Chuck Leavell
Encyclopedia
Chuck Leavell is an American
pianist
and keyboardist
, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band
throughout the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level
, a frequently-employed session musician
, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton
and The Rolling Stones
.
, Alabama
, Leavell is a mostly self-taught musician. Inspired by seeing Ray Charles
in concert (with Billy Preston
in the backup band) to pursue a career in the industry, he dropped out of high school. Leavell made contacts with Macon, Georgia
-based Capricorn Records
, where he met his future wife, and relocated to Georgia.
Leavell joined the Allman Brothers
in September 1972, when they decided not to recreate their dual lead guitar sound after the death of Duane Allman
, who had died the previous October, but rather to use a different instrument as the second lead. Leavell's work was most prominent on the band's popular 1973 album Brothers and Sisters
, and in particular on the heavily-played instrumental "Jessica". However, only one studio album, 1975's Win, Lose or Draw
followed, again with Leavell's ebullient piano and keyboard work featured, but with the band in chaos, and on the brink of destruction.
While opening shows for The Allman Brothers Band with The Allman Brothers' bass guitarist Lamar Williams
and drummer Jaimoe
, Leavell stepped up as a frontman for the first time in his career. After The Allman Brothers Band disbanding in May 1976, the trio added guitarist Jimmy Nalls and set about touring behind the moniker Sea Level
, derived from Leavell's first initial and last name. The group lasted five years and released as many albums, each featuring a different configuration of the group.
After Sea Level disbanded, Leavell went to work as a studio musician, within a matter of months joining The Rolling Stones
as second road keyboardist behind Ian Stewart
for the band's 1982 European Tour
. After Stewart's 1985 death, Leavell occupied the role of the group's road keyboardist by himself, frequently playing on studio recordings as well. He continues to go on tour with The Rolling Stones, as of 2006 as part of their record-grossing A Bigger Bang Tour
. He served as the unofficial "musical director" for the band and devised each night's set list
with Mick Jagger
. "It's my job to keep Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie all happy", Leavell says on his web page.
In addition to his work with The Rolling Stones, Leavell has worked with George Harrison
, Eric Clapton
, Gov't Mule
, Train
, The Black Crowes
, Montgomery Gentry
, amongst many others in the studio and on the road in addition to recording three solo albums.
In 2003, Leavell participated in the annual improvisional musical experiment known as Zambiland Orchestra in Atlanta.
Leavell was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame
in 2004. He is also a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame
.
In an April 2007 radio interview on WOR-AM, Leavell said his three favorite contributions to songs in his career were "Jessica" with The Allman Brothers Band, "Old Love" on Eric Clapton
's Unplugged
, and "Already Over Me" from the Rolling Stones' Bridges to Babylon
record.
Leavell is a tree farm
er in Twiggs County outside Macon, Georgia
, an occupation that began when he inherited land in the early 1980s. Owner with his wife of Charlane Plantation, he is a two-time Georgia Tree Farmer of the Year, and is a staunch supporter of conservation and environmental protection. In 2006, Leavell wrote a children's book, The Tree Farmer. In 2006 Leavell was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue
to the Georgia Land Conservation Council.
Leavell enjoys "giving back" to the community of his birth. In 1992, he played on a record titled "Mr. President", which was produced by noted Birmingham jazz keyboardist and vocalist Ray Reach
for the purpose of raising money for the homeless in the Birmingham area. Leavell and several other well-known Alabama musicians (including Wayne Perkins
, Chuck Tilley, Charlie Hayward
, and Kelley O'Neal) donated their time for this worthy project.
On March 20, 2008, Leavell was given a BAMA Award (Birmingham Area Music Award) for his contributions to the Birmingham, Alabama musical heritage. The 2008 BAMA Awards ceremony was held at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
(in the historic Carver Theatre in the Birmingham Civil Rights District
). Leavell performed at this ceremony, accompanied by the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars
directed by Ray Reach
. Also, at the same ceremony, a BAMA Award was bestowed upon keyboardist/producer Peter Wolf
.
In April 2008, Leavell performed with a supergroup which opened for Chuck Berry
in Boston. The concert raised money for artists struggling with addiction.
Leavell and Joel Babbit are the co-founders of The Mother Nature Network
, an environmental news and information website that launched in January 2009. Leavell serves as director of environmental affairs and sits on the board of directors for the new company. He hosts two video series on mnn.com: "Love of the Land," in which he discusses sustainability and conservation issues, and "The Green Room," a series in which he interviews fellow celebrities about the environment and their philanthropic work.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
throughout the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level
Sea Level (band)
Sea Level is the name of a fusion group that mixed jazz, blues and rock. It existed between 1976 and 1981. Initially, it was an offshoot of The Allman Brothers Band, but as tensions grew between the loss of two of its founding members, and personal greivances between Gregg Allman and other...
, a frequently-employed session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
.
Biography
Born in BirminghamBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, Leavell is a mostly self-taught musician. Inspired by seeing Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
in concert (with Billy Preston
Billy Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
in the backup band) to pursue a career in the industry, he dropped out of high school. Leavell made contacts with Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
-based Capricorn Records
Capricorn Records
Capricorn Records was an independent record label which was launched by Phil Walden, Alan Walden, and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia.-First Incarnation:...
, where he met his future wife, and relocated to Georgia.
Leavell joined the Allman Brothers
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
in September 1972, when they decided not to recreate their dual lead guitar sound after the death of Duane Allman
Duane Allman
Howard Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
, who had died the previous October, but rather to use a different instrument as the second lead. Leavell's work was most prominent on the band's popular 1973 album Brothers and Sisters
Brothers and Sisters (album)
Brothers and Sisters is the fifth album by The Allman Brothers Band, released in 1973.The group's first album recorded completely after the death of leader Duane Allman, and mostly after the death of bassist Berry Oakley, Brothers and Sisters saw the Allmans reach a commercial peak. The album...
, and in particular on the heavily-played instrumental "Jessica". However, only one studio album, 1975's Win, Lose or Draw
Win, Lose or Draw (album)
Win, Lose or Draw is the sixth album by The Allman Brothers Band, released in 1975. The record was the end of the line for the band at the time. After the very successful Brothers and Sisters two years previously, the group had fallen prey to internal tensions...
followed, again with Leavell's ebullient piano and keyboard work featured, but with the band in chaos, and on the brink of destruction.
Lamar Williams
Lamar Williams was an American musician, most known as the bassist for The Allman Brothers Band and Sea Level....
and drummer Jaimoe
Jai Johanny Johanson
Jai Johanny Johanson , frequently known by the stage name Jaimoe, is an American drummer and percussionist. He is best known as one of the founding members of The Allman Brothers Band.-Early years:...
, Leavell stepped up as a frontman for the first time in his career. After The Allman Brothers Band disbanding in May 1976, the trio added guitarist Jimmy Nalls and set about touring behind the moniker Sea Level
Sea Level (band)
Sea Level is the name of a fusion group that mixed jazz, blues and rock. It existed between 1976 and 1981. Initially, it was an offshoot of The Allman Brothers Band, but as tensions grew between the loss of two of its founding members, and personal greivances between Gregg Allman and other...
, derived from Leavell's first initial and last name. The group lasted five years and released as many albums, each featuring a different configuration of the group.
After Sea Level disbanded, Leavell went to work as a studio musician, within a matter of months joining The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
as second road keyboardist behind Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart (musician)
Ian Andrew Robert Stewart was a Scottish keyboardist, co-founder of The Rolling Stones and inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
for the band's 1982 European Tour
Rolling Stones European Tour 1982
The Rolling Stones' European Tour 1982 was a concert tour of Europe to promote the album Tattoo You. It was in effect the European continuation of their long and successful 1981 US tour, and promoted by Bill Graham...
. After Stewart's 1985 death, Leavell occupied the role of the group's road keyboardist by himself, frequently playing on studio recordings as well. He continues to go on tour with The Rolling Stones, as of 2006 as part of their record-grossing A Bigger Bang Tour
A Bigger Bang Tour
A Bigger Bang Tour was a worldwide concert tour by The Rolling Stones which took place between August 2005 and August 2007, in support of their album A Bigger Bang...
. He served as the unofficial "musical director" for the band and devised each night's set list
Set list
A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...
with Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
. "It's my job to keep Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie all happy", Leavell says on his web page.
In addition to his work with The Rolling Stones, Leavell has worked with George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Gov't Mule
Gov't Mule
Gov't Mule is a Southern rock jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody.The band released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995...
, Train
Train (band)
Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood ....
, The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
, Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo composed of vocalists Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry. The two began performing in the 1990s as part of a band which also included Eddie Montgomery's brother John Michael Montgomery, and founded the existing duo in 1999.Signed to Columbia Records,...
, amongst many others in the studio and on the road in addition to recording three solo albums.
In 2003, Leavell participated in the annual improvisional musical experiment known as Zambiland Orchestra in Atlanta.
Leavell was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame
Georgia Music Hall of Fame
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame, located in downtown Macon, Georgia, preserves and interprets the state's rich musical heritage through programs of collection, exhibition, education and performance...
in 2004. He is also a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Alabama Music Hall of Fame
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then saw to its Phase One construction of a after a state-wide referendum in 1987...
.
In an April 2007 radio interview on WOR-AM, Leavell said his three favorite contributions to songs in his career were "Jessica" with The Allman Brothers Band, "Old Love" on Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
's Unplugged
Unplugged (Eric Clapton album)
Unplugged is a live album by Eric Clapton released in 1992. It was recorded live in England for the MTV Unplugged series and includes both the hit single "Tears in Heaven" and a heavily reworked acoustic version of "Layla"....
, and "Already Over Me" from the Rolling Stones' Bridges to Babylon
Bridges to Babylon
Bridges to Babylon is a studio album by British rock band The Rolling Stones, released by Virgin Records on 29 September 1997. It would prove to be the band's final studio album of the 1990s and their last full-length release of new songs until 2005's A Bigger Bang...
record.
Leavell is a tree farm
Tree farm
A tree farm is a privately owned forest managed for timber production. The term tree farm is also used to refer to plantations and to tree nurseries.-American Tree Farm System:...
er in Twiggs County outside Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, an occupation that began when he inherited land in the early 1980s. Owner with his wife of Charlane Plantation, he is a two-time Georgia Tree Farmer of the Year, and is a staunch supporter of conservation and environmental protection. In 2006, Leavell wrote a children's book, The Tree Farmer. In 2006 Leavell was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue
Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
to the Georgia Land Conservation Council.
Ray Reach
Raymond Everett Reach, Jr. is an American pianist, vocalist and educator residing in Birmingham, Alabama, now serving as Director of Student Jazz Programs for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars and President and CEO of Ray Reach Music and Magic City...
for the purpose of raising money for the homeless in the Birmingham area. Leavell and several other well-known Alabama musicians (including Wayne Perkins
Wayne Perkins
Wayne Perkins is a rock and R & B guitarist, singer, songwriter and session musician. He was the oldest of six children, a brother and four sisters. Both of his parents sang and played guitar...
, Chuck Tilley, Charlie Hayward
Charlie Hayward
Charles F. "Charlie" Hayward is a bass guitarist from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, now residing near Nashville, Tennessee. For over 30 years, Charlie has been a member of the Charlie Daniels Band....
, and Kelley O'Neal) donated their time for this worthy project.
On March 20, 2008, Leavell was given a BAMA Award (Birmingham Area Music Award) for his contributions to the Birmingham, Alabama musical heritage. The 2008 BAMA Awards ceremony was held at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame was founded in 1978, and opened a museum on September 18, 1993, with a mission "to foster, encourage, educate, and cultivate a general appreciation of the medium of jazz music as a legitimate, original and distinctive art form indigenous to America...
(in the historic Carver Theatre in the Birmingham Civil Rights District
Birmingham Civil Rights District
The Birmingham Civil Rights District is an area of downtown Birmingham, Alabama where several significant events in the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s took place...
). Leavell performed at this ceremony, accompanied by the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars
The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars is a working jazz ensemble, featuring some of the finest jazz musicians Alabama has to offer...
directed by Ray Reach
Ray Reach
Raymond Everett Reach, Jr. is an American pianist, vocalist and educator residing in Birmingham, Alabama, now serving as Director of Student Jazz Programs for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars and President and CEO of Ray Reach Music and Magic City...
. Also, at the same ceremony, a BAMA Award was bestowed upon keyboardist/producer Peter Wolf
Peter Wolf (producer)
Peter F. Wolf is a composer, producer, songwriter and arranger. He was awarded the highest honor for artists from his birth country of Austria, the Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst .- Early years :Wolf studied classical piano at Vienna’s Conservatory of Music...
.
In April 2008, Leavell performed with a supergroup which opened for Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
in Boston. The concert raised money for artists struggling with addiction.
Leavell and Joel Babbit are the co-founders of The Mother Nature Network
Mother Nature Network
The Mother Nature Network, MNN.com, is a website that provides environmental and social responsibility news and information. Founded in 2008 by Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell and former marketing executive Joel Babbit, MNN officially launched on Jan...
, an environmental news and information website that launched in January 2009. Leavell serves as director of environmental affairs and sits on the board of directors for the new company. He hosts two video series on mnn.com: "Love of the Land," in which he discusses sustainability and conservation issues, and "The Green Room," a series in which he interviews fellow celebrities about the environment and their philanthropic work.
Solo albums
- (1998) What's in That Bag?
- (2001) Forever Blue: Solo Piano
- (2005) Southscape
- (2007) Live In Germany-Green Leaves and Blue Notes Tour
The Allman Brothers Band
- (1973) Brothers and SistersBrothers and Sisters (album)Brothers and Sisters is the fifth album by The Allman Brothers Band, released in 1973.The group's first album recorded completely after the death of leader Duane Allman, and mostly after the death of bassist Berry Oakley, Brothers and Sisters saw the Allmans reach a commercial peak. The album...
- (1975) Win, Lose or DrawWin, Lose or Draw (album)Win, Lose or Draw is the sixth album by The Allman Brothers Band, released in 1975. The record was the end of the line for the band at the time. After the very successful Brothers and Sisters two years previously, the group had fallen prey to internal tensions...
Sea Level
- (1977) Sea LevelSea Level (album)Sea Level is the 1977 eponymous debut album by Sea Level and was released on the Capricorn Records label.-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Chuck Leavell, except where noted.#"The Rain in Spain" 6:47#"Shake a Leg" 3:53...
- (1977) Cats on the CoastCats on the CoastCats On The Coast was the second album by American rock band Sea Level. It was released in 1977 on Capricorn Records.-Side one:# "That's Your Secret" - 5:15...
- (1978) On the Edge
- (1979) Long Walk on a Short Pier
- (1980) Ball Room
- (1997) Best of Sea Level
The Rolling Stones
- (1983) Undercover
- (1986) Dirty Work
- (1989) Steel WheelsSteel WheelsSteel Wheels is the 19th British and 21st American studio album by The Rolling Stones and was released in 1989. Heralded as a major comeback upon its release, the project is notable for the patching up of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' relationship, a reversion to a more classic style of music and...
- (1991) FlashpointFlashpoint (album)Flashpoint is a live album by British rock band The Rolling Stones. It was released in 1991, having been recorded throughout 1989 and 1990 on the mammoth Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour...
- (1994) Voodoo LoungeVoodoo LoungeVoodoo Lounge is the 20th British and 22nd American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in July 1994. As their first new release under their new alliance with Virgin Records, it ended a five-year gap since their last studio album, Steel Wheels in 1989...
- (1995) Stripped
- (1998) No SecurityNo SecurityNo Security is a live album by The Rolling Stones and was released in 1998. Recorded over the course of the lengthy 1997–1998 worldwide Bridges to Babylon Tour, it is the band's sixth official full-length live release....
- (2004) Live LicksLive LicksLive Licks is a double live album by The Rolling Stones and was released in 2004. Coming six years after No Security, this seventh official Rolling Stones full-length live release captures performances from the band's year-long 2002–2003 Licks Tour in support of their career-spanning retrospective...
- (2005) A Bigger BangA Bigger BangA Bigger Bang is the 22nd British and 24th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released on Virgin Records in September 2005. It is a follow-up to their previous full-length studio album Bridges to Babylon from 1997, that gap of eight years the longest between studio albums of the band's...
- (2008) Shine a Light
External links
- Official website
- New Georgia Encyclopedia entry
- Leavell, Chuck. "Family Forestry in Twiggs County, Georgia / Live in Macon at the Douglass Theatre" Southern Spaces February 2006. http://southernspaces.org/2006/family-forestry-twiggs-county-georgia-live-macon-douglass-theatre
- Interview and article focusing on Leavell's activism. "Chuck Leavell: Wrapped up in Trees" Crawdaddy!Crawdaddy!Crawdaddy! was the first U.S. magazine of rock and roll music criticism. Created in 1966 by college student Paul Williams in response to the increasing sophistication and cultural influence of popular music, Crawdaddy! was self-described as "the first magazine to take rock and roll...
March 2008. - NPR interview, Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz 4-18-08
- Mother Nature Network