bass vocal, trombone, arrangement/composition

Though born and raised in Japan, Tsunenori “Lee” Abe could not just keep staying in one country for his entire life. Instead, he decided to move around the world and see where music takes would take him. After living in Australia for a year, he toured with Up With People for one year, and performed more than 150 shows all over the world. Performances in 12 countries included a performanceone for the Pope in Vatican City and sold-out show in front ofone for the president of Slovakia.

After his following successful career as a member of Japanese “boys band,” Baby Boo, he ended up moving to the United States to pursue his passion in arranging and jazz music. He graduated from Berklee College of Music, where he formed the original figure ofcreated Syncopation in February 2002, with a diploma of Jazz Composition.

Lee’s name is widely known in vocal jazz world as an wonderful arranger both in US and Japan. Many of his works, highly raved praised by such greats as Cheryl Bentyne of the Manhattan Transfer, and Kim Nazarian of the New York Voices and Cedric Dent of Take 6, are available through renownedpublished by University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Jazz Press, and performed by many choirs, vocal groups and big bands here and there.

In 2005, he has released his solo debut album “Shakunage no Hana no Saku Koro (When the Stone Camphor Tree Flower Blooms)” from a the Japanese record company Bitter Valley. Since its release, his songwriting skill has been recognized as one of the most unique songwriters of this time by magazines such as “CD Journal.” In 2006, His compositions, lyrics and arrangements are recorded by various artists around the globe and released from Japanese, Korean and American record companies.

While he is busy withApart from performing as a member of Syncopation, touring as a solo self-accompanied performer, or and producing and writing music for the other artists, he tries to fly anywheretravel as much as he can to teach in workshops to and spread his passion in for arranging and vocal jazz music.

He is a the primary arranger/composer and bandleader of the group, and has performed or worked with Luciana Souza, Cheryl Bentyne, Phil Wilson, Tiger Ohkoshi, Carlos Kanno, Hiroyuki Noritake, Satoru ‘SALT’ Shionoya among the other greats.