Function Picture courtesy of Duke Levine Scott Legato
Duke Levine was born to play guitar. In truth, as soon as he picked it up, there was no backup taking part in. “I didn’t actually take into consideration that a lot; it’s simply what I assumed I might do,” Levine tells ClassicRockHistory.com.
He explains, “I decided to hitch a full-time band as an alternative of going to varsity, and my mother and father had been very supportive… though I discovered later that they could have been slightly nervous. [laughs]”
Levine’s ardour meant that he wasn’t enthusiastic about something stopping him, simply that he’d succeed in any respect prices. “I took all of it significantly,” he insists. “I studied with a terrific jazz guitarist, Wealthy Falco, beginning in highschool and persevering with on till I later went to music faculty. I feel I used to be too younger, although, to contemplate challenges; I simply kinda dove in.”
It paid off. Since breaking into the session world, Levine has labored with Otis Rush, toured with Aimee Mann, Roseanne Money, Peter Wolf, and The J. Geils Band, and has been a member of Bonnie Raitt’s band for years.
Moreover, he’s received a gentle solo profession, releasing data as his touring and session schedule permits. All in all, Duke Levine has had a hell of a profession. “I don’t suppose I actually have any vital regrets,” he says. “I are usually ahead considering.”
I don’t dwell an excessive amount of on previous accomplishments or missteps,” he continues. “Possibly that retains me from reflecting on what might need occurred. That, and the truth that I really feel extremely fortunate for what’s come my method within the music world.”
Levine has a busy yr forward. He’s excited for the longer term and beaming with delight when recalling what’s achieved so far. “I feel I’m proud once I hear from of us who inform me that music from my very own data has had a optimistic impact on them,” he says. “Particularly when it has helped them get by a making an attempt time of their life.”
“And I’m proud that I’m in a position to make a residing taking part in music with artists and musicians that I’ve a number of love and respect for,” he says. “Proud, and actually fortunate!”
What are your earliest recollections of music in your life, and what drew you to the guitar?
I had three older brothers who had been already taking part in guitar once I was a child. Once I was 10, my brother Rick had a full-time country-rock band that rehearsed at our home day-after-day. He was additionally into taking part in finger-picking acoustic, and he had a pleasant J50. I feel once I first picked up his guitar, I believed I might play as a result of it was in an open tuning.
So, there was all the time a guitar round, and my brothers received my sister and me began with primary chords and stuff. They usually had a terrific document assortment, too, so I used to be turned on to a number of music I nonetheless love – Beatles, The Band, Rolling Stones, Merle Haggard, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King, Doc Watson, Butterfield Blues Band, and extra.
Apart from bringing me to a few of my brother’s band’s gigs, my of us introduced me to see Doc & Merle Watson early on, perhaps I used to be 10 or 11? I additionally received to see a Lifeless present at Boston Music Corridor and Jackson Browne & David Lindley duo at Passim, a 100-seat people membership in Cambridge, once I was 12, in 1973.
How did the scene you grew up in affect your outlook on life and as a musician?
I began taking part in in a band at age 12, and we stayed collectively and gigged till all of us received out of highschool. The final couple of years, we had a college bus, PA, lights, and a crew. So, I used to be fortunate and realized a lot from that have with out even realizing it. After highschool, I joined a full-time band for the subsequent 4 years.
My hometown scene in Worcester, MA had some heavy musicians, and it was a time (late 70s/early 80s) when many native scenes had been thriving, particularly in comparison with now. So, it didn’t appear that far-fetched that when you had been a musician, you can make a go of it.
One in every of our hometown bands grew to become Joe Cocker’s touring band for a few years. There have been some stellar jazz gamers, blues musicians, and rockers. Good previous days!
As soon as you bought into session work, what did your toolkit seem like?
I began doing classes extra after I completed music faculty at New England Conservatory. There was a very wholesome singer/songwriter scene right here in Boston/Cambridge, and most of them employed producers to make full band data. So, though Boston has by no means been a music biz heart, there was a bunch of labor right here on the time.
At first, within the early ‘90s, for guitars I had my ’63 Strat, a ’66 Mustang arrange for slide, my Martin 00028, an previous Concord acoustic arch prime for acoustic slide, and a ’58 LP Particular. For amps, I had a Boogie MKIII combo and a ’66 Vibrolux, and simply the same old Tube Screamer and varied Boss results.
You probably did an album with Otis Rush. How did that occur, and what was he like?
Man, Otis was nice! He was actually variety and beneficiant each on and off stage. And he performed and sang his ass off, simply unbelievable. I received to do a few European excursions with him. That album was a stay recording of a gig we did in Berlin. I now understand that the present was the primary time I ever performed with him.
What are you able to inform us about recording with Aimee Mann after which touring together with her?
I received requested to play on a Christmas document Aimee was doing. My longtime good friend and bandmate/bass participant, Paul Bryan, was producing, and our different buddy, Jay Bellerose, performed drums on it, so I felt just about at dwelling. And I used to be comfortable to satisfy and play with keyboard nice Patrick Warren.
I used to be a fan of Aimee however had by no means met her. She was nice, only a professional in all methods, and he or she and Paul created a pleasant vibe on the session. We rehearsed for a few days at Jay’s and made the majority of the document in a couple of week, I feel.
I joined up for her stay X-mas reveals that yr. A handful of dates on the East and West Coasts additionally included stay comedy bits from Fred Armisen, John C. Reilly, Paul F. Tompkins, and Morgan Murphy. We did stuff from the document and a few of her different nice songs, too.
You toured with Rosanne Money. How did you get the gig, and what was your rig like?
I did just a few reveals with Rosanne, subbing for John Leventhal. I’ve been a fan of John’s work for years, so I used to be enthusiastic about it but additionally daunted, realizing I’d need to be taught all his nice guitar elements. She was doing the whole lot of her newest document, The River and The Thread, for the primary set, after which a few of her classics for the second.
My longtime good friend/guitar-playing associate Kevin Barry was in her band, together with Dan Reiser and Zev Katz, a few different buddies, in order that all the time helps when leaping into one thing chilly like that. The extent of rehearsing was operating some stuff in soundcheck on the first gig.
What are you able to say about Rosanne as a performer, and what was the important thing to getting ready for that gig?
Rosanne is a real artist. I had been a fan since her King’s File Store document and saved up together with her later work as effectively. It’s so cool to be concerned with somebody who’s making a very thought of, deliberate presentation, by no means thoughts an unbelievable songwriter like herself.
She’s a assured and riveting performer, clearly invested in what she’s singing. What extra might you ask for? To arrange, I realized the songs and guitar elements as finest I might, after which simply performed them quite a bit. A bonus for doing a gig like that is how a lot you possibly can be taught from a masterful guitarist/arranger like John.
The stay preparations had been the identical because the document, in order that helps. So, I’ll play alongside to the document, however one in every of my checks to see if I actually know the music and association is to play the entire thing on my own. This can be a great way of realizing the place your blind spots could also be.
You had been the touring guitarist for the J. Geils Band for a very long time. Had been you a fan stepping into, and what was the audition like?
Effectively, I received concerned within the J. Geils Band reveals as a result of I used to be already in Peter Wolf’s band, and the Geils guys had been cool with him bringing me in. They had been including a second guitar, so I performed with Jay. I nonetheless play with Wolf and his band, happening 25 years now. I feel I did the Geils reveals for about six years; the band would do round 4 to 6 weeks of reveals yearly. So, by no means a full-time gig or something. However sure, I used to be a fan; it was actually enjoyable to play with these guys.
How did you create a touring rig for J. Geils, and what was your general method to songs like “Love Stinks,” “Angel within the Centerfold,” and “Freeze-Body”?
I simply used what I believed can be proper. A easy setup: an early ’64 Tuxedo Bassman head and a 2×12 Vox cupboard. For results, a few overdrives, Tremolo, and one Delay. I performed a Customized Store R9 Les Paul and my ’63 Tele. Whereas Jay was nonetheless within the band, I used to be masking no matter he wasn’t doing or beefing up a few of his elements.
It was a little bit of a needle to string, as Magic Dick on the harp is at occasions very similar to a rhythm/second-guitar participant. After which for his or her final couple of runs with out Jay, I took over the principle guitar spot. Keyboard participant Seth Justman was the MD and organized all of the elements on their data, so I labored with him on what to do. It was enjoyable as a result of it’s all very a lot organized, and nice to see how they made that every one work as a band.
What led you to cease touring with the J. Geils Band and begin working with Bonnie Raitt?
So, the Geils band wasn’t actually a problem at that time. However I used to be nonetheless working carefully with Wolf on his reveals and data. The quantity of touring that Bonnie was providing and the truth that she is an iconic artist who anybody can be fortunate to play with made the choice to hitch fairly simple.
How has your rig developed with Bonnie, and what does she count on from you as a participant, on condition that she’s a hell of a participant herself?
I’ve used just a few totally different amps. At first, I used a ’63 AC30 head with my Blockhead JTM45 and Vox 2×12 cab. As all amps/cabs are offstage (band is on IEMs), I quickly switched to a 1×12 cab. I used my Marshall 2204 JMP head for one touring yr and have now type of settled on my Blockhead JTM45 head with a Creamback 65 within the cab.
For results, I used a King Tone Heavy Hand, Jam Pedals Boomster and Harmonious Monk, Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay, Supply Audio Nemesis Delay, Foxrox Octron 3, and Retro Sonic Refrain. Bonnie principally needs the whole lot to really feel nice and acceptable for the music. There are all the time some key/signature riffs or elements that need to occur.
However past that, she trusts that you simply’ll play the music “proper,” and it doesn’t need to be precisely the identical night time to nighttime. And she or he is the most effective instance of that; she improvises her guitar solos and takes possibilities at each present, actually inspiring. And similar together with her unbelievable singing, she’s invested absolutely and received’t normally sing one thing the very same method twice.
With Bobbie, which songs are essentially the most thrilling to sort out, and what’s saved you working together with her?
Effectively, for songs, it’s all the time a kick to get to play somebody’s iconic songs with them, typically simply surreal. So, “Angel from Montgomery,” which she requested me to play mandolin on, and “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” The thrilling half for me lies in how necessary it’s to not screw any of it up.
Not which means errors, essentially, however simply being respectful and creating one thing acceptable that’s going so as to add one thing with out being a distraction. And since Bonnie is totally inhabiting these songs each time she performs them—even in rehearsals—the stakes are fairly excessive.
The place does your rig stand at present, and the way does it change once you’re working in your solo materials?
Effectively, I’ve been utilizing my ’63 AC30 head and a couple of×12 cab for my Tremendous Candy Sounds Of The ‘70s reveals currently. For some gigs, I’ll use my ’66 Vibrolux, and for quiet/duo reveals, I would use my ’66 Princeton Reverb. My pedalboard lineup modifications slightly relying on the gig.
Principally, it’s Jam Pedals Harmonious Monk, and Waterfall, Mad Professor Royal Blue OD and Deep Blue Delay, King Tone Heavy Hand, Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe, which Mike at AnalogMan simply modded for me with a quantity trim pot, or AMT ADG 1 Delay. Typically a Jam Pedals Rattler for high-gain stuff. For SSS70s reveals, a ‘70s orange brand EHX Small Stone, my favourite phaser.
What’s one thing about you as an individual and musician that you simply’d like followers to know?
Umm, let’s see… I’ve received a crossword puzzle jones, normally three a day, plus Spelling Bee. I play guitar day-after-day. If I’m not doing a session or gig, I’m training, working alone music, or prepping for one of many above.
What’s subsequent for you?
I’m simply ending up rehearsals for a run of reveals with Peter Wolf & The Midnight Vacationers. Then, I begin up touring with Bonnie after that. I’ll strive to slot in extra reveals with my Tremendous Candy Sounds of The ‘70s mission, as we simply launched a document. And later this yr, I’ll document some extra of my unique music.
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