Biography
David Lee, also known as Dave Lee, is an English composer, pianist, arranger and songwriter. Born David Cyril Aarons on 12 August 1926 in Newington, London, he began his career as a jazz pianist, winning the Melody Maker poll for best new jazz pianist in 1942 and later studying at the Johannesburg Conservatory of Music.
Lee wrote jingles and incidental music for television, including work on That Was the Week That Was and Adam Adamant Lives!. With lyricist Herbert Kretzmer he composed hit songs such as "Goodness Gracious Me" and the stage musical Our Man Crichton (1964). His film scores include The Kitchen (1961), Hair of the Dog (1962), The Very Edge (1963) and, most notably, the orchestral score for Roger Corman's The Masque of the Red Death (1964).
He led the Dave Lee Trio, which contributed music to early episodes of The Avengers, and was elected BBC Jazz Society Musician of the Year in 1983. In 1990 he was one of the founders of the jazz radio station Jazz FM.
