Bryan Lee

Although hailing from beyond its borders like countless other performers drawn to the city, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Bryan Lee refined his abilities through extended stints in New Orleans venues before attaining the rank of local institution. Appearances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival reached a total of 25, including the 25th during the spring edition of 2009.

Bryan Lee Kumbalek entered the world in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Early exposure to WLAC from Nashville fostered admiration for Muddy Waters, Elmore James, B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, and parallel figures, along with deep appreciation for their lyrical poetry and artistic form. Guitar work in assorted rock and blues-rock ensembles began at age 15, and friendships formed in the late teens with Luther Allison during overlapping Wisconsin club dates. Summerfest in Milwaukee offered the 1981 chance to open for Muddy Waters; backstage conversation led Lee to voice his honor, prompting Waters's reply of "Bryan, my friend, don't stop what you're doing, because one day you're going to be a living legend."

The 1982 relocation to New Orleans initiated a prolonged residency at the Old Absinthe House in the French Quarter. A request to sit in from 13-year-old Kenny Wayne Shepherd created a formative moment that shaped Shepherd's subsequent path as a blues-rock standout, an experience later acknowledged when Shepherd included Lee in the documentary 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads.

National and international touring faced restrictions from health concerns across the 2000s, and Hurricane Katrina floodwaters destroyed the New Orleans studio in 2005, yet Lee continued, confining road work to three-week tours thereafter. Gigs in New Orleans grew scarce, prompting the 2013 move to Florida, where death occurred on August 21, 2020, in Sarasota at age 77.

An extensive discography showcased original songs of clear authenticity. Justin Time Records issued The Blues Is… in 1991, Braille Blues Daddy in 1995, Live at the Old Absinthe House Bar in 1997, Crawfish Lady in 2000, Katrina Was Her Name in 2007, and My Lady Don't Love My Lady in 2009, with Play One for Me appearing in 2014.