Ezra Lee (musician)

Ezra Lee Matzenik (born 15 October 1986,[1] Tamworth), who performs as Ezra Lee, is an Australian singer-songwriter and pianist. He has issued six studio albums: Preston Rockabilly #2 (2008), You Can't Stop a Freight Train (April 2009), Cashed Up 'n' Crazy (2012), Coal Fired Man (14 December 2012), Motor Head Baby (2014) and Boomerang Boogie (2016).

Ezra Lee
Birth nameEzra Lee Matzenik
Born (1986-10-15) 15 October 1986[1]
Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician
InstrumentsVocals, piano
Years active1999–present
LabelsPreston, Rhythm Bomb
Associated actsJohnny Green's Blues Cowboys
Websitewww.musosgarage.com/ezralee

Biography

Ezra Lee Matzenik[2] was born on 15 October 1986[1] in Tamworth.[3][4][5] His father, Ed Matzenik (born 28 December 1944), helped run Enrec Studio in the rural city with Steve Newton.[6] Ed is also a country blues musician and has played bass guitar in Johnny Green's Blues Cowboys, alongside Pete "Flash" Sheedy (Lee's uncle), on lap steel guitar.[6][7]

Lee started playing piano at the age of four, learning the Floyd Cramer tune, "Last Date", from his father.[3][6] He used his father's record collection to teach himself boogie woogie and barrelhouse piano styles.[6] He took blues lessons from Dr John and Johnny 'B. Goode' Johnson when they toured Australia. Lee developed his piano style within these genres.

By 1999 Lee was living in Maitland, and played piano on weekends with different country artists at the local club, The Tin Hut.[8] He was a session pianist for Flash Sheedy,[6] at Angelwood Studios in Currabubula and toured outback New South Wales with guitarist, Buddy Knox. At age 14 Lee joined Johnny Green's Blues Cowboys and toured with them for six years.[8][9] In 2009 the Melbourne rockabilly label, Preston Records, released two of Lee's albums, Out of the Valley (February), and his first full-length album, You Can't Stop a Freight Train (April), which was engineered by Grahame Thomas and Cal Robinson.[10][11] For that album Lee used Robinson on bass guitar, Pat Capocci on guitar and Ricky "the Goat" on drums.[10] In May 2010 Lee travelled to Barcelona, Spain to perform at the Screamin' Rockabilly Festival to support Bill Haley's Original Comets.

In November and December 2010 and the following February, Lee performed in a musical theatre show, The Ultimate Rock 'n' Roll Jam Session, with James Blundell, Nick Barker, Dave Larkin and Doug Parkinson.[12][13][14] David Kary of the Sydney Arts Guide website specified one of the highlights as "Whiz kid Ezra Lee banging away at the keyboards with everything, including his sandshoes!"[14] On 22 April 2011 Lee performed at the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend in Las Vegas, supporting Jerry Lee Lewis.

In 2012 Lee recorded Ca$hed Up n Crazy ín Maitland. Dominique Wall of theMusic.com.au website attended his album launch gig in September, and said that Lee's "onstage persona has gone from a rather quiet but incredibly talented performer to a brazen, fully fledged madman with a touch of lothario thrown in for good measure."[15] Lee performed in the UK and Europe and recorded his latest album, Coal Fired Man, in Berlin for Rhythm Bomb Records. In March 2013 he and his band opened, and were the backing band, for the "Queen of Rockabilly", Wanda Jackson, on her six date Australian tour.[16]

In 2014, Lee moved to Melbourne, Victoria. With former drummer Shaun 'Havoc' Lees, he formed the new band, Ezra Lee & The Havoc Band, which also featured Mark McGurgan on sax, Kevin Spiers on guitar and Pete Mavric on double bass. In 2015, the band recorded a debut self-titled album, which features Alison Ferrier on fiddle and Shane Riley on pedal steel guitar, set for limited release in Australia in August and released by Rhythm Bomb Records in November 2015. Amnplify's Gary Bradshaw felt their set in April was "songs best described as Americana... Or Rockabilly... Or Blues... You know what, I don't really have a pigeon hole that this band will fit into... the tunes and music style is [sic] very infectious. It is hard to watch the band's enthusiasm for what they are playing, as well as listen to well-constructed tunes, and not get sucked into having a good time."[8]

Discography

Studio albums
  • Preston Rockabilly #2 – Out of the Valley (split album, separate tracks by Ezra Lee, Pat Capocci Combo, and Danny [Wegryzn] and the Cosmic Tremors) (28 February 2009) – Preston Records[11][17]
  • You Can't Stop a Freight Train (April 2009) – Preston Records[11]
  • Coal Fired Man (14 December 2012) – Rhythm Bomb Records (Germany)[18]
  • Motor Head Baby (Ezra Lee with Firebird Trio and Hank Elwood Green) (2014)[3]

Live albums
  • Ca$hed Up 'n' Crazy (2012) – Edjumacation Records[15]

Other appearances
  • Delinquent Beat by Pat Capocci (2010) – Preston Records, guest appearance
  • Rockabilly Comp – It's a Gas! (compilation album, 2010) – Preston Records
  • Rockabilly Comp – Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend – The Sounds of Sin City (2011) – VLV Rockabilly Weekend Records
  • Rockabilly Comp – Let's Talk About a Party – 32 Sleazy Tunes to Party Around the World (2012) – Rhythm Bomb Records (Germany)
  • Rockabilly Comp – Graveland Jamboree (2012) – Rhythm Bomb Records
  • Hank Green's Blues (2012) – Edjumacation Records
  • Lost and Dangerous by Paulie Bignell and the Thorbury Two (2014) – Hailstone Studios, guest appearance
  • Underbilly #2 (2014)
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References
  1. "Ezra Lee - About". Facebook. Facebook. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  2. "'88 Keys' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 28 April 2017. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' or 'Performer:'
  3. "Oh Baby, it's Ezra Lee". Forte Magazine. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  4. "An impromptu interview with Newcastle's Ezra Lee at The Central Club (Vic)". Melbourne Roots. 9 May 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  5. Smith, Andrew. "CD reviews: Motor Head Baby Ezra Lee". The Bettajive Review. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  6. Rose, Anna (1 January 2015). "Birthday 'gig' turns into bash". Northern Daily Leader. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  7. Scully, Anthony. "10 years ago in Newcastle Music – Blues Cowboys Live Review". ABC New South Wales (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  8. Bradshaw, Gary (21 April 2015). "Ezra Lee and the Havoc Band – The Cherry Bar, Sunday April 12". Amnplify. Australian Musician Network. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  9. Morris, Helen. "Johnny Green's Blues Cowboys". Tamworth Rage Page. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  10. Turgis, Fred "Virgil". "Ezra Lee". jumpingfrom6to6.com. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  11. "Ezra Lee – Honky Tonk King". MatMan Promotions. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  12. "The Ultimate Rock 'n' Roll Jam Session". Fox Media Marketing (Clive Fox Photography). Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  13. "Win Tweet Seats to the Ultimate Rock 'n' Roll Jam Sessions". 774 ABC Melbourne (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). 29 October 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  14. Kary, David (22 February 2011). "The Ultimate Rock 'n' Roll Jam Session". Sydney Arts Guide. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  15. Wall, Dominique (28 September 2012). "Ezra Lee The Luwow". theMusic.com.au. Street Press Australia. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  16. Evans, Neil (22 March 2013). "Wanda Jackson". Tone Deaf. Nicholas Jones. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  17. "Out of the Valley – Preston Rockabilly CD Launch @ Empire Hotel". Live Guide. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  18. "Coal Fired Man: Ezra Lee". Amazon.com. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
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