Rod Levitt

[king ubu]

I found this recent OJC reissue today:

never heard of Levitt (nor the sidemen, besides Ericson).

Here's the info:

Levitt-tb; Rolf Ericson-t; Buzz Renn-as/cl; George Marge-ts/cl/picc/engh; Gene Allen-bari/bcl; Sy Johnson-p; John Beal-b; Ronnie Bedford-d

Rec. NYC, July 1963

Quite an interesting record, in my opinion. Reminds me of some of George Russell's music. Seems he had an "enthusiastic feature" in Downbeat upon release of the album (stated on the back of the traycard).

Anyone knows more on Levitt?

AMG gives no bio, but lists some RCA albums besides this one.

ubu

[Chuck Nessa]

I first encountered him as a trombonist in Dizzy's mid '50s big band.

I bought the RCAs as they were released.

Five RCA tracks showed up on a Bluebird cd called "The Arrangers". This long out of print is priceless - it also includes the Gil Evans and George Russell tracks from the RCA Hal McKusick lp. The real prize is seven tracks from an unissued Johnny Carisi date.

All of the sidemen have histories. I'm sure internet searches will inform you about them. Altoist Buzzy Renn shows up on the Uptown Dodo Marmarosa cd.

Kevin Whitehead did a decent review of the OJC disc on Terry Gross's "Fresh Air". You can listen at http://freshair.npr.org/week_fa.jhtml

[king ubu]

Thanks a lot Chuck!

I still have not gotten around to pick up more Uptown releases, but I sure have to get some of them, the Marmarosa being on my list.

I will do some internet research.

ubu

[doubleM]

That disc "the Arrangers" sounds like a helluva pick-up. I'm going to have to look for it. Any ideas?

[stevebop]

Rod Levitt made three LPs for RCA, in addition to the riverside date: Insight, 1964; Solid Ground, 1965; Forty Second Street, 1966.

Rod is semi-retired up in Vermont. When I called him a few months ago he was practicing. He still palys in a couple of small local bands in the area. This Spring I plan to drive up to Vermont for a visit and get an oral history from Rod and try to put a tribute radio program together. i'll keep you posted.

[Larry Kart]

Levitt, IMO, had a whole lot going for him as a composer-arranger and a player. In particular, his grasp of what makes Ellington tick and his ability to put that understanding to personal use is remarkable. It's right upfront on "HMV" from the "Dynamic Sounds" album but can be heard throughout his work (and stands in revealing contrast to those W. Marsalis compositions that make hollow gestures in Ellington's direction).

Also, as Chuck says, if you can find that "Arrangers" disc, it's worth almost any price for the Carisi tracks.

A collected Levitt would make a fine Mosaic Select, but I'm afraid the market for it would be far below any threshold that Cuscuna could contemplate.

[brownie]

One of the problems with the Rod Levitt Orchestra - from the few tracks I have heard - is that the band lacked a strong soloist. There were excellent musicians in the orchestra but none could stimulate the band like an Eric Dolphy or a Don Ellis with the George Russell band, or a Bob Brookmeyer or a Zoot Sims with the Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz band, both contemporary orchestras not to speak of the Gil Evans orchestra with another strong cast of worthy soloists. And not to mention the Ellington, Basie, Herman, Kenton and several orchestras all in full glory in the sixties. No wonder times must have been rough for the Rod Levitt band.

And it shows on that 'The Arrangers' RCA Bluebird CD. The Hal McKusick and Johnny Carisi sides are oustanding. The Levitt ones are rather formal and suffer by comparison.

Still, the Riverside 'Dynamic Sound Patterns' album was a very respectable debut.

[king ubu]

brownie, I thought the soloists were at least alright if not good, generally. I was actually rather positively surprised by the quality of the solos (not to speak of the arrangements). I see your point, and there IS a special quality to the Russell album with Dolphy compared to the others.

I gotta check it out again.

ubu

[Larry Kart]

I agree about the lack of strong soloists (Rolf Ericson and Levitt himself probably were the best) but to my mind that kept the emphasis where it should be -- on the rich, storytelling writing. If I try in my mind to replace Ericson, Renn, Gene Allen, or Sy Johnson with more distinctive personalities of the time who were also ace readers -- say Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Pepper Adams, and Bill Evans -- I think Levitt would have had a much-less distinctive band that might not have worked out at all. Also, because all members of the Levitt band, as I recall, were members of the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, they had lots of free time to rehearse -- guys like the players I mentioned (and any comparable figures I can think of) either were in the studios all the time, hopping from session to session, or had their own bands and careers to focus on.

[brownie]

Ubu, the soloists are indeed all right, and some more than that on the Riverside session (the only Levitt album I am really familiar with) but none seems really able tolift the band above an OK level. No solo really lifts you off like on those George Russell or Gerry Mulligan records.

[SGUD missile]

I've been a big Rod Levitt fan since the early 60s when I picked up the LP

"43nd Street " ..Rod is one of the most creative and humorous musical minds

to come down the pike , IMO..

and I agree that the players ( while not jazz solo starts ) leave absolutely nothing to be

desired in the area of ensemble execution ..therby keeping the focus in this case

where it belons : the arrangements..

Glad to hear he's still alive and kicking ..

Edited January 6, 2004 by SGUD missile

[Claude]

I got the "Dynamic Sound Patterns of the Rod Levitt Orchestra" CD from Zweitausenseins (2.99 Euro OJC sale). I Highly recommend this very original session.

One thing that struck me is that the CD is audibly dubbed from (very quiet) vinyl. The sound is very good though. The booklet doesn't mention this, it only states "Remastering 2003: Joe Tarrantino, Fantasy Studios".

I think it's quite rare for an OJC CD to be sourced from vinyl.

Edit: only the first half of the CD comes from vinyl

Edited September 8, 2006 by Claude

[Late]

Levitt's part of the trombone section in the Gil Evans' group assembled for that 1958 CBS show featuring Miles Davis.

I agree: the OJC's a winner. I like the RCA Arrangers disc even better, though. Shame that the thing's so hard to come by. (I only have a CD-R.) That one, for musical and historical reasons, needs to stay in print.

[Chuck Nessa]

All of Levitt's RCAs should be reissued.

-Insight- : Rolf Ericson (tp,flhrn) Rod Levitt (tb,arr) Buzz Renn (fl,cl,b-cl) George Marge (pic,fl, altofl,

ts,oboe) Gene Allen (bar,b-cl,cl) Sy Johnson (p) John Beal (b) Ronnie Bedford (d,whistle)

New York, December 9, 1964

RPA1-7923 Fugue for tinhorns RCA Vic LPM3372

RPA1-7924 Og youn beautiful doll -

RPA1-7925 Cherry -

RPA1-7926 All I do is dream of you -

New York, December 10, 1964

RPA1-7927 Vera Cruz RCA Vic LPM3372

RPA1-7928 Stop those men RCA Vic LPM3372

New York, December 11, 1964

RPA1-7931 Holler no 3 RCA Vic LPM3372

RPA1-7932 Insight RCA Vic LPM3372

RPA1-7933 The mayor of Vermont Village -

Note : RCA Victor LPM3372 = LSP3372 (stereo)

-Solid ground- : same pers

New York, July 7, 1965

SPA1-6733 Greenup RCA Vic LPM3448,

SPA1-6734 San Francisco RCA Vic LPM3448

SPA1-6735 I wanna stop -

The Rod Levitt Orchestra : Rolf Ericson (tp,flhrn) Rod Levitt (tb,arr,cond) Buzz Renn (as,fl,cl) George

Marge (ts,cl,fl) Gene Allen (bar,b-cl) Sy Johnson (p) John Beal (b) Ronnie Bedford (d,whistle)

New York, July 8, 1965

SPA1-6736 Morning in Montevideo RCA Vic LPM3448

SPA1-6737 Rio Rita -

SPA1-6738 Mr. Barrelhouse -

New York, July 9, 1965

SPA1-6739 Borough Hill RCA Vic LPM3448

SPA1-6740 Levittown -

Note : RCA Vic LPM3448 = LSP3448 (stereo)

-42nd Street- : Bill Berry (tp) replaces Ericson, rest same

New York, March 9, 1966

TPA1-3246 Forty Second Street RCA Vic LPM3615, LSP3615

TPA1-3247 Shuffle off to Buffalo - , -

TPA1-3248 Twilight on the trail - , -

TPA1-3249 About a quarter to nine - , -

New York, March 10, 1966

TPA1-3250 The golddigger's song RCA Vic LPM3615, LSP3615

TPA1-3251 Alone - , -

TPA1-3252 Please - , -

TPA1-3253 I'm shooting high - , -

New York, March 11, 1966

TPA1-3254 When did you leave heaven, angel ? RCA Vic LPM3615, LSP3615

TPA1-3255 Lulu's back in town - , -

TPA1-3256 Here lies love - , -

TPA1-3257 Paramount on parade - , -

[Late]

Hmmm ... it would be great if Mosaic could get their hands on that stuff. Mosaic Select anyone?

[Larry Kart]

If you get a chance to listen to Levitt's "Vera Cruz," take note of John Beal's bass playing, especially the "pinging" cleanness of the harmonics he hits. When this track was played for Miles in a Blindfold Test, he singled out Beal for praise.

[Kalo]

I would be all over a Levitt Mosaic Select.

I really like the OJC and the RCA The Arrangers disc has been a prized possession for years. I agree with those who find that Levitt's band is both distinctive and ideal for his wonderfully inventive and idiomatic arrangements.

Thanks for the reminder. I'll be pulling these out again soon.

[JohnS]

Definitely a case here for reissuing the Levitt RCAs. I'd be all over them too.

[sidewinder]

Definitely a case here for reissuing the Levitt RCAs. I'd be all over them too.

Count me in too for a Rod Levitt Mosaic Select. Really like that 'Dynamic Sound Patterns' LP on Riverside.

[clifford_thornton]

I almost bought that LP for $10 a couple of years ago... spun it and wasn't entirely hooked, but intrigued. Usually that does it for me, but not that time for whatever reason.

Apparently there's a Dutch Fontana pressing that goes for beaucoup $$.

[Late]

If Mosaic can lease RCA material for Mosaic Singles, I don't see why the Levitt material couldn't actually be a legitimate enterprise. Time to fill out the "Product Suggestions" box over at mosaicrecords.com again ...

[Chuck Nessa]

Kevin Whitehead reviewed the cd on Fresh Air. Interested parties can hear that review HERE.

[Dave James]

If you like Rod Levitt, you might want to check out Lyle Murphy. I have two of his albums on my i-Pod, "Gone With the Woodwinds" and "New Orbits in Sound". Murphy is not as "off plumb" as Levitt, but I find him to be pretty interesting, much in the manner of Levitt. There's some echoes of both Gil Melle and George Russell in each of their compositions.

Up over and out.

[Late]

That disc "the Arrangers" sounds like a helluva pick-up. I'm going to have to look for it. Any ideas?

Two copies are now at Amazon's Marketplace for under $7. Carpe diem!

[JohnS]

It's strange that Fresh Sound haven't got into these yet. They've mined the RCA catalogue pretty thoroughly. Maybe they can't source the music.