Hugo Lee on SoundBetter

Professional Sax and EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) player with over a decade's worth of experience - e.g. Andrew Farriss (INXS).
I have performed & recorded in NYC, Nashvile, LA, Chicago, Berlin, London, Edinburgh, Melbourne and Sydney.
As well as producing my own records, I love collaborating with other artists and hope to work on your project!

Trained in both Jazz (ANU/UIUC) and Classical (AMusA), my music draws from a myriad of influences and the output ranges from Fusion, Funk, Blues, Jazz and World through to Pop/Rock, Folk, Reggae and Hip Hop.

I have extensive recording & performing experience through the plethora of session work conducted in the past as well as producing 5 of my own albums.
My services can be as simple as playing over an EDM track for you to chop up as you wish, producing funky horn arrangements for an R&B tune or the good old wailing Pop/Rock Sax solo that makes you shiver inside.
My portable setup means that I can track my parts from anywhere in the world, but face-to-face work can also be arranged.

I have journeyed through the USA, Europe and Australia, performing in clubs and doing session work with bands, songwriters, producers and DJs from all walks of musical life.
Inspired by this, I constantly explore new musical avenues to discover original sounds and styles.

My maturity as a session player means that if you know exactly what you want I can help you realize that dream, taking criticism (without egos getting in the way!) until you are satisfied. And if you don't know what you want, I am also more than happy to workshop ideas both with or without your input.

I look forward to hearing from you and helping you with your project.
Please get in touch!

www.hugoleemusic.com

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

My credits include

Gear highlights

Yanagisawa 992 alto
Akai Pro EWI5000 (Electronic Wind Instrument)
Fender Telecaster
Fender Jazz Bass
Pro Tools 12 and Cubase
Laptop with portable interface/microphone combinations

Genres I specialize in

Terms of Service

I am flexible and easy to work with. Happy to do revisions etc.
Please credit me in your track.

Reviews of Hugo Lee

Verified Reviewabout 1 month agoby Aron M.
Fast and great work! Helped the song a lot.
Verified Review2 months agoby Cam D.
Hugo laid some amazing sax on my track! Highly recommended!
Verified Review2 months agoby Mark S.
Great working with Hugo, he's super professional, super fast and super friendly to boot! With awesome communication throughout, he worked and delivered perfectly on my project. Fully recommended, thank you!
Verified Review3 months agoby Michael D.
Another 2 songs very well done and more than I expected.

3 months agoby Michael D.

I'll keep this short. WoW, quick turn around, did exactly what I asked and just flat out nailed it.

3 months agoby Stephen s.

Great quality efficient work!

3 months agoby Daniel D.

He is Great !!!

6 months agoby Ben A.

Great job! Hugo did exactly what I asked him to. Highly recommend.

8 months agoby Karen Warren

I HIGHLY recommend Hugo, he is so talented and easy to work with. He provided excellent sax tracks for my song, each with a different sound, feel and vibe to choose from. I couldn't be happier with his performances. Excellent !!!!

8 months agoby Richard S.

Awesome turn around on this job couldn't be happier with the end result and the communication through the whole process was perfect will def be using Hugo again if needed! Appreciate it :)

9 months agoby Stan Rose

Always great to work with Hugo--he's very thorough and puts a lot of effort into his performance!

10 months agoby Stan Rose

It was great working with Hugo, he is very professional and gave me lots of options to work with. Hope to work again with him.

11 months agoby Maciek L.

Great Artist with many ideas and creativity. Definitely recommend.

11 months agoby Room 9 Mixing and Mastering

Always easy to work with. Great sax player, highly recommend!

about 1 year agoby Juan V.

High quality sax sound and impressive playing! Very recommended!

about 1 year agoby Lele F

Hugo's playing PURRS. Plus great quality! A total treat to work with.

about 1 year agoby Room 9 Mixing and Mastering

Hugo is a great sax player. He's got awesome feel and can come up with really cool riffs! He gave me more options than I asked for and delivered on time. Definitely will use him again!

over 1 year agoby Dimkay

Working with Hugo Lee was very helpful. He is professional and delivered exactly what I asked for. I will definitely use him again.

over 1 year agoby Spyros B.

Simply amazing!!! Excellent technique and feeling. Immediate adjustment to the needs of the track!!! Will come back for sure!!! +++AAAAAAAAAA

Endorse Hugo Lee

Interview with Hugo Lee

Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

My session work mostly consists of playing over a pre-existing track- but I love recording live with other musicians too. I'll often be given 8-16 bars to have a solo, with instructions to "fill out" some of the sections with licks, noodling etc. If my client is present, we'll do however many takes until they're happy, taking suggestions where necessary. If we are working by correspondence, I'll do several takes so they have something to work with. I will then do revisions until satisfaction is achieved!

Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

I recently released a new album, CONFLUENCE. It consisted of 12 original tracks, all of which I wrote, arranged, produced, performed on and had an active role in the mixing and mastering processes. For this project, I was very privileged to be mentored by INXS songwriter and Keys/Guitar player Andrew Farriss, whose insightful wisdom greatly inspired my work. Confluence was inspired by the beauty of both the natural and urban worlds, as well as by the amazing group of musicians present on the 45-minute record. Writing took place throughout Australia and across the world, from Scottish lochs to Vanuatu volcanoes, and each track fits into the greater narrative with its own unique story. The theme of “Confluence” balances the exploration of Art and the comfort of Pop, and finding nourishment where these two rivers meet: ideas are drawn from across the board, blending a myriad of influences, with catchy melodies, experimental forays and all knitted together with a strong sense of groove. Some of the tracks feature vocals, and others are instrumentals, but the Sax is prevalent throughout. The writing and recording processes were often fused, allowing composition and production to flourish in exciting new ways. Recording was undertaken at the ANU School of Music and various home and portable recording studios, with all natural sound effects recorded on location. After over a year of fun and hard work the finished product is finally complete for your enjoyment, and I couldn’t be prouder to share it with you. Close your eyes, open your ears and drift away… www.soundcloud.com/hugoleemusic/sets/confluence

What do you like most about your job?

Being able to play music all the time, meeting and working with amazing people and being part of the creative process. The feeling of having a finished product that was once just a few notes drifting around your head late at night is a hard one to beat.

What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

What IS that thing?! (when I'm playing the EWI). Check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nsSrydpSqc

What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

I've been playing the Sax for 12 years, with the EWI being a more recent edition. After completing all the grades, I achieved an associate diploma in the Sax at age 17, and I've also studied it at a tertiary level. Other instruments I have learnt to play include the guitar, keys, cello, bass guitar, double bass, ukulele, recorder and harmonica. I've always done lots of singing and auxiliary percussion too. I started making my own records at age 13 and have since released numerous albums, singles, EPs and demos. I've played at numerous festivals, weddings, clubs, bars, functions and parties and really enjoy the live aspect of my career. Recording is a joy unto itself, and I feel it's important to take it very seriously. I pay a lot of attention whenever I'm booked for a studio session to what the producer, engineer and other musicians are doing.

How would you describe your style?

I strive to be as versatile as possible, for the benefit of both myself and others. I'm originally classically trained and I've studied jazz at university too. But throughout my whole life, I've also loved the pop/rock idiom and all of its offshoots. These influences are all present in my playing. You'll have to get in touch to find out more!

Which artist would you like to work with and why?

Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. His work has been of such phenomenal influence to my performing, composing and recording. I really like how he combines familiar musical elements with his own unique flair.

Can you share one music production tip?

The age-old "less is more". Really, really pay attention to that one.

What type of music do you usually work on?

I've worked on a huge range of styles from Classical, World and Jazz through to Blues, Rock, Pop, Funk, Soul, RnB, Hip Hop, Metal...the list goes on. I'm always ready to try out different styles.

What do you bring to a song?

In any musical scenario, I strive to bring out the best of the music by coloring the artist's ideas. Sometimes it's just a soft, sustained note. Sometimes it's a crazy wailing solo. I use my ears to determine what the music needs.

What's your typical work process?

I'll listen to the song through several times to get an idea of where it goes and how I could contribute to it. I make sure that I'm not just playing for the sake of playing! Then I'll do a variety of different takes, so the client has different ideas to work with.

Tell us about your studio setup.

I have a portable professional setup that I take around with me, and also have access to many professional and home studios at cheap/free rates.

Hugo Lee