Tony Levin

Born: June 6, 1946, in Boston, Massachusetts TONY LEVIN began his musical career playing upright bass in the Rochester (New York) Philharmonic. Discovering rock and jazz via a schoolmate, STEVE GADD, Levin moved to New York City and did session work for several years. In 1979, he was invited to join PETER GABRIEL'S band and has played with Gabriel off and on ever since. In 1980, Levin hooked up with ROBERT FRIPP and joined KING CRIMSON.

Besides Gabriel and King Crimson, Levin has played, recorded, and/or toured with PAUL SIMON, GARY BURTON, JAMES TAYLOR, HERBIE MANN, CARLY SIMON, PETER FRAMPTON, ANDERSON / BRUFORD / WAKEMAN / HOWE, TIM FINN, RICHIE SAMBORRA, CLAUDIO BAGLIONI, GORO NAGUCHI, JUDY COLLINS, and JOE YAMANAKA

Levin has made the CHAPMAN STICK (above) known to a much broader audience with his playing with KING CRIMSON.

"I was a New York studio player in the early and mid-70s (back when there happened to be a lot of work there.) I enjoyed it and was pretty successful, but I didn't feel good about my playing when I went long without live gigs. So when the chance came to get out of town and tour, I took it. Ever since, I've done less studio work, but felt better about the balance of my playing - it seems like my creativity needs live performance to fuel new ideas."

"I do think that this is a good time for music (though maybe not for music business) in that it seems more great music is being made, and recorded, all over the world, than ever. There is, of course, less market for all that music, and less outlets in major media (like radio)."

THE INCREDIBLY RIDICULOUS MTV-ROLLING STONE'S 100 TOP SONGS (1963-2000): 57. OUR LIPS ARE SEALED, GO-GO'S (1981) (Lips sealed? Don't I wish.) MY TOP 100 SONGS: 21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN, KING CRIMSON

POSTSCRIPT "America is still a frontier country that almost shudders at the idea of creative expression." JAMES A. MICHENER

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