Tony Levin recent releases
Carubin
As some in this group may be aware, I interviewed Peter Gabriel for E! a
few months back, and write for a variety of other publications. Following
is my brief review, from Rhythm Music magazine, of Tony Levin's two recent
releases, both absolutely worth buying:
Tony Levin: From The Caves of the Iron Mountain (Papa Bear Records)
Bozzio Levin Stevens: Black Light Syndrome (Magna Carta)
Best known for his inventive bass and Chapman Stick work with Peter
Gabriel and King Crimson, Tony Levin is no less adventurous in his solo
efforts. While not as world music-oriented as his previous World Diary, the
meditative From The Caves of the Iron Mountain teams Levin with fellow
Woodstock residents (and like-minded exploratory musicians) Jerry Marotta,
a drummer who has played with everyone from Gabriel to the Indigo Girls,
and Steve Gorn, a master of the bansuri (an East Indian bamboo flute). This
bass-intensive, haunting disc of richly textured, highly atmospheric
instrumentals, which fall somewhere between jazz and world musics, was
recorded in the splendid natural acoustics of the Widow Jane Mine in
upstate New York.
Engineer Tchad Blake positioned microphones in his ears to capture spatial
relationships the way we would hear them if we were actually there. As a
result, he’s not stuck in a fixed location, and that’s best demonstrated on
“Approaching the Cavern,” the opening track, in which he walks in, mics in
ears, to capture Gorn playing the soprano sax in the (ever-closing)
distance. (It’s an effect best heard with headphones.)
And Levin has another disc out, Black Light Syndrome, in partnership with
former Zappa drummer Terry Bozzio and former Billy Idol guitarist Steve
Stevens. It’s part bass-drum-guitar power trio, part experimental, with
some lovely acoustic parts and even flamenco-style flourishes.
--Chris Rubin
To order Iron Mountain by phone, call (800) 688-2227. For mail orders,
send a check ($15 + $2.50 shipping & handling) to Papa Bear Records, PO Box
498, Woodstock, NY 12498
Shecht007
I bought "From the caves of Iron mountain" and "World diary" what
fantastic music. After seeing that "caves was binaruly recorded I bought
good Sennhieser headphones and have been lost ever since. World diary is
also fantastic taped in hotel rooms throughout the world. Just my
thoughts, Steve