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Lou Levy

A superior bop-based pianist who has worked with a countless number of top jazz artists, Lou Levy started on piano when he was 12. He played with Georgie Auld (1947), Sarah Vaughan, Chubby Jackson (1947-1948), Boyd Raeburn, Woody Herman's Second Herd (1949-1950), Tommy Dorsey (1950), Auld again, and Flip Phillips. Levy was outside of music for a few years (1952-1954) and then gained a strong reputation as a fine accompanist to singers, working with Peggy Lee (on and off during 1955-1973), Ella Fitzgerald (1957-1962), June Christy, Anita O'Day, and Pinky Winters. Levy also played with Shorty Rogers, Stan Getz, Terry Gibbs, Benny Goodman, Supersax, and most of the major West Coast players. Lou Levy has recorded as a leader for Nocturne (1954), RCA, Jubilee, Philips, Interplay (1977), and Verve.

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Video / DVD

Lou Levy In Italy With Getz, Brown And Thigpen

Lou Levy In Italy With Getz, Brown And Thigpen

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey

Today is Lou Levy’s birthday. Until his death at 72, the great second-generation bop pianist (1928-2001) played with Boyd Raeburn, Woody Herman’s Second Herd, Tommy Dorsey, Dizzy Gillespie, Flip Phillips, Dizzy Gillespie and Shorty Rogers, among dozens of other major jazz artists. He was a treasured accompanist to singers including Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, Anita O’Day and his longtime companion Pinky Winters. Levy’s close relationship with tenor saxophonist Stan Getz went back to their time together in the ...

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Recording

Lou Levy: Jazz in Four Colors

Lou Levy: Jazz in Four Colors

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

In November 1955, RCA began ramping up production of 12-inch jazz and pop LPs. Earlier in the decade, RCA had stuck steadfastly to the 45—a format it invented and unveiled in 1949 as a response to Columbia's LP. In addition to releasing 10-inch LPs, RCA issued box sets of 45s in an effort to keep a hand in. But by late 1955, the cost of copyrights for standards favored by pop and jazz artists had become marginal thanks to lower ...

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Recording

Recent Listening: Lou Levy, Carol Sloane

Recent Listening: Lou Levy, Carol Sloane

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey

Trying to keep up with new releases, I often get sidetracked by old favorites. It happens that my recent listening coincides with the birthday of two of the listenees.

Lou Levy, Lunarcy (Verve). Levy would have been 81 today. He died in January of 2001. From his post-World War Two beginnings with Georgie Auld through work with Sarah Vaughan, Boyd Raeburn, Woody Herman, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz and Frank Sinatra--among many others--Levy was in demand as a band ...

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Music Industry

Lou Levy Said It

Lou Levy Said It

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

“I remember sitting, with the saxophone section in the bend of the piano--Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, and Sam Marowitz and Stan Getz and Serge Chaloff when these guys would stand up to play, I would hear all this stuff coming out. When the section would play, I would hear Al Cohn. Now I didn't know him that well, but I could hear that sound coming out of the section, that soulful sound. Then when he'd stand up to play a ...

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Central Avenue Reunion

Contemporary Records
1990

buy

Tempus Fugue-It

Columbia
1977

buy

The Movie Song Album

Columbia Records
1966

buy

I Swing For You

Jazz Records
1960

buy

Getz Meets Mulligan...

Verve Records
1957

buy

Videos

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