This set him on the path of improvisation. While in school he performed in high school jazz band and local R+B bands. Lee now concentrates his energy in playing tenor and soprano saxophones.... which he considers his musical "voices".

During Robinson's college study as an electrical engineer, he was featured soloist with the college jazz band until graduation. Lee also performed with local bands and traveling groups that visited the college. He performed in sevsral R and B, show bands and jazz ensembles during the during his early professional career. Later on Robinson studied sax with Nathan Davis, Professer of Jazz Education University of Pittsburgh.

ISKA was the first professional jazz quartet lead by Lee in 1979. The name ISKA was borrowed from a Wayne Shorter album titled "The Odyssey Of Iska". Iska is a Nigerian expression that means the wind. With this group Lee performed in jazz clubs and festivals throughout the Pittsburgh region. Lee Robinson and ISKA recorded a live session at the Balcony Restaurant in 1987. He has also performed with ISKA at the Russian Tea Room in New York City. Lee Robinson and ISKA's spirited sound.has lead jazz sermons and jazz vesper concerts before several church congregations.

Robinson sat in at Pittsburgh jazz clubs with visiting jazz performers such as Jimmy McGriff, Charles Erland, Lew Soloff and "Brother" Jack McDuff during this time. These musicians encouraged him to continue his music pursuits. He was also a guest player with regional rock bands the Iron City House Rockers and Band of Angels during this period.

Lee began using the jazz duo (saxophone and piano) format of performing in the early 1980s. As an extension of the duo idea Robinson formed the duo I/O in 1997 with Ravish Momin, drummer - percussionist. This is a platform for energetic improvisation. Spontenaety is the key with I/O! I/O performed in Japan, in clubs in Toronto, Ontario and The Distillery Jazz Festival 2004 also in Toronto.

Robinson has performed solo saxophone at art galleries, music festivals and concerts. As a saxophone soloist, Lee's solo saxophone work has opened concerts for Ernst Reijseger, cello; the Kaliparush Maurice McIntyre Group and The Sabir Mateen Quintet. He was honored as a requested soloist at the funeral and interment ceremonies for the jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, 2000. Lee participated in an enlightening impromptu jam with the Drepung Monks on their visit to the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts to build a Mandala for Peace in 2002!

As a music experimenter he has collaborated with poets, actors, visual artists and a computer programmer for a variety of exciting projects. Lee Robinson appears as a street saxophonist in the movie The Cemetery Club. His original music appears on the PBS documentary, JOBS: A WAY OUT. Lee has done music and soundscapes for several independent film projects, theater productions, CD-ROMs and college promotion videos. Robison's latest performance project is of interactive digital images, improvised music and midi controlled sound called TIME EXPANSIONS. His concept of manipulated images responding to improvised sound was aided by the computer programming of Jesse Kriss to create TIME EXPANSIONS. The interactive performance is a unique aural and visual experience for their audience.

Robinson formed an improvising ensemble called the UnSpunt Orkestra (2001), with Richard Gartner, drummer, and Roger Day, tubist to open an art show. This group has been expanded to include keyboard and bass. The UnSpunt Orkestra now performs compositions of improvised and calculated nature. A live trio recording of the UnSpunt Orkestra was produced and recorded in 2003.

Robinson is inspired by all types of music styles. Lee's playing is launched from a palette of emotion, spirit and energy. The sound of his saxophones range from subtle and minimalist to dense and emotionally weighted. His sound is sometimes called beautiful, fiery, ferocious, earthy, and virtuosic. Lee Robinson's futuristic creativity is evident in his performance and leadership with I/O, Lee Robinson and ISKA, the UnSpunt Orkestra and his interactive project TIME EXPANSIONS.

Music Clips

Lee Robinson and ISKA Music Clips
1.
The ISKA Theme (2:10) - from Motif, L. Robinson (tn sax), Mark Leonard (drms),Tom Bellin (bs), Mark Pollishook (pn, kb.)

2. Patagonia (1:30) - from Motif, L. Robinson (tn sax), Mark Leonard (drms),Tom Bellin (bs), Mark Pollishook (pn, kb.)

3. Naima (1:18), Live at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, L. Robinson (sp sax), Paul Thompson (bs), David Throckmorton (drms), Tim Jenkins (pn)

I/O
1. New Window (2:18), L.Robinson (sp sax), Ravish Momin ( drms)

2. Africa And Back (1:10), L. Robinson (sp sax), Ravish Momin ( drms, prcsn)

Lee Robinson Duo
Song Bird - M.A.S.H. Medley (1:45), L. Robinson (spn sx), Leonard Johnson, (kb)

Lee Robinson and The UnSpunt Orkestra (Trio)
On The Line (2:05) Quiet Storm Recording , Joe Defazio (kb), Richard Gartner (drms), L. Robinson (tn,sx)

Lee Robinson and The UnSpunt Orkestra (Quintet)
Emergency (:50), Joe Defazio (kb), Richard Gartner (drms), L. Robinson (tn,sx)

Solo Sax
1. Solo Healing (1:54) from Time Expansions, Toronto, Ont. performance, L. Robinson (tn sx and JK laptop midi snth) ,Jesse Kriss (computer programmer)

2. Sax Solo Opus E.R., L. Robinson, tenor sax

Sound Manipulations
1. Voice Manipulation (:14), L. Robinson (computer and sound samples)

2. Flow Ting (1:14), L. Robinson (computer and sound samples)

Affiliated Links

Carolyn McClair Public Relations http://www.carolynmcclairpr.com

Ravish Momin http://www.ravishmomin.com

Gary Bartz http://garybartz.com/

Nathan Davis http://www.nathandavis jazz.com/

Ernst Reijseger http://www.ejn.it/mus/reijseger.htm

Jesse Kriss http://jklabs.net

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