Born and raised in Setauket, Long Island New York... Learning to play an instrument was a family requirement just like Saturday chores. Watching his father play, he was amazed at how Dad's big, long fingers could be so nimble. He decided that the guitar would be his instrument. Learning with the aid of one of the many Mel Bay guitar chord books, listening to Santana rip leads, his cousin Steven's playing and James Brown, he listened and listened and had a pretty good ear for picking out the rhythm guitar parts. Through the end of high school, Peter jammed with his cousins and he and his siblings started a contemporary gospel group. They played at some Long Island church events with Peter on guitar. This continued for a while until through family and personal trials the group "petered" out. He later spent some time at WUSB, Stony Brook University's radio station. Peter had a weekly show and visions of becoming a radio personality. Even though he enjoyed playing music selections that would not be heard on mainstream radio, spending hours in a stuffy, small room was not what he wanted to do. During this ending phase, the guitar was collecting dust and the radio personality dream was fading but music was still an important part of his life. Entering college, Peter continued to play, but only for himself. Peter graduated school with a Bachelors in Social Work. At this point, the guitar was definitely in the closet. In 1986, while working in Providence, music still pulsing in his bones, he had another "brilliant" idea. He began to review jazz artists releases for a small Providence newspaper called the Grapevine. He wrote for the Grapevine newspaper for about two years at which time the Grapevine closed. Later, The Providence American newspaper had begun and Peter was able to continue his reviews. During this time, some of Peter's most memorable reviews were written after seeing Cab Calloway, Sade, Marcus Miller, Santana, and Third World. Later, Peter took it to another level and developed a website which included excerpts of interviews with Marion Meadows, Bill Evans (saxophonist), Me Phi Mi, Heavy D, Vanessa Rubin, Patches Stewart, and Delfeayo Marsalis. As excited as Peter was with interviewing artists for his website, this didn't fully quench his thirst. With some equipment and his father's 1950's ES-125 Gibson, Peter started composing some of his rough ideas. Yet, listening to great guitarists like John Scofield, Hiram Bullock, Al Dimeola, and Santana, Peter never felt that his playing was even in the ballpark. Until "that" day he, Will (a close friend) and Wayne (who is a fabulous bass player) were listening to each other's music and supporting each other's projects. Wayne said, "you play your songs your style and you don't have to play like anyone else". As simple as that statement was, it was very liberating and in that, it freed Peter to get to know the guitar as he had been feeling it. One of his sisters who was writing and composing her own contemporary gospel music lent Peter all of her equipment and said, "Peter get busy". For Peter, when one is passionate about something they love to do... being "busy" is a great feeling. Peter DuVal Lee is still busy working on his music endeavor. The 2002 debut CD Reflections is a collection of ten songs written, composed and played by Peter DuVal Lee that are rhythmically layered with driving bass and guitar-filled grooves. The 2004 release Closer presents thirteen songs that are jazzy cool smooth guitar melodies on top of a mixture of R & B and Acid Jazz rhythms. Peter received Honorable Mention in the 11th & 12th Annual Billboard International Song Contests for "Until Tomorrow" from the Reflections CD and "Something Special" from the Closer CD. Reflections and Closer CD's are playing in rotation at internet jazz stations smoothjazzandmore.com located in New York and Lagniappe.la located in New Orleans and on 90.1FM WUSB, Long Island, New York. Peter recently played his first live performance in Rhode Island at the Tannerhill, Inc. Fourth Annual Fund-Raiser event.