Interviews
Tony
Levin
[Image courtesy The
TL / Papa Bear Records Website]
February
25th, 2002
ABOUT
TONY LEVIN
"Tony
Levin was born in Boston on June 6, 1946. He grew up in the suburb
of Brookline and began playing upright bass at 10 yrs old. In high
school, he picked up tuba, soloing with the concert band. He also
started a barbershop quartet. But he primarily played classical music
on the upright, most notably performing at the White House with a
youth orchestra for John and Jackie Kennedy.
He
then attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and played
in the Rochester Philharmonic. Also at the school was Steve Gadd,
now a renowned drummer, who introduced Tony to playing a higher level
of jazz and rock. He traded in his Ampeg baby bass for an old (at
that time) Fender Precision bass, which was his only instrument for
many years..." [more...
(from Tony's bio at TonyLevin.com)]
Mike
Visceglia: What were your early musical influences, and how did
you settle on the bass guitar as your main instrument?
Tony
Levin: After so many years playing the bass I had no recollection
of why I chose the bass back when I was a 10 year old. So a few years
ago I asked my parents if they remembered - they said I had told them
that it was just because I like the bass. Now, so many years later,
I realize that it was a very good decision, perhaps because it came
from my nature, not my intellect - and I’m very lucky that I
still enjoy doing that very thing; playing the bass.
Mike
Visceglia: You seem to have a wonderfully successful career playing
creative and challenging music while staying out of the fray of the
New York City scene. Was that a conscious decision on your part?
Tony
Levin: I
was a New York studio player in the early and mid 70’s (back
when there happened to be a lot of work there.) I enjoyed it and was
pretty succesful, but I didn’t feel good about my playing when
I went long without live gigs. So when the chance came to get out
of town and tour, I took it. Ever since, I’ve done less studio
work, but felt better about the balance of my playing - it seems like
my creativity needs live performance to fuel new ideas.
MV:
What were the circumstances that caused you to transition from playing
with Paul Simon to Peter Gabriel?
TL:
Touring with both, back and forth, was a little schizophrenic (though
I like both types of music.) In fact, I did miss one leg of a Peter
tour because I was committed to touring with Paul in that season.
Since then I’ve tried to put Peter at the top of my priority
for gigs, and even check with him sometimes to make sure I won’t
miss out by getting involved with another tour.
MV:
How involved is Peter Gabriel in the creation of the bass parts in
his music as opposed to Robert Fripp who seems like a meticulous scrutinizer
of everything that goes into King Crimson?
TL:
Peter is quite involved in every part of his recordings. He sometimes
gives me a bass line (on synth) to start with - often, in fact, his
synth bass part makes it to the final version. Sometimes I change
it a bit, or change it entirely. Other times I come up with the part
on my own - he always checks it out, and advises when it’s appropriate.
It’s a good working relationship because we’re both after
the same thing: a bass part that works for piece, and brings something
new to the bass function.
With
Robert, it’s often simpler because he either writes the bass
line, or respects my sense of bass parts enough to just leave me on
my own to make it up. We don’t need much dialog, and I’m
equally happy with my parts and the great lines he comes up with.
MV:
When and how did you start exploring the stick and did you consider
any other multi-stringed instruments - i.e. 5 and 6 string basses?
TL:
I heard about the Chapman Stick and got one in the mid ‘70’s.
Peter Gabriel One [right] was one of the first
albums I took the Stick to. Ironically, it wasn’t the multi-string
aspect that drew me to the Stick - it was the unusual percussive sound
it has in the bass range. Later I found that the unusual tuning helped
inspire me to come up with different bass parts than the usual fourths.
MV:
You've played with a wide array of the world's great drummers (Steve
Gadd, Manu Kache, Jerry Marotta, Bill Bruford, to name a few). What
do you personally look for in a rhythm section partner?
TL: Each of the drummers you named has his own feel when he
plays rhythm. As a bass player it’s fun being part of any kind
of approach from the drummer, even if it’s one that’s new
to you, as long as the drummer has mastery of the time. It was Steve
Gadd who really taught me how to play time (I was Classically trained
before meeting him) but I’ve adapted my sense of time many times
through the years, and I play differently with each of the players
you mention, as well as with the other great drummers I’ve teamed
up with.
MV:
Is there any way to articulate the difference in your approach when
playing with Manu as opposed to Jerry or Bill?
TL: Plenty of differences, but hard to describe. I’ll
try. Recording with Manu, he will try at all times to come up with
a distinctive, new part - making his approach to the piece unique.
Sometimes this comes quickly, sometimes it takes a while. Anyway,
at the same time I’m trying to do the same and to adjust to what
the drums are doing. If he’s latched on to some great pattern,
I might play a bit less to give it the room it wants. Or, if I have
a busier part (i.e. Sledgehammer) he might play kind of basics, but
as on that piece, hit some subtle beats with the bass.
Jerry will play with great strength when the music calls for it. Often
we both gravitate to simple parts that have a similar weight to them,
and maybe have some small element to make them unique.
Bill Bruford, always creating, always changing his parts, rarely plays
the same part twice. Counter rhythms are so natural to him, I can
join in on those, or take the function of grounding the original time
signature and letting the drums fly around it.
MV:
What current solo projects are you working on, and what new records
and/or tours are on the horizon? Where can we find more information
on them?
TL: I’ve just finished and released a solo CD titled “Pieces
of the Sun” and will be touring quite a bit with my band. The
album and band feature Jerry Marotta on drums, Larry Fast (of Peter
Gabriel band) on synth, Jesse Gress on guitar. We’re starting
U.S. touring in March, and will try to bring a blend of the new material
and some older prog stuff (Peter Gabriel let me re-record an old track
of his that was never released, for the CD.)
Later
in the year - who knows - maybe another Peter Gabriel tour. I hope
so.
MV:
With your intense touring and recording schedule, do you still find
time to practice and, if so, what are you challenging yourself with
these days?
TL: Not much practice time, but lots of challenges. Right now,
I am practicing, and very challenged, to play the Stick lead parts
from my cd (which were easier to record, of course, with overdubs
and multi takes, than to play live!) I’m also working, when time
permits, on a photo/journal book of my years in King Crimson.
MV:
Do you have any particular overview or opinion on the state of the
recording industry today, and do you foresee any substantial changes
coming?
TL: Don’t know enough to predict the future in that. I
do think that this is a good time for music (though maybe not for
music business) in that it seems more great music is being made, and
recorded, all over the world, than ever. There is, of course, less
market for all that music, and less outlets in major media (like radio)
for really new creative stuff, but that doesn’t seem to be holding
back the creative process - which is great.
MV:
What is your favorite Tony Levin recording and why?
TL:
It’s almost always the CURRENT music that I’m excited about.
That’s because my perspective isn’t about my past, and what
I’ve done. I just get caught up in good music, and in what’s
coming next. So, “Pieces of the Sun” is the Tony Levin music
I’m listening to!
MV:
Do you have any advice for aspiring professional bassists, particularly,
those looking to establish a touring career?
TL: I cherish the variety of musical approaches that bass players
take, and wouldn’t discourage any players from proceeding in
their own direction. It seems to work best, in the long run, to strive
to make genuinely good music, of whatever type you like. Other elements
like popularity, record sales, income, and all the music biz stuff,
can come and go - but you’re always left with the appreciation
of the music you’ve made, and nobody will take that away from
you.
Thanks
to Tony for spending some time with us.
More
information...
For
more information on Tony, please visit the following websites:
The
Official Tony Levin/Papa Bear Records Website - http://www.tonylevin.com
The Tony Levin Band's new CD, "Pieces Of The
Sun" - buy
it now from Amazon.com! You can find more information on Tony's
other releases as well as some wonderful posters, prints, books and
video in his website's online
store. They've even got berets!
Tony's
Biography from TonyLevin.com.
"THE
PLAYERS PERSPECTIVE:
PROCEEDING
AMONG THE CLASSICAL AND NON-CLASSICAL FIELDS OF MUSIC" -
Tony's speech from 1996 symposium
The
Chapman
Stick.
