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Artist: Tony Levin Band

Bang a good one here!

Website: www.tonylevin.com

Live music does not get any better than this, and Tony Levin�s work is some of the very best you will find anywhere in the world. I know I probably have said all this before but I will continue to say it, Levin is the best bass player in the world, and for many reasons. The key word here is genre(s) and style(s) when you talk about such an honored and esteemed artist as Levin. He plays several different types of electric basses with skill and many different styles of rock music with equal exactitude, primarily progressive and jazz-rock fusion. So here we are about to embark (lets hope you do!) on an incredible musical journey with the Tony Levin Band. They bring you an up-close look at a live performance on Double Espresso, an extensive 2 CD set featuring some of their most abundant and expressive work.

From King Crimson and Peter Gabriel to his solo work, Levin and his outstanding band blow through some amazing depictions of songs from the past and the most recent studio outing Pieces of the Sun. Levin is simply amazing; he makes the music so animated with his bass playing, like no other musician I have ever heard before. I missed the live show in Cambridge, Massachusetts a few months ago. Having this recording (autographed by the band thanks to Phyllis Fast, Larry�s wife) in my possession is an appeasement for not being able to attend but it is also frustrating hearing just how good one of their shows is! This is one of those bands that play everything live just as good, if not better, than in the studio, now that is saying a mouthful about how much talent we are talking about here. Speaking in general, this is a MUST have for any music lover. Just wait until you hear their version of "Black Dog," oh my does it kick ass. Just get this album, you will be so glad you did, I promise.

Author�s Note: I just completed a review covering Marcus Miller�s live album and said much of the same regarding his adeptness with the bass. I did say that I could not think of any active bass player that was better right now, but I should have said "at this very moment." Miller�s proficiency and style just blew me away and I did not even think for a moment about Tony, and for that, I feel disappointed. I am not a flake; I am just a music fan that gets into the music so intensely I get lost in the magical moments just as everyone else does, so please allow me this absence of mind. In any event, Miller deserved the kudos I gave him and I was totally immersed in an entirely different style of music than what Levin and his fine band offer.

©"Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

May 21, 2003

This review ALMOST featured in:


  PROGRESSION HAS A NEW REVIEW FORMAT!!


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TONY LEVIN Waters Of Eden 
2000 (CD): Narada 
Style:  Smooth jazz/ New agey prog-jazz/ soft prog
Sound: 
Composition: 
Musicianship: 
Performance: 
Total rating: 11 (16 is a perfect score)

     Ah, well this was a surprise for me. Levin is a legend. His bass playing
is incredible time and time again on many releases. I expect fascinating
things from Levin. But what about this solo release? Well . . . it has its
moments. First track called to mind a great 1990 release by Jai Uttal called
Footprints. So here we go in a Levin-driven, near-Indian, ethnic raga,
smooth-age rock modality. Interesting but after that the rest of the CD lost
my interest as it was basically well-done bass techniques woven into Narada/
New Age jams and near-prog. Levin shows he can be very mellow and smooth. Many
nice and relaxing, easy-listen, tunes are covered but if you're looking for
Levin to crank it up or bottom-out in huge, low-end crunch -- this CD is
not that. Expect a very soundtrackish work with the final track easily
bringing to mind -- scrolling end-of-film credits after a teen angst/hero
worship flick. Overall, a showcase of Levin's talent for mainstreamers
"adventurous" purchases. (Your girlfriend might like it.)
          ~ John W. Patterson



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