Joe Franco - Drums (5), Orchestral Percussion (5)
Mark Gage - Producer, Remixing
Peter Morticelli - Executive Producer
Mike Varney - Executive Producer
Jim Brick - Mastering
David G. Danglis - Design, Layout Design
Background Photo: Robert Knight
NOTES BY BRUCE WITTET
MUSIC ETC EDITOR,
MODERN DRUMMER WRITTER, AND
PEOPLE WILL TALK MEDIA FOUNDER.
Those who complain that critics categorize their music and pigeonhole
their work would do well to heed the example of Tony Levin.
The bassist and multi-instrumentalist, who departed Rochester in 1970
to take on New York City and subsequently the world,
is one of the rare few that lives a life of sacrifice to the creative muse-wherever it takes him.
Over the last 30-some years, that muse has lured him into recording collaborations with the major artists of our era,
everyone from John Lennon to Peter Gabriel, KING CRIMSON to Alice Cooper, Terry Bozzio to David Bowie, Tracy Chapman to The INDIGO GIRLS.
Although nominally a bassist, Levin has transcended the bounds of that instrument.
Few can equal his pursuit of excellence on projects, that find him comfortable in the largest of stadiums
and the smallest of clubs.
Invariably Levin generates well-considered parts that are compositional and not merely rhythmically or harmonically interesting.
When Tony Levin agrees to participate with an artist, witness the stellar examples in this MAGNA CARTA compilation,
he becomes a key actor.never part of the scenery.
Always he demonstrates an abiding awareness of the traditional role of bass
while challenging himself to explore the possibilities.
When Tony found the Precision bass limiting, or at least inappropriate,
he seized the Chapman Stick and became one of the world's greatest exponents of the multi-stringed instrument that is tapped rather than plucked.
That tapping component also figures in a Tony Levin innovation,
the F u n k F i n g e r s -drumstick extensions of his fingers used to generate ultimate attack and tone.
Then there is the three-string bass.
What you hear on Tony Levin "Prime Cuts" are six examples of his ability to inject a contemporary edge.
When an artist asks Tony Levin to record, he or she knows that the music will gain a hip awareness that goes far beyond the itinerant session bassist's stock and trade.
Speaking in praise of Levin, Magna Carta's Pete Morticelli notes that/Tony is a special, mystical kind of guy.
He is the one everyone calls when they need someone special to play bass.
He's unparalleled when it comes to reputation,
credibility, and recognizeability. We were lucky to have worked with Tony on several projects that he really invested himself in: That music is on this disc."
Within the MAGNA CARTA fold Tony joined similarly driven musicians.
Thus on
Prime Cuts' "Kindred Spirits", we see Levin in Liquid Tension Experiment alongside Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess,
and John Petrucci. This is no timid track!
Although the energy suggests
a live recording,
this is studio mastery and features Levin weaving strands of bass, Stick, and upright.
Here we see his essential traits in abundance: his ability to anchor a piece of music while injecting adrenaline;
his knack of providing harmonic depth and interest; and,
not least, his mission to rock!
"T & T Vignette" is a treat, an
unreleased track from the
Black Light Syndrome' sessions,
featuring Levin and another pionieer, Terry Bozzio, who together
create a probing collage of sounds.
An appropriate title we have in
"Another Dimension",
one culled from the
repertoire of
Liquid Tension Experiment 2.
Again, Tony stretches the boundaries of Stick
and bass to achieve the required intensity,
balancing himself against Mike Portnoy, John
Petrucci, and Jordan Rudess. Check out the
brilliant shift from a probing ostinato to a
flamenco-Argentineai folkloric passage
(roughly 6:22). Talk about tension and
release!
"Dark Corners" is a
remix from the
Bozzio Levin Stevens
album
Sonic Residue From Vapourspace
produced by Mark Gage.
Vapourspace's
Gage captures the
symbiosis that is so
integral to this ensemble and spotlights the
sonic side trips to the nether regions that
provide a foil to the ressing rhythmic motifs.
From
Magellan album
Hundred Year
Flood, "Brother's Keeper" begins pastoral - it
could be Steeleye Span - until Levin enters
with a gaunt growling bass line that signals
the
Industrial Revolution Trent Gardner,
Wayne Gardner, and Joe Franko match
levin's ferocity. Take note of how Levin
maintains a consistent top-of-the-beat
surging where others might tend to drag.
"Endless", from Bozzio Levin and
Stevens'
Situation Dangerous, presents
numerous interesting facets. One of these
rears up at 6:26 and features Levin holding
down a plundering tonality and unflinching
groove in what seems to be a 9/8 time
signature. In typical Levin style he maintains a
selfless balance, letting Stevens soar while
staying himself grounded.
Ever searching, ever lucid in his thoughts,
and creative output, Tony Levin continues
to deliver his eminently
contemporary
approach to a
multitude of projects
large and small. In
terms of raw creative
force, technical
execution, and brute
energy, Levin puts
men half his age to shame. MAGNA CARTA is
proud to salute a vibrant creative entity with Tony Levin Prime Cuts, released in recognition
of a long and fruitful association.
- Bruce Wittet