(All photos by CirdecSongs)

He is the Lord of the Low End. He’s the Master of the Bottom Frequencies. But above all, he’s Uncle Tony.

I go on and on about how many times I’ve seen Adrian Belew perform in different contexts. But if I’m being honest, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Tony Levin even more.

Tony has to be among the most prolific bassists in music. The man is everywhere! It seems like I see him in Chicago every few months for one gig or another. It never gets old.

Tony’s bass tone is unmistakable. You can hear it from a mile away. Being able to pick his sound out in the context of King Crimson or Peter Gabriel is easy. But then there are the other appearances, like on an album by keyboardist Dominique Vantomme. Sometimes I choose not to read an album’s credits before or while listening to the music. Yet as soon as I heard the bass on this album, I said aloud, “That sounds like Tony.” Sure enough, a glance at the liner notes confirmed my belief. Tony’s sound is distinctive, and it makes any project he’s a part of better.

It’s not just Tony’s bass playing that makes him desirable. His work on the Chapman Stick is unparalleled. He is a true innovator.

I’m a big fan of Tony’s solo albums. Pieces of the Sun continues to be my favorite. The music gods did some of their best work when they put Tony, guitarist Jesse Gress, keyboardist Larry Fast, and drummer Jerry Marotta together to record Pieces of the Sun.

Tony has also been part of more than a couple of supergroups. Among the favorites is no doubt Liquid Tension Experiment, which he recorded with John Petrucci (guitar), Jordan Rudess (keyboards), and Mike Portnoy (drums). They took progressive metal to new and higher levels. It worked so well, they recorded three albums.

Equally exciting is Black Light Syndrome, a project Tony recorded with Steve Stevens (guitar) and Terry Bozzio (drums). That Tony can spend relatively little time with other top-flight musicians and come up with the kind of music they release is nothing short of astounding.

Tony is one of those musicians most everyone has heard whether they know it or not. It’s always fun to bring up Tony’s name to neophytes certain they’ve never heard of him. Then they hear the name of a tune like “Sledgehammer” and realize how distinct the bass sound is. That’s Tony! “Ohhhhhh … “

Listening to Tony Levin as he bounces from one band to the next, one style to the next, one form to the next, is a great way to spend the day. Why not give it a go?

#cirdecsongs

If you would like to have your music reviewed or have your band photographed while in Chicago, contact me at cirdecsongs@gmail.com