With perhaps a
record attendance at Rosebud in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, The Tony Levin
Band, which also features Jerry Marotta on drums, vocals, and guitar; Jesse
Gress on guitars and vocals; and Larry Fast on synthesizer, embarked on an
entertaining showcase of talent that lasted well over two hours.
After catching Tony Levin's performance, it seems a bit absurd to refer to this multi-talented and
innovative musician as simply a bass player, even though he is arguably the best bass player in the world.
 Utilizing his
Chapman Stick, a unique and versatile instrument that looks like an elongated
double fret board, Levin used a two-handed technique through most of his
performance, as he created sounds that ranged from the whisper of and Italian
inspired melody to the driving riff of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” He also
introduced a Ned Steinberger cello that he played with a bow, and a few more
ordinary instruments that included an acoustic guitar and an electric bass.
The band featured several selections from their most recent release, Pieces
of the Sun (Narada), including "Apollo," "The Fifth Man," and a Crimson
inspired song called "Geronimo." A unique masterpiece from that
release (that builds from the albums title) called "Ever the Sun Will Rise,"
offered a refreshing piano driven melody and violin-style stick performance
that grew into a triumphant explosion.
Also noteworthy are a
previously unreleased track that Levin had recorded with Peter Gabriel
many years ago, which was updated for the Tony Levin Band's last album, "Dog
One"; and the serene "Utopia," which concluded the band's two song encore.
Levin who is
perhaps best known for his work with the likes of Peter Gabriel, King Crimson,
and Robert Fripp, has also recorded with dozens of other famed musicians, and
recently has collaborated with members of Dream Theater on the Liquid Tension
Experiment albums, and Steve Stevens and Terry Bozzio for Bozzio Levin Stevens,
both of which were released by Magna Carta. More Information on those
projects can be found in previous interviews with
Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater,
Liquid Tension Experiment) and
Steve Stevens
(Billy Idol, Bozzio Levin Stevens).
For more information on the Tony
Levin visit www.tonylevin.com
or www.tonylevinband.com. |
