- Lou Levy (pianist)
Louis A. Levy (
March 5 ,1928 –January 23 ,2001 ), generally known as Lou Levy, was abebop -based pianist who worked with many top jazz artists, later coming to embrace thecool jazz medium and playing in that style as well (though never quite losing hisBud Powell influence).Levy was born to
Jewish parents inChicago and started playing piano when he was 12. His chief influences wereArt Tatum andBud Powell .A professional at age 19, Levy played with
Georgie Auld (1947 and later),Sarah Vaughan ,Chubby Jackson (1947-1948),Boyd Raeburn , Woody Herman's Second Herd (1949-1950),Tommy Dorsey (1950) andFlip Phillips . Levy left music for a few years in the early fifties and then returned to gain a strong reputation as an accompanist to singers, working withPeggy Lee (1955-1973),Ella Fitzgerald (1957-1962),June Christy ,Anita O'Day and Pinky Winters. Levy also played withShorty Rogers ,Stan Getz ,Terry Gibbs ,Benny Goodman ,Supersax and most of the major West Coast players. Levy has recorded as a leader forNocturne (1954),RCA , Jubilee,Philips , Interplay (1977), andVerve .He died on January 23, 2001 in
Dana Point ,California .elected Discography
* "Jazz in Hollywood", 1954
* "Black Coffee" (Peggy Lee ), 1956
* "A Most Musical Fella", 1956
* "Jazz in Four Colors", 1956
* "Solo Scene", 1956
* "Piano Playhouse", 1957
* "" (Ella Fitzgerald ), 1958
* "Ella Swings Lightly " (Ella Fitzgerald ), 1958
* "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook " (Ella Fitzgerald ), 1959
* "Get Happy!" (Ella Fitzgerald ), 1959
* "Ella in Hollywood " (Ella Fitzgerald ), 1961
* "Ella Returns to Berlin " (Ella Fitzgerald ), 1961
* "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! " (Ella Fitzgerald ), 1961
* "Impromptu" (June Christy ), 1977
* "the kid's got ears!", 1982
* "Lunacy", 1992External links
* [http://www.jazzinchicago.org/Internal/Articles/tabid/43/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/17/LouLevy.aspx 1981 Interview with Lou Levy]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0506519/ Internet Movie Database entry for Lou Levy]
* [http://www.amazon.com/Lou-Levy/artist/B000AQ8RD6 Recordings at amazon.com for Lou Levy]
* [http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/artist.aspx?ob=per&src=prd&aid=3680 Verve artist page for Lou Levy]
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