An Interview with Tony Levin
By Thela (Todd Kennedy), Kaveman, and Crimm-fatale
Beyond being the bass/Chapman Stick player for two of the incarnations of King Crimson, Tony Levin is perhaps the most well traveled session player in Rock music. From Tracy Chapman to Peter Gabriel Tony has imprinted his distinctive groove on a diverse cadre of albums and the live expressions of the world’s great musical artists. In this electronic mail interview, with questions added by Kaveman and Crimm-fatale, I delve into Tony’s work on his recent solo album “Pieces of the Sunâ€, his experience working as a session artist, what the future may hold for his Bozzio-Levin-Stevens, B.L.U.E., and Liquid Tension Experiment projects, along with a panoply of topics that I hope will allow the reader to expand on the clarity of their insight into the work of and person that is Tony Levin.
Krimson-News - How has your approach to the craft of bass playing evolved over the years? How and where would you like to take it further?
Tony Levin - I don’t really think of my playing in terms of what I’ve done in the past. Usually, I just get immersed in the music project I’m doing, and try to fashion a bass part for each piece that’s best musically for that piece. If I’m playing in a radical group, like King Crimson, or on music that calls for the unusual, like Peter Gabriel’s, then I will try to come up with some bass sounds or parts that are new, in a subtle or not-so-subtle way.
KN - The composition of King Crimson has been fluid over the years, do you see yourself working with or in King Crimson in the future?
TL - Well, as usual we have a situation in King Crimson that doesn’t fit into normal behavior of bands. I.e. though I am not participating on the current albums and tours, I’m still not officially out of the group. So I don’t know what will happen in the future with me and the group - there are no plans at the moment. I do still have a good relationship with the guys, musically and personally, and it’s certainly my hope that I will be involved, in the future, in some Crimson-like radical music endeavor with them, whether it’s called “Crimson†or not.
KN - Who will be making up Peter Gabriel’s touring band this time around. How are you and the rest of the band gelling with the new material and each other?
TL - The band this time is different, but with me and guitarist David Rhodes from the old group. Richard Evans is also playing guitar (and flute), Rachel Z. is playing keyboards, Ged Lynch drumming, and Melanie Gabriel (Peter’s daughter) is singing background vocals.
We are just now rehearsing, and it’s an interesting process. The new CD is very different from previous ones, with less band-based energy, and more changes of mood within songs. So we are learning to cover parts from the tracks (some songs have two or even three basses playing simultaneously) and leaving a lot of space, as the CD does. The older material is a breeze, and we’ll be doing quite a bit of that in the show.
KN - With regard to the creation of Gabriel’s new “Up” album, how much input does Gabriel receive and use from the other musicians on the album, what is your contribution to the creation process?
TL - That varies on different pieces. Sometimes Peter has a bassline in mind (sometimes a very good one) and wants me to at least start out with that. Sometimes there are no ideas and we come up with a bass line in the studio. Often it’s a combination of his ideas and mine. With other musicians there are different approaches. Peter usually leaves the guitarists to find their own parts. Drums have big discussions about what direction the playing should go in.
KN - It’s been a little while since the creation of the Tony Levin Band’s “Pieces of the Sun,” how has the material evolved as you’ve had the chance to take it on the road a bit?
TL - With that album I knew the playing of the band, and had written with the live show in mind. So there wasn’t a big change in taking it on the road. (The previous album, “Waters of Eden†had been written in a softer vein, but grew heavier out on the road.)
I should mention that we recorded the live show, and that double CD will be released in November, titled “Double Espresso.â€
KN - One of the songs that the Tony Levin Band played on it’s last outing was “Back in NYC” from the Genesis album, “Lamb Lies Down on Broadway,” a great song…who’s idea was it to include that song in your repertoire? Will it make the cut to the proposed Tony Levin Band’s live album?
TL - That’s on the live album for sure, and sounding great. I don’t know if it was me or Jerry (Marotta) who had the idea to do it live. Jerry is an excellent singer, and has ended up singing Back in NYC and King Crimson’s Sleepless in the show and on the live CD.
KN - You said in a 1998 interview with Anil Prasad, “I don’t know what the unexplored options are. I’m just saying that every few years or maybe every six months there is a bass player somewhere doing stuff that no-one ever did before. And sometimes that person is heard and gets out on record and sometimes it captures the attention of other players and people start following.” Who is that bass player today? You’ve been such an innovator and an inspiration for other bass players…who’s doing that for Tony today? (Ed. Note: For complete text of this interview, http://www.innerviews.org/inner/levin.html)
TL - I don’t have the ability to keep up with even a small portion of what music is coming out. The most inspiring playing I’ve heard in the last few years was from D’Angelo’s CD, Voodoo, and it was Pino Palladino’s playing.
KN - You’ve played with so many different artists in just about every genre under the sun.You’ve played with so many different artists in just about every genre under the sun. Who would you most like to play with in the future that you haven’t yet had a chance to work with?
TL - The answer to that was always David Bowie, until late last year I got to play on a track that’s on his new CD. It was only one song, but a big thrill for me. As for others I would like to play with, so many it’s hard to choose. I’ll say Joni Mitchell.
KN - Another subject that caught my interest in the 1998 Prasad interview was that in the course of your interview you mentioned that to some extent all musicians are “political animals.” I thought this was wonderful insight into the dynamics of the band or group dynamic, can you expand on that a bit?
TL - I don’t remember the context of that. I think that musicians who are members of a band have to learn some politicking to participate in band decisions. But, outside of the band, and with their music, players are free to be either political or totally non-political. That’s part of the great experience of being a musician.
KN- Where are you trying to take your bass playing now? What new musical languages are you trying to master and impart in your playing?
TL - How I’m playing and where I am heading with my playing depends a lot on whom I’m playing with. Right now I am immersed in Peter Gabriel’s tour. The new album has an unusual approach to the rhythm section, with players entering and exiting during each piece. Also, the CD has multiple bass parts on some tracks, and live I am playing to a tape of some other basses. All that makes for a new kind of challenge for me, and for the next months that’s what I’ll be immersed in. After Peters tour I plan to do some more touring with my own group - that will take some quick mind-set changing on my part, especially since I play a lot of Stick in that context (and it’s looking like I won’t play the Stick on this tour of Peter’s.) Next solo album; I’m not sure where I’ll head with my bass playing.
KN - Any plans to work within the structure of Liquid Tension Experiment and Bozzio-Levin-Stevens in the future?
TL - With Liquid Tension, it’s unlikely that we’ll do more in the foreseeable future. The reason is that now, with Jorden Rudess in the Dream Theater, 3 of the 4 Liquid Tension players are in that band - so there is less musical imperative to make an outside album with only one different player. The two CD’s we made were a great challenge for me, and I’m certainly glad to have joined in with these great players.
With BLS there is quite a good chance that we’ll do a third album. We were all musically pleased with the first two - it’s just a matter of schedules, (which isn’t always easy!)
KN - What are the future projects you intend to work on musically, artistically with your photography, and technologically with your web site and Papabear Records? What’s on the horizon, so to speak?
TL - First, in November, I’ll release “Double Espresso†- a double CD of Tony Levin Band live, which we recorded on tour last Spring.
Then, I hope to finally finish the book I’ve been compiling for years - of my photos and journals on the road and in the studio with King Crimson. I’m closing in on that project, having chosen and printed all the photos, but with so many, over such a big period, the job of compiling and choosing has become a big one.
Then, sometime next year, I’ll get to work on another solo CD. With the web site my plan is just to continue offering a diary of road life, on the Peter Gabriel tour in this case, but I get a lot of positive feed back about the diaries whatever musical project I’m showing.
KN - You have stated at TLB shows that the electric cello has become an alternative voice for you; how did you develop an interest in this instrument? Does your approach to it differ dramatically from how you approach the bass or (Chapman) stick?
TL - As usual, I have no definite plans for how I’ll use it in the future. I’m enjoying the cello, and will see where it takes me.
KN - Do you ever look back over your work and see points that have particular validity or force for you? If so, would you share a few with us?
TL - I don’t look back over my work at all. Like most musicians I get immersed in the music I’m making now.
KN - You used to offer Funk Fingers for sale at Papabear.com. Any chance on bringing them back?
TL - Ah, one of those projects awaiting my time and attention. I do hope to get them made in polypropylene sometime in the future. Don’t hold your breath though!
KN - What do you do to maintain the baldness? Nair, the old shave it regularly method, or something else?
TL - Bic.
KN - It appears that Adrian Belew, the producer, likes to call you for session
work quite often. How is working in that context different from say, working together in the context of King Crimson? Has the thought of working together on your own project ever cross your mind (either as co-songwriters or even Belew producing your album)?
TL - Ade is a great producer, as well as guitarist. When Crimson was doing the “ProjeKcts†there was thought of Ade, Pat and me doing an ‘accessible’ offering. But it didn’t happen. In the future, we’ll just see what schedules and dreams offer us.
KN - B.L.U.E. seemed to be a success. Can we expect anything else to come from B.L.U.E. in the future? If not within B.L.U.E., is there any possibility of working with Bill Bruford again?
TL - Lots of desire to do more BLUE. Same old schedule mess - Botti is very busy now with solo releases, having toured the last few years with Sting. Torn is in demand for film writing - I’m on tour with Gabriel — it’ll have to wait a bit. I do hope we can both record and tour sometime n the future.
KN - Playing the role of father/husband and “Hardest working musician in the business” has got to be challenging. How do you maintain the balance between the two?
TL - Not hardest working by any means. There have always been gaps without work, (which I choose to think of as breaks, rather than being unemployed) when I very much enjoy my great family. Then when work comes, like others in the same situation, we do our best to hold things together with phone calls, visits, and, hey, my daughter’s 17 now - soon she’ll be the one out on the road!
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