Reprint from "Business Jet Traveler" August 2019 Chuck Leavell, the Rolling Stones’ de facto musical director, has played keyboards for the group on record and on tour since 1982. Earlier, he was a member of the Allman Brothers Band (it’s his piano solo you hear on their classic “Jessica”) and a cofounder of the jazz-rock outfit Sea Level, which took its moniker from his first initial and surname. Leavell has also performed or recorded with many other leading musicians, including Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, George Harrison, the Black Crowes, and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour. The latest of his six solo albums, last year’s Chuck Gets Big, finds him backed by a 17-piece brass band and performing original songs alongside classics from the Stones, the Allman Brothers, and other …
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Can You Learn to Play Piano Online?
Reprint from South Florida Reporter - Sep 10, 2019... In the 21st century, anything is possible thanks to the internet. In the past, learning a musical instrument used to require taking sit-down lessons with a trained professional. Now, individuals can conveniently teach themselves with online classes. Websites that provide people with resources such as live or pre-recorded video lessons are quickly growing in popularity. As a result, professional piano lessons are more accessible than ever. The appeal of such online learning sites is largely due in part to the flexibility that they offer. Unlike traditional sit-down lessons, these websites allow people to learn on their own time, wherever and whenever is most convenient for them. As online learning becomes more popular, …
Utterbuzz Interview: Chuck Leavell Discusses New Album, Live Dates, Upcoming Tour With Mike Mills
From Utterbuzz Interview: "Chuck Leavell has played keyboards and served as the musical director for The Rolling Stones since 1982, and is currently on tour with the Stones. He was a member of the Allman Brothers Band, Sea Level, and has also toured and recorded with Eric Clapton, The Black Crowes, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Gov’t Mule, John Mayer, and many more. On June 22nd he released his 7th solo album Chuck Gets Big, featuring rock and R&B classics such as “Route 66”, “Honky Tonk Woman”, “Statesboro Blues”, and others performed with a big band. Leavell found some time in between Stones shows to perform the material from his new album recently at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre, and after the show Live For Live Music contributor Brennan Carleycaught up with Chuck to …
Billboard Article: Rolling Stones’ Musical Director Chuck Leavell Covers ‘Tumbling Dice’: Video Premiere
Here's an article from Billboard, Aug 13, 2019: "As the longtime music director for the Rolling Stones -- not to mention his tenures with the Allman Brothers Band, Sea Level, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, John Mayer and others -- Chuck Leavell has full rights to take on the group's catalog in his own fashion. So, not surprisingly, his brassy take on "Tumbling Dice" with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, whose video is premiering below from the keyboardist's just released new album Chuck Gets Big, is something different than what we're used to hearing him do with his "British brethren." This (album) is really a celebration of the career," Leavell tells Billboard, "so of course there's something from the Allman Brothers, something from Sea Level, something from the Stones, instrumentals …
WSJ Article: Chuck Leavell Remains the Calm Center of the Rolling Stones
Here's a great interview from the Wall Street Journal, Aug 9, 2019: One of the greatest pianists in rock ’n’ roll history divides his energy between music and farming "Chuck Leavell is the calm in the eye of the Rolling Stones’ crossfire hurricane. Throughout the band’s current 17-show “No Filter” tour of American stadiums, you’ll find the keyboardist center-stage, within eyeshot of every member of the 11-person group. He’s the guy they look toward to steady the ship if they feel a song wobbling or need a reminder or a cue. While the 76-year-old Mick Jagger rooster-struts across the giant stage, showing no signs of his recent heart surgery, Keith Richards and Ron Wood peel off the loud, raunchy guitar riffs that have defined the band’s music for 55 years, and Charlie Watts …
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