Rod Levitt
Rod Levitt (born September 16, 1929 in Portland , Oregon , † May 8, 2007 in Wardsboro , Vermont ) was an American jazz musician ( trombone , composition ).
Live and act
Levitt studied music theory , arrangement and trombone at the University of Washington . During his student days he played in local bands in Seattle , but then switched to Quincy Jones' band . He served his military service in the 722nd Regiment Air Force Band . He then went to New York City, where he became known when he was a member of Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band in 1956/57 , with whom he toured South America and recorded the album Birk's Works . During this time he also played as an accompanist on Dinah Washington's Fats Waller Songbook . In 1958 he became a member of the Radio City Music Hall symphony orchestra , but also worked as a studio musician. In 1959 he worked on Gil Evans ' album Great Jazz Standards for Pacific Jazz . Around 1960 he played alongside Melba Liston in the trombone set of the Quincy Jones big band ( The Quintessence ), and also with Oliver Nelson .
In the early 1960s Levitt also formed his own octet, which consisted of studio musicians and the u. a. the pianist Sy Johnson and the trumpeters Rolf Ericson or Bill Berry belonged. The formation gave several concerts and recorded four albums, which are now out of print. They mainly contained material composed or arranged by Levitt with stylistic influences from Gil Evans, Charles Mingus and the jazz of the 1920s. In the field of jazz, he was involved in 47 recording sessions between 1956 and 1996, according to Tom Lord , in later years with The All-Star Trombone Spectacular and with Chuck Israels & The National Jazz Ensemble. But he also composed for film, television and advertising. For his advertising jingles, he worked with Mahalia Jackson or Rahsaan Roland Kirk .
Levitt had been married since 1962.
Discographic notes
- RCA Victor Jazz Workshop: The Arrangers (RCA, 1956–65). The compilation mainly includes Gil Evans' and George Russell's work for Hal McKusick and a session directed by Johnny Carisi ; also five titles from the Rod Levitt Octet , e.g. B. Morning in Montevideo , Mr. Barrelhouse and Holler No.3 .
- Dynamic Sound Patterns (Prestige / OJC, 1963) with Rolf Ericson , Buzz Renn, George Marge, Gene Allen , Sy Johnson , John Beal, Ronnie Bedford
- 42Nd Street (RCA Vioctor, 1966)
swell
- Richard Cook , Brian Morton : The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD . 6th edition. Penguin, London 2002, ISBN 0-14-051521-6 .
- Ian Carr , Digby Fairweather , Brian Priestley : Rough Guide Jazz. The ultimate guide to jazz. 1800 bands and artists from the beginning until today. 2nd, expanded and updated edition. Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2004, ISBN 3-476-01892-X .
Web links
- Life data at jazzbiographies.com
- Rod Levitt at Allmusic (English)
- Rod Levitt at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Levitt, Rod |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz trombonist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 16, 1929 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Portland , Oregon, USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 8, 2007 |
| Place of death | Wardsboro , Vermont, USA |