BASS GOD: Tony Levin

Tony Levin

Name : Tony Levin
DOB : June 6th, 1946
DOD : n/a

Background :
Levine was born in Boston, Massachussets and began playing the upright bass at the age of 1o and study in classical music. In high school he learned the Tuba and also started a Barbershop Quartet.
After high school is was the Eastman School of Music in New York, playing with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. It was here that he traded his Ampeg baby upright bass for a Fender P-bass.

Known For :
Tony Levin played plenty earlt on, but it wasn’t until the late 70’s that he joined Peter Gabriel’s band, and the song ‘Big Time’ inspiring the invention of the ‘Funk Fingers’ - essentially chopped off drum sticks to hammer on the bass strings with, to produce a more percussive sound a little like slap. After playing on Gabriel’s album he met Robert Fripp and in 1980 joined and became the bass player for King Crimson, for which he is most notably known.
He has played on many more albums btween then and now, and is currently listed as the bass player for the recently reformed King Crimson.

Check out this jam with 3 legendary musicians: Phil Keaggy, Tony Levin, and Jerry Marotta :