Richard Tee

Richard Tee (November 24, 1943 – July 21, 1993) was an American pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger who had several hundred studio credits and played on such notable hits as In Your Eyes, Slip Slidin' Away, Just the Two of Us, Tell Her About It, and many others.

Biography

Tee was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he spent most of his life and lived with his mother in a brownstone apartment building.

Tee graduated from The High School of Music & Art in New York City and attended the Manhattan School of Music. Though better known as a studio and session musician, Tee led a jazz ensemble, the Richard Tee Committee, and was a founding member of the band Stuff. In 1981 he played the piano and Fender Rhodes for Simon and Garfunkel's Concert In Central Park.

Tee played with a diverse range of artists during his career, such as Paul Simon, Carly Simon, The Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Diane Schuur, Donny Hathaway, Peter Allen, George Harrison, Diana Ross, Duane Allman, Quincy Jones, Bill Withers, Art Garfunkel, Nina Simone, Juice Newton, Billy Joel, Etta James, Grover Washington Jr., Eric Clapton, Kenny Loggins, Patti Austin, David Ruffin, Lou Rawls, Ron Carter, Peter Gabriel, George Benson, Joe Cocker, Chuck Mangione, Tim Finn, Peabo Bryson, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, Phoebe Snow, Doc Severinsen, Leo Sayer, Herbie Mann and countless others. He also contributed to numerous gold and platinum albums during his long career and joined the band Stuff led by bassist Gordon Edwards. Other members of the band included guitarist Cornell Dupree, drummer Chris Parker and later adding guitarist Eric Gale and drummer Steve Gadd to the line up.

After a 16-year relationship with Eleana Steinberg Tee of Greenwich, Connecticut, the couple was married in Woodstock, New York, by New York State Supreme Court Justice Bruce Wright. The couple moved to the Chelsea Hotel in 1988, and later to Cold Spring, New York.

Tee died of prostate cancer on July 21, 1993 in Cold Spring, New York at the age of 49. He is buried in the Artist Cemetery in Woodstock, New York.

Equipment

Tee used a diverse range of keyboards during his recording and touring career, notably the Hammond organ, piano, Hohner clavinet and synthesizers. His trademark sound, however, was his unique method of playing a Fender Rhodes electric piano and feeding the signal through a phase shifter.

Discography

Solo albums

• Strokin' (Columbia/Tappan Zee 1979)
• Natural Ingredients (Columbia/Tappan Zee 1980)
• The Best of Richard Tee (Columbia/Tappan Zee 1981)
• Contemporary Piano (DCI 1982)
• The Bottom Line (King Records 1985)
• Inside You (Columbia 1989)
• Real Time (One Voice 1992)
• The Right Stuff (Blues Interactions 1993)

with Hank Crawford

• It's a Funky Thing to Do (Cotillion, 1971)
• Help Me Make it Through the Night (Kudu, 1972)
• We Got a Good Thing Going (Kudu, 1972)
• Wildflower (Kudu, 1973)
• Hank Crawford's Back (Kudu, 1976)

with George Benson

• Tell It Like It Is (1969)
• Big Boss Band (1990) with the Count Basie Orchestra
• Love Remembers (1993)

with Grover Washington, Jr.

• Inner City Blues (1971)
• All the King's Horses (1972)
• Soul Box - Vol. 2 (1973)
• Feels So Good (1975)
• Winelight (1980)
• Skylarkin' (1980)
• Come Morning (1981)
• The Best Is Yet to Come (1982)
• In Concert (1982)
• Inside Moves (1984)

with Cornell Dupree

• Teasin' (1974)
• Coast to Coast (1988)
• Can't Get Through (1991)
• Child's Play (1992)
• Uncle Funky (1992)

with Stuff

• Stuff (1976)
• More Stuff (1977)
• Stuff It (1978)
• Live Stuff (1978)
• Live In New York (1980)
• East (1981)
• Best Stuff (1981)
• Stuff Live In Montreux (2008) DVD/CD
• Right Stuff (1996) collection

with Steve Gadd / The Gadd Gang

• Gadd About (1984)
• The Gadd Gang (1986)
• Here & Now (1988)
• Live at the Bottom Line (1988)
• Gadd Gang (1991)

with other artists

• Tune In, Turn On (1967) Benny Golson
• Soul Drums (1968) Bernard Purdie
• Soul Rebel (1968) Bob Marley
• I Heard That (1969) Quincy Jones
• Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes (1969) Shirley Scott
• Lena & Gabor (1969) Lena Horne and Gábor Szabó
• Good Vibes (1969) Gary Burton
• Cornucopia (1969) Dizzy Gillespie
• Comment (1970) Les McCann
• Live at Freddie Jett's Pied Piper (1970) Esther Phillips
• Everybody's Talkin' (1970) King Curtis
• Suite 16 (1970) Yusef Lateef
• Boys from Dayton (1971) Snooky Young
• Blacknuss (1971) Rahsaan Roland Kirk
• Salt Song (1971) Stanley Turrentine
• Quiet Fire (1971) Roberta Flack
• Push Push (1971) Herbie Mann
• Young, Gifted and Black (1972) Aretha Franklin
• Chuck Rainey Coalition (1972) Chuck Rainey
• Sweet Buns & Barbeque (1972) Houston Person
• Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (1972) Bernard Purdie
• Alone Again (Naturally) (1972) Esther Phillips
• The Final Comedown (1972) Grant Green
• Sweet Buns & Barbeque (1972) Houston Person
• The Weapon (1973) David Newman
• Blues Farm (1973) Ron Carter
• Your Baby is a Lady (1973) Jackie DeShannon
• Don't Mess with Mister T. (1973) Stanley Turrentine
• Abandoned Luncheonette (1973) Daryl Hall & John Oates
• In the Beginning (1974) Hubert Laws
• AWB (1974) Average White Band
• Journey (1974) Arif Mardin
• The Disco Kid (1975) Van McCoy
• Anything Goes (1975) Ron Carter
• Negril (1975) Eric Gale
• The New York Connection (1975) Tom Scott
• Gone At Last (1975) Paul Simon
• Lost Generation (1975) Elliott Murphy
• Thirty Three & 1/3 (1976) George Harrison
• The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color (1976) Rahsaan Roland Kirk
• Dinner Music (1976) Carla Bley
• End of a Rainbow (1976) Patti Austin
• The Real McCoy (1976) Van McCoy
• Firefly Jeremy Steig (1977)
• Roots Quincy Jones (1977)
• Havana Candy Patti Austin (1977)
• The Stranger Billy Joel (1977)
• The Atlantic Family Live in Montreaux (1977)
• Multiplication Eric Gale (1978)
• Intimate Strangers Tom Scott (1978)
• Warmer Communications Average White Band (1978)
• One Trick Pony Paul Simon (1980)
• Apple Juice Tom Scott (1981)
• RIT Lee Ritenour (1981)
• The Concert in Central Park Simon and Garfunkel (1981)
• Living Eyes Bee Gees (1981)
• Heartbreaker Dionne Warwick (1982)
• Blade Runner (1982) (not on O.S.T.) in "Memories of Green" song
• Fill Up The Night Sadao Watanabe (1983)
• Hearts and Bones Paul Simon (1983)
• An Innocent Man Billy Joel (1984)
• Universal Rhythm Ralph MacDonald (1984)
• Ferryboat Pino Daniele (1985)
• "Underground" David Bowie (1986)
• So Peter Gabriel (1986)
• 10th Avenue Patrick Williams New York Band (1986) on "Still Crazy After All These Years"
• Streamlines Tom Scott (1987)
• Sound Investment Flip Phillips & Scott Hamilton (1987)
• Red Hot Rhythm & Blues Diana Ross (1987)
• At Home Janis Siegel (1987)
• The Camera Never Lies Michael Franks (1987)
• Close Up Dave Sanborn (1988)
• Talkin' 'Bout You Diane Schuur (1988)
• At Last Lou Rawls (1989)
• Street Smarts Eddie Gomez (1989)
• Midnight in San Juan Earl Klugh (1989)
• Bottom's Up Victor Bailey (1989)
• Vanishing Mariah Carey (1990)
• Star Time James Brown (1991)
• Upfront David Sanborn (1992)
• Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings Aretha Franklin (1992)
• Legendary Lou Rawls Lou Rawls (1992)
• I'll Take Care of You Cissy Houston/Chuck Jackson (1992)
• Anthology: Down in Birdland Manhattan Transfer (1992)
• Evolution of Herbie Mann Herbie Mann (1993)
• Greatest Hits 80-94 Aretha Franklin (1993)
• Instant Soul: Legendary King Curtis King Curtis (1993)
• Softly with these Songs: The Best... Roberta Flack (1993)
• Friends Can Be Lovers Dionne Warwick (1993)
• Skyline Phil Carmen (1993)
• I Can Stand a Little Rain Joe Cocker (1975)
• Stingray Joe Cocker (1976)
• Luxury You Can Afford Joe Cocker (1979)