Walt Levinsky
Encyclopedia
Walt Levinsky was an American
big band
and orchestral player, composer, arranger and band leader. While many of his big band assignments were as lead alto sax player, his favorite instrument was the clarinet
. Walt was known for his fine instrumental technique and his rich, round tone both on clarinet and sax.
he began playing the clarinet at age 9, tutored by his brother Kermit. His first formal study on clarinet and sax was with Joe Allard, a prominent New York teacher. Later Walt attended the Music Conservatory at Lebanon Valley College
, Anville, Pennsylvania where he majored in clarinet. Walt was an 'A' student and the college windwind instructor, Frank Stachow, once said to him: "You're the most talented musician that ever came to this school." His secondary instruments were alto saxophone and flute, and of course he was required to learn keyboard while at music school.
.”
orchestra. Then, as a full-time professional, he replaced Buddy DeFranco
in the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra which toured in the US and Cuba. During the Korean war years Walt enlisted in the US Air Force and served as a musician and member of the Air Force band.
After his Air Force discharge in 1954 Walt wanted to avoid the disruptive life of a band member on the road and settled in the New York area. Back with the Tommy Dorsey band for a brief stint, he then landed a job as reed player on a Broadway show. That was the beginning of a period when Walt worked as an instrumentalist in various show orchestras and also backed recording artists as a studio session musician. In 1956 when Benny Goodman
was assembling a new band for an engagement at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, he selected Walt as his lead sax player. While with the Goodman band, Walt was nominated by Benny as his backup player for the clarinet solos. When that engagement closed, Walt signed on for a summer contract with the Goodman band playing concerts in other cities.
Walt then joined the NBC Staff Orchestra. During this period Walt recorded an RCA album with the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra
playing Benny Goodman's clarinet solos. While at NBC, Walt took various freelance assignments and also contracted to the CBS Staff band. In 1962, Walt graduated to the Tonight Show Band, led by Skitch Henderson (later headed by Doc Severinson) backing The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
.
After leaving NBC in the late 60's, Walt joined MBA Music, a small New York company that produced music for commercials. This gave Walt the chance to move into composing, arranging and conducting. Over several years Walt composed, scored and conducted music for many NBC films. In the summer of 1963 Walt was offered the job of clarinet soloist for the re-created Artie Shaw
band. Artie himself conducted the sessions, and requested Walt to play his original solos note-for-note (see discography below). During these New York years Walt worked and recorded with many 'name' artists such as: Tony Bennett
, Stan Getz
, Lena Horne
, Gerry Mulligan
, Doc Severinson, Frank Sinatra
and Sarah Vaughan
. As a freelance music director Walt also worked and toured with other well known artists like Nina van Pallandt (of Nina & Frederik
), and actor and entertainer Richard Harris
.
.”
The 1990s brought further success with a busy concert and touring schedule as bandleader and clarinet soloist with his Great American Swing Band.
He died in River Edge, NJ, aged 70, from a brain tumour. He is survived by his daughters Judy and Sue, and son Ken who is a pianist and professional musician.
Walt Levinsky and his Great American Swing Band, Kenzo Music 1989, 341829-1153
Walt Levinsky in Concert: As He Wanted To Be Rememered, Arbors Records 2003, ARCD 19210
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
and orchestral player, composer, arranger and band leader. While many of his big band assignments were as lead alto sax player, his favorite instrument was the clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
. Walt was known for his fine instrumental technique and his rich, round tone both on clarinet and sax.
Musical education
Born in Paterson, New JerseyPaterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
he began playing the clarinet at age 9, tutored by his brother Kermit. His first formal study on clarinet and sax was with Joe Allard, a prominent New York teacher. Later Walt attended the Music Conservatory at Lebanon Valley College
Lebanon Valley College
Lebanon Valley College is a small, liberal arts higher education institution situated in the heart of Annville in Lebanon County, east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
, Anville, Pennsylvania where he majored in clarinet. Walt was an 'A' student and the college windwind instructor, Frank Stachow, once said to him: "You're the most talented musician that ever came to this school." His secondary instruments were alto saxophone and flute, and of course he was required to learn keyboard while at music school.
.”
Musical career
Walt's first assignment with a 'name' band was with the Les ElgartLes Elgart
Les Elgart was an American swing jazz bandleader and trumpeter.Lester E. Elgart began playing trumpet as a teenager, and by age 20 had landed professional gigs. In the 1940s he played in bands led by Raymond Scott, Charlie Spivak, and Harry James, and occasionally found himself in bands alongside...
orchestra. Then, as a full-time professional, he replaced Buddy DeFranco
Buddy DeFranco
Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco is an American jazz clarinet player.-Biography:DeFranco began his professional career just as swing music and big bands — many of which were led by clarinetists like Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Woody Herman — were fading in popularity...
in the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra which toured in the US and Cuba. During the Korean war years Walt enlisted in the US Air Force and served as a musician and member of the Air Force band.
After his Air Force discharge in 1954 Walt wanted to avoid the disruptive life of a band member on the road and settled in the New York area. Back with the Tommy Dorsey band for a brief stint, he then landed a job as reed player on a Broadway show. That was the beginning of a period when Walt worked as an instrumentalist in various show orchestras and also backed recording artists as a studio session musician. In 1956 when Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
was assembling a new band for an engagement at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, he selected Walt as his lead sax player. While with the Goodman band, Walt was nominated by Benny as his backup player for the clarinet solos. When that engagement closed, Walt signed on for a summer contract with the Goodman band playing concerts in other cities.
Walt then joined the NBC Staff Orchestra. During this period Walt recorded an RCA album with the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra
Sauter-Finegan Orchestra
The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra was an American swing jazz band popular in the 1950s.The orchestra was led by Eddie Sauter and Bill Finegan, who were both experienced big band arrangers. Sauter played mellophone, trumpet, and drums, and had attended Columbia University and Juilliard; Finegan had...
playing Benny Goodman's clarinet solos. While at NBC, Walt took various freelance assignments and also contracted to the CBS Staff band. In 1962, Walt graduated to the Tonight Show Band, led by Skitch Henderson (later headed by Doc Severinson) backing The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
.
After leaving NBC in the late 60's, Walt joined MBA Music, a small New York company that produced music for commercials. This gave Walt the chance to move into composing, arranging and conducting. Over several years Walt composed, scored and conducted music for many NBC films. In the summer of 1963 Walt was offered the job of clarinet soloist for the re-created Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....
band. Artie himself conducted the sessions, and requested Walt to play his original solos note-for-note (see discography below). During these New York years Walt worked and recorded with many 'name' artists such as: Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
, Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
, Lena Horne
Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...
, Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan
Gerald Joseph "Gerry" Mulligan was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though Mulligan is primarily known as one of the leading baritone saxophonists in jazz history – playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz – he was also...
, Doc Severinson, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
. As a freelance music director Walt also worked and toured with other well known artists like Nina van Pallandt (of Nina & Frederik
Nina & Frederik
Nina and Frederik were a Danish popular singing duo of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Their repertoire consisted of a blend of folk music, calypsos and standards...
), and actor and entertainer Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
.
.”
The 1990s brought further success with a busy concert and touring schedule as bandleader and clarinet soloist with his Great American Swing Band.
He died in River Edge, NJ, aged 70, from a brain tumour. He is survived by his daughters Judy and Sue, and son Ken who is a pianist and professional musician.
Discography
Artie Shaw Recreates His Great 38 Band, Capitol 1963, ST 8-2992Walt Levinsky and his Great American Swing Band, Kenzo Music 1989, 341829-1153
Walt Levinsky in Concert: As He Wanted To Be Rememered, Arbors Records 2003, ARCD 19210