Stick Man
I have always gravitated toward interesting musicians who deliver a compelling, well-crafted groove. One of my favorite musicians is Tony Levin, and he always seems to be at the center of music I’m listening to. It’s largely due to Tony’s playing that I bought a Chapman Stick. My first attempts at transcribing bass parts were a result of hearing Tony’s recordings with Peter Gabriel and King Crimson. I consider myself blessed that I have been able to spend time with him and chat over an espresso. Heck, I’ve even loaded his gear down a couple of flights of stairs… guesss that makes me a fan / friend / roadie / guy.
Tony recently sent me a pre-release copy of his forthcoming CD Stick Man. I own all of his solo releases along with a large number of his band releases (I don’t make any attempt to collect everything he’s recorded… the man’s discography is immense). The upcoming release is a bold and musically adventuresome recording, and it’s become my favorite CD of the year. Among Tony’s gifts is the ability to always create an interesting tone and a well-crafted bass line.
Based on the CD title you can guess that Tony plays a lot of Chapman Stick on these tracks. It’s sometimes difficult to determine the bass from Stick tones. There is some very interesting processing on these instruments, and I hear a little of Tony’s classical training showing up in these sounds. Overall, it holds together cohesively as an album, which is every bit as important as the individual songs. I’m also intrigued by the vocals on this CD and look forward to hearing the material played live.
This release is stellar. Get out there and love this CD immediately!