Jazz Meets the Blues

See the full performance calendar.

The Music of Sonja Lee

It's been said that Sonja Lee has a voice both sweet and powerful, a mixture of Joan Osborne, Diana Krall, Etta James, with maybe a little Janis Joplin thrown in to sharpen the edge. Sonja’s low, silky voice can ease away the troubles of the day - and then sneak up on you like passion in the back seat of a Chevy.

What People are Saying

From the Blue Suede News...

"Lee’s rich, deep alto can sound sweet, sassy and earthy one minute, silky and sultry the next, and then explode with excitement and emotion. There’s no studio trickery here; no Autotune, no smoke and mirrors, just great singing and playing.

...An old friend of mine and I used to talk about records in our collections we deemed as “Late Night Albums.” Sonja Lee’s Telling It Like It Is falls into that category for this journalist. Sonja Lee’s sophisticated music is a balm for the soul."

Read the full review.

From the Washinton Blues Society Bluesletter...

"Sonja’s band is a harmonious blend of a veteran rhythm section on bass and drums with guitar, sax and piano provided younger players. Sonja expertly mines the jazz and blues vaults for 14 chestnuts and nails every one of them.

"...There just isn’t anything that is less than supreme on Telling It Like It Is. The Sonja Lee Band is a well-conceived and compelling mix of jazz and blues, the vocals are a paragon of excellence and the music top notch. Telling It Like It Is is a fantastic album and I give it my highest recommendation."

Read the full review.

From Daryl Davis, Veteran Blues Artist and Artistic Director for the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival...

"The debut CD from Sonja Lee, Telling It Like It Is, does just that. Lee is a new artist with an amazing voice that captures and expresses all the nuances and inflections of seasoned Jazz and Blues singers many years her senior, from bygone eras who didn’t have the studio gimmicks and gadgetry overused by many vocalists today. She literally tells it like it is.

"Listening with eyes closed, this collection of songs, quickly transports one to a hard hitting Jazz club in New York City, to the bluesy side of Jazz in Chicago, to the smooth West Coast Jazz sound. What’s equally impressive is the fact that this young lady did not grow up in any of these areas known for those styles. She is from Bellingham, WA., which goes to show, no matter where you're from, when you’ve got it, you’ve got it. And what she’s got is natural soul. Sonja Lee is a truly refreshing voice on the music scene today. Hey, I’m just Telling It Like It Is."

— Daryl Davis

From Margaret Bikman, Entertainment Editor for the Bellingham Herald...

"Blues songstress Sonja Lee has a voice that ranges from passionate and earthy fire to fun-loving teases; the listener can feel both her smoldering soul and her tempting smile in the songs she's selected for her debut CD, "Telling It Like It Is." From playful tunes like "He's a Tramp" to the vibrant "I'm Feeling Alright," Sonja is bound to bring down the house and gets her audience up and dancing."

— Margaret Bikman

Comments from fans...

"I just listened to the Sonja Lee Band’s brand new CD. Wow, wow, wow!! Sonja’s smoky voice is delicious and her very talented band is well balanced, emotional, and crisp. This CD is as good as hearing them live."

— Sherrie Montgomery

 

I've been listening to your CD, and it is pretty amazing. How did you learn to do that? There is some SOUL in your soul, sister. You killed it!

— Sally Johnson Farrell

 

 

Hear Music Samples from the Sonja Lee Band's CD, Telling it Like It Is.

 

Sonja Lee is based in Bellingham, Washington USA.

For booking information, please contact:
bookings@sonjalee.com.