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Boston bassist Tony Levin became a valiant session-man during the 1970s
(Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel), began recording with
Mike Mainieri's tribal free-jazz experiment White Elephant (NYC Records, 1972)
and
was inducted in King Crimson in 1981.
While continuing both as a Fripp foot soldier and as a deluxe legionnaire for
Robbie Robertson, Laurie Anderson and others, Levin launched his solo career.
World Diary (Papa Bear, 1995) is, as the title implies, a survey of
world-music that couples Levin's bass and Chapman stick with all sorts of
ethnic instruments. The album surveys
chamber jazz (I Cry to the Dolphined Sea) and
progressive-rock (Etude in the Key of Guildford, with Bruford on drums),
but its core is represented by the timbric pairing of two or three instruments:
a duo with Indian violinist Shankar (Chasms),
a duo with Brian Yamakoshi on koto (The Sound of Goodbye),
a duo with Ayub Ogada on nyatiti and vocals (The Train),
a trio with Brian Yamakoshi on koto and Jerry Marotta on percussions (We Stand in Sapphire Silence),
a trio with Manu Katche on drums and Levon Minassian on doudouk (La Tristesse Amoureuse de la Nuit),
two orgies with the Nexus percussion ensemble (Espresso & the Bed of Nails and Heat),
etc.
From the Caves of the Iron Mountain (Papa Bear, 1997) is even better,
thanks to the two collaborators: bamboo flutist Steve Gorn and drummer Jerry
Marotta.
Bruford Levin Upper Extremities (Papa Bear, 1998) is a quartet with
drummer Bill Bruford, guitarist David Torn and trumpeter Chris Botti.
Levin formed another supergroup with drummer Terry Bozzio and guitarist Steve
Stevens, but the resulting albums,
Black Light Syndrome (Magna Carta, 1997) and
Situation Dangerous (Magna Carta, 2000), are not up to their fame.
Levin also plays in a Jordan Rudess-led
Dream Theater side project that released
Liquid Tension Experiment (Magna Carta, 1998) and
Liquid Tension Experiment 2 (Magna Carta, 2000).
Waters of Eden (Narada, 2000) and
Pieces of Sun (Narada, 2001), both with
Jerry Marotta on drums and Larry Fast on synthesizer,
blended fusion jazz, progressive-rock and new-age music.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Gianluca Mantovan)
Il bassista di Boston Tony Levin divenne un valido session-man negli anni
settanta (Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel), lo stesso periodo in cui inizio a
registrare con Mike Mainieri nell'esperimento di free-jazz tribale White
Elephant (NYC Records, 1972), e fu membro dei King Crimson nel 1981. Continuo'
poi sia da soldato di fanteria per Fripp che da legionario di lusso per
Robbie Robertson, Laurie Anderson e altri, e trovo' pure il tempo per la
propria carriera solista.
World Diary (Papa Bear, 1995) e', come dice il titolo, una rassegna di world
music che unisce il basso di Levin e la stick di Chapman con strumenti etnici
di ogni genere.
>From the Caves of the Iron Mountain (Papa Bear, 1997) e' perfino migliore
grazie ai collaboratori: il flautista bamboo Steve Gorn e il batterista
Jerry Marotta.
Bruford Levin Upper Extremities (Papa Bear, 1998) e' un quartetto con il
batterista Bill Bruford, il chitarrista David Torn e il trombettista Chris
Botti.
Levin formo' un altro supergruppo con il batterista Terry Bozzio e il chitarrista
Steve Stevens ma i loro album, Black Light Syndrome (Magna Carta, 1997)
e Situation Dangerous (Magna Carta, 2000), non sono all'altezza dei loro
nomi.
Levin suona pure in un side-project capitanato da Jordan Rudess dei Dream
Theater che pubblico' Liquid Tension Experiment (Magna Carta, 1998) e Liquid
Tension Experiment 2 (Magna Carta, 2000).
Waters of Eden (Narada, 2000) and Pieces of the Sun (Narada, 2001), entrambi
con Jerry Marotta alla batteria e Larry Fast al synth, fondono fusion jazz,
progressive-rock e musica new-age.
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