TONY LEVIN – Bringing It Down To The Bass (Album Review)

Considering how ubiquitous Tony Levin’s bass playing has been in the world of rock over the past fifty years, there are relatively few albums that solely bear his name on the spine. There were a flurry of releases around the turn of the century on the Narada and his own Papa Bear record labels, but after his “Stick Man” album he went on to form the Stick Men ensemble and there hasn’t really been an opportunity for a recording under his own name since then, given the barrage of constant touring with Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Stick Men and others during that time. 

“Bringing It Down To The Bass” is a classy way to return to his own solo discography. Extremely well-produced, well-crafted, well-performed, and well-stocked with Levin’s illustrious musician friends, “Bringing It Down” has a little something for everyone. From rock to punk to classical to prog to ambient to jazz to barbershop, Levin indulges in the wide array of styles in which he has performed over the decades. When paired with musical guests from across his career, the album starts to feel like an autobiographical retrospective of his life, and we are only too eager to listen in. 

The title track is the perfect, accessible way to start the album, boasting a funky blues groove that would be at home on an Andy Summers solo album. Here we have the legendary Manu Katche on drums, Levin’s bandmate from the Peter Gabriel tours, whose always-fascinating approach to percussion balances out Levin’s active hammer-on technique. Dominic Miller, from Sting’s band, lays down some stinging guitar lines, but it’s Alex Foster on saxes who really lends the song its melodic sensibilities. Even when the song seems to finish, the band tacks on a final fresh section for a little more Foster soloing. Why stop there? We could go on for a whole album side with a band like this. Fortunately, later on, “Espressoville” hits some of the same style, only now with one of Levin’s oldest friends on drums, the venerated Steve Gadd, and Joe Caro on guitar. 

More Gabriel Band alumni show up on “Me And My Axe”, including Steve “the Deacon” Hunter on guitar, alongside Larry Fast on keys and Jerry Marotta on drums. Levin introduces the melody initially, a sentimental line which is then handed off to Hunter on guitar for an even deeper exploration. The two continue to trade off the lead melody, sometimes even harmonizing with one another, as Levin ingenuously switches back and forth from being the lead player to being the rhythm section support. As one of the most soulful and melodic pieces on the album, it may appear a little too soon in the track order for maximum impact but nonetheless is a welcome highlight. 

Things get dirtier as we hit the road with the “Road Dogs” and experience the daily grind of trucking, bussing, rigging, trussing, fixing, tuning, mixing & crooning while on tour. Levin’s intentionally processed road-weary voice comes in towards the end of the piece while Jeremy Stacey propels the rhythm forward. “Boston Rocks” takes it up to the level of thrash (save an ambient Chapman Stick middle section with Levin on spoken and sung vocals), Mike Portnoy now reining supreme on the drum kit and the unexpected Earl Slick on heavy punk’ish guitar, for this truly original homage to the city of Boston. 

A standout track is the drum/bass duet of Vinnie Colaiuta and Levin for a short but impactful “Uncle Funkster”. More, please. Levin’s brother Pete plays keys on several tracks, too, including the humorous “Give The Cello Some” in which Tony gives Pete a shoutout in between jamming on his NS electric cello. For these kinds of songs, you need to have the mindset of enjoying Levin’s spoken word musings. It’s nothing new for Stick Men fans, but can be a surprise if you’re expecting a purely instrumental approach. 

For old-school music fans (of which Levin clearly is one), flipping an album over to Side B is a long-cherished ritual. Here Levin gives more than a nod to this tradition by creating an entire song celebrating the occasion. Tracing back to his barbershop roots, Levin stacks his vocals creatively so that – even though he doesn’t consider himself a lead vocalist – his voice leaves a rich, sumptuous impression. A fretless bass solo in the middle fits right in, making this a charming interlude. Levin takes his vocal arranging even further later on for “On The Drums”, his tribute to many of the drummers he has performed with. It’s a remarkable a-cappella overview of some of the best percussionists of all time, unequivocally a must-hear track which ultimately reveals the unintended star of the song being Tony Levin himself, as the bassist who has played with all of these legends. 

Side B boasts several other moody pleasures like the enigmatic “Beyond The Bass Clef” which finds violin maestro L. Shankar working his magic alongside Levin’s bass, Stick, and cello for one of the most magical pieces on the album. The ambient approach is embraced even more fully on “Floating In Dark Waters” which melds Robert Fripp’s signature soundscapes with Levin’s bass musings. Finally, the closing “Coda” is a gorgeous piece with Linnea Olsson’s cello casting a spell underneath Levin’s plucked bass lines. 

There’s still some fire around on the second side, too. David Torn’s guitar work is absolutely scorching on “Bungie Bass”, his performance with drummer Pat Mastelotto making this one of the album’s most rewarding pieces along with Levin’s bouncy bass groove. And then there’s “Fire Cross The Sky”, a solo piece for Stick and Levin’s poetic lines written in cafes around the globe. 

Although it’s taken its own sweet time to come to completion, “Bringing It Down To The Bass” carries the essence of Levin’s fingerprints spread across hundreds of recordings over the past fifty years. While not a fully comprehensive picture of all that Levin has to offer, it’s a coherent collection that sits well together and ultimately comes off as a career-celebrating retrospective, even while offering fresh, original material. Quite simply, it’s a must for all fans of Tony Levin, which should include just about every lover of rock music over the past half a century.

Released By:  Flatiron Recordings
Release Date: September 13th, 2024
Genre: Rock, Fusion, Prog Rock

Musicians:

• Tony Levin / Bass, cello (3,7,9,10), stick (3,4,5,9,11), vox (3,5,7,8,11,13), piano (14)
• Manu Katche / Drums (1)
• Dominic Miller / Guitar solo (1)
• Pete Levin / Keyboard (1-3,6), Organ (7)
• Chris Pasin / Trumpet (1)
• Alex Foster / Alto sax solo (1)
• Jay Collins / Baritone sax (1)
• Jerry Marotta / Drums (2,7), Percussion (12)
• Steve Hunter / Guitar (2)
• Larry Fast / Keyboards (2)
• Jeremy Stacey / Drums (3)
• Markus Reuter / Bridge rhythm touch guitar (3)
• Vinnie Colaiuta / Drums (4)
• Mike Portnoy / Drums (5)
• Earl Slick / Guitar (5)
• Gary Husband / Keyboard (5,9)
• Steve Gadd / Drums (6)
• Joe Caro / Guitar (6)
• Josh Shpak / Trumpet (6)
• Chris Pasin / Trumpet (6)
• Don Mikkelsen / Trombone (6)
• L. Shankar (Shenkar) / Violin (9)
• Colin Gatwood / Oboe, English horn (9)
• Pat Mastelotto / Drums (10)
• David Torn / Guitar (10)
• Robert Fripp / Soundscape (12)
• Linnea Olsson / Cello (14)
• Bess Brydolf / Cello (14)

“Bringing It Down To The Bass” Track List:

1. Bringing it Down to the Bass
2. Me and My Axe
3. Road Dogs
4. Uncle Funkster
5. Boston Rocks
6. Espressoville
7. Give the Cello Some
8. Turn It Over
9. Beyond the Bass Clef
10. Bungie Bass
11. Fire Cross the Sky
12. Floating in Dark Waters
13. On the Drums
14. Coda

Order “Bringing It Down To The Bass” HERE