Richard Tee


Richard Edward Tee was an American jazz fusion pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger. Tee had several hundred studio credits and played on such hits as "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today)", "Until You Come Back To Me", "The Hustle", "Slip Slidin' Away", "Just the Two of Us", "Tell Her About It", and "In Your Eyes".
WWW richardtee.com

Biography

Tee was born in Brooklyn, New York to Edward James Ten Ryk, who was from Guyana, and Helen G. Ford Skeete Ten Ryk, of New York. He spent most of his life in Brooklyn and lived with his mother in a brownstone apartment building.
He 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, including 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, Peabo Bryson, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, Phoebe Snow, Leo Sayer, Herbie Mann, Pino Daniele, Tim Finn, and countless others. He also contributed to numerous gold and platinum albums during his long career and joined Stuff led by bassist Gordon Edwards. Other members of the band included guitarist Cornell Dupree, drummer Chris Parker, and later guitarist Eric Gale and drummer Steve Gadd.

Career

Richard Tee arranged the Timothy Wilson song "Baby Baby Please" which was composed by the Poindexter Brothers and produced by George Kerr. Released in 1967, it became an R&B hit, getting to no 46 on the Billboard Top Selling R&B Singles chart.
Tee was the arranger on the O'Jays 1968 single "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow" bw "I Dig Your Act", which was released on Bell 691.
Along with Hugh McCracken, Eric Gale, and Steve Gadd, Tee played on Van McCoy's 1976 album, The Real McCoy. The album received a good review with the picks being "Love at First Sight", "Night Walk", "Theme from Star Trek", and "African Symphony".
In June 1980, the band Stuff, made up of Tee, Gordon Edwards, Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale, and Steve Gadd, performed at the Berkeley Jazz Festival which was held over a four day period. On the week ending July 12, 1980, Tee's album Natural Ingredients entered the Cash Box Jazz Top 40 Albums chart at no. 31. At week three on July 26, it got to no. 20. It held that position for another week. It spent a total of nine weeks in the chart.

Personal life

After a 16-year relationship with Eleana Steinberg Tee of Greenwich, Connecticut, the couple were 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.

Illness and death

In 1993, Tee had begun extensive treatment for his prostate cancer following his diagnosis during his time with Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints tour.
A special tribute event was set up for him and was to take place June 6, 1993 at Club Tatou in Beverly Hills. Those set to attend included Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, and Chevy Chase. Proceeds from the event were to go to Humantics Foundation for Richard Tee.
Tee died on July 21, 1993, in Calvary Hospital age 49, after suffering from prostate cancer. He is buried in the Artist's Cemetery in Woodstock, New York. Tee's grave is marked by the outline of a grand piano made from stainless steel, with a black granite plaque in a keyboard design on top. Tee's nickname of "Stuffy" is engraved on the memorial plaque, together with his name and dates.

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 an Electro-Harmonix Small Stone effect pedal phase shifter.

Discography

As leader

Strokin' Natural Ingredients The Bottom Line Inside You Real Time The Right Stuff

As guest

With George BensonTell It Like It Is Give Me the Night In Your Eyes Big Boss Band with the Count Basie OrchestraLove Remembers
With Hank CrawfordIt's a Funky Thing to Do Help Me Make it Through the Night We Got a Good Thing Going Wildflower Hank Crawford's Back
With Cornell DupreeTeasin' Coast to Coast Can't Get Through Child's Play Uncle Funky
With Steve GaddGadd About The Gadd Gang Here & Now Live at the Bottom Line Gadd Gang
With Stuff Stuff More Stuff Stuff It Live Stuff Live in New York East Best Stuff Stuff Live in Montreux
With Grover Washington Jr.Inner City Blues All the King's Horses Soul Box – Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 Feels So Good Winelight Skylarkin' Come Morning The Best Is Yet to Come In Concert Inside Moves A House Full of Love
With othersTune In, Turn On Benny GolsonSoul Drums Bernard PurdieSoul Rebel Bob MarleyI Heard That Quincy JonesShirley Scott & the Soul Saxes Shirley ScottLena & Gabor Lena Horne and Gábor SzabóGood Vibes Gary BurtonCornucopia Dizzy GillespieComment Les McCannLive at Freddie Jett's Pied Piper Esther PhillipsEverybody's Talkin' King CurtisSuite 16 Yusef LateefBoys from Dayton Snooky YoungBlacknuss Rahsaan Roland KirkSalt Song Stanley TurrentineQuiet Fire Roberta FlackPush Push Herbie MannYoung, Gifted and Black Aretha FranklinChuck Rainey Coalition Chuck RaineySweet Buns & Barbeque Houston PersonSoul Is... Pretty Purdie Bernard PurdieAlone Again Esther PhillipsThe Final Comedown Grant GreenSweet Buns & Barbeque Houston PersonThe Weapon David NewmanBlues Farm Ron CarterDon't Mess with Mister T. Stanley TurrentineAbandoned Luncheonette Daryl Hall & John OatesIn the Beginning Hubert LawsI Can Stand a Little Rain Joe CockerLet Me in Your Life Aretha FranklinYour Baby Is a Lady Jackie DeShannonWith Everything I Feel in Me Aretha FranklinContinental American Peter AllenAWB Average White BandJourney Arif MardinThe Disco Kid Van McCoyAnything Goes Ron CarterFeel Like Makin' Love Roberta FlackNegril Eric GaleStill Crazy After All These Years Paul SimonSneakin' Sally Through the Alley Robert PalmerJamaica Say You Will Joe CockerThe New York Connection Tom ScottLost Generation Elliott MurphyThirty Three & 1/3 George HarrisonThe Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color Rahsaan Roland KirkSecond Childhood Phoebe SnowDinner Music Carla BleyStingray Joe CockerEnd of a Rainbow Patti AustinThe Real McCoy Van McCoyEndless Flight Leo SayerNative New Yorker OdysseyFirefly Jeremy SteigRoots Quincy JonesHavana Candy Patti AustinCissy Houston Cissy HoustonNever Letting Go Phoebe SnowWatermark Art GarfunkelLady Put the Light Out Frankie ValliCelebrate Me Home Kenny LogginsThe Stranger Billy JoelRingo the 4th Ringo StarrThe Atlantic Family Live in Montreaux Multiplication Eric GalePhonogenic – Not Just Another Pretty Face MelanieIt Begins Again Dusty SpringfieldDon't Cry Out Loud Melissa ManchesterLuxury You Can Afford Joe CockerBoys in the Trees Carly SimonDeep in the Night Etta JamesIntimate Strangers Tom ScottCheryl Lynn Cheryl LynnQueen of the Night Loleatta HollowayAgainst the Grain Phoebe SnowChaka Chaka KhanWarmer Communications Average White BandScratch My Back David "Fathead" NewmanPrisoner CherSpy Carly SimonIn Love Cheryl LynnLa Diva Aretha FranklinI Could Have Been a Sailor Peter AllenFate for Breakfast Art GarfunkelSyreeta Syreeta WrightConnections Richie HavensAretha Aretha FranklinOne-Trick Pony Paul SimonGuilty Barbra StreisandLove Sensation Loleatta HollowayWhat Cha' Gonna Do for Me Chaka KhanApple Juice Tom ScottRIT Lee RitenourLiving Eyes Bee GeesBlade Runner Heartbreaker Dionne WarwickI'm the One Roberta FlackTantalizingly Hot Stephanie MillsQuiet Lies Juice NewtonFill Up The Night Sadao WatanabeHearts and Bones Paul SimonEscapade Tim FinnIn My Life Patti AustinAn Innocent Man Billy JoelBorn to Love Peabo Bryson, Roberta FlackMerciless Stephanie MillsUniversal Rhythm Ralph MacDonaldWatching You Watching Me Bill WithersFerryboat Pino Daniele