Chuck will be taking a detour from the Stones tour on June 15 to perform his own gig at the Gramercy Theatre in NYC. Chuck will showcase a big band project a number of years in the making. “Chuck Leavell and His Big Band,” will feature Chuck performing special arrangements of classic rock ‘n’ roll and original pieces as a big band. Chuck was invited to do a concert in Frankfurt, Germany, with the Frankfort Radio Big Band some years ago. He sent a number of songs he wanted to perform to the arrangers ahead of his arrival. Three different arrangers created charts for a big band. “Man, it was just amazing,” Leavell said. “I was so blown away when I heard the charts they had done and the power and the talent of these players. It was really surprising. I said, Chuck, you have to step …
Chuck Leavell
“Living in a Dream” Piano Lesson – Sea Level
Our current featured lesson is “Living in a Dream” by Sea Level. Click below for the lesson and sheet music. "Living in a Dream" piano lesson Happy New Year from Chuck and the irocku Team. Let us know what you want us to work on for the New Year. We’re considering a new Gospel Rock Essentials series. And perhaps some more blues tunes, maybe “Stormy Monday” and “Statesboro Blues” or possibly The Rolling Stones’ ballad “Wild Horses”. Are there any particular songs, styles or techniques you’d like to tackle this year? Here’s a video of Sea Level live at the Capitol Theatre in 1977. This is the only live Sea Level video that we have been able to turn up. Here’s the setlist: • Tidal Wave • Rain In Spain • Shake A Leg • Hideaway • Scarborough Fair • Hot 'Lanta • …
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“Joy to the World” – Boogie Piano Lesson
It’s time to rock the holidays!!! Chuck Leavell recorded his Christmas album “What’s in That Bag?” back in 1997 during breaks from the Rolling Stones ‘Bridges to Babylon’ tour. The album was released in 1998, the same year the Rolling Stones released their live album “No Security”. “What’s in the Bag” began as a Christmas card from Chuck to his friends and family. It was first recorded in 1996 at a small studio in Georgia using local musicians. Capricorn founder, Phil Walden received a copy of the ‘Christmas card’ and offered to bring it to the public. Chuck’s buddy Johnny Sandlin re-recorded the tracks a year later bringing in Bill Stewart and Rodger Hawkins on drums, David Hood on bass, Kelvin Holly on guitar, Scott Boyer on guitar and vocals. "Joy Boogie" piano lesson The album …
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The Rolling Stones’ Piano Players
Beginning back in 1963, for the first six years of their touring career, the Rolling Stones didn’t have a dedicated touring keyboardist. Founding member and keyboardist, Ian Stewart, was relegated to road manager because he didn’t ‘look the part’. For these early tours, Rolling Stones’ founder and guitarist, Brian Jones, sat in on the piano when the song called for it. After Jones’s accidental drowning in 1969, Ian Stewart was brought back onto the stage to play the rockers- such as “Honky Tonk Women” and “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll”. But Stewart refused to play ballads or any songs in minor keys. He was a blues rock and boogie woogie purist. From 1971 through 1973, English pianist extraordinaire, Nicky Hopkins, toured with the Stones to fill in on the songs that Stewart turned down. But …
Calling all Music Teachers – Online Music Lessons
IROCKU is extending our online music lessons to include rock, jazz, pop and blues instruction for piano, guitar, bass, drums, voice, and sax. If you are a music teacher or if you know of a music teacher who is interested in connecting with new students via Chuck Leavell’s website, www.irocku.com, for online music lessons please let us know. Please fill out our music teacher registration form or send us an email to onlinelessons@irocku.com. For our live online lessons, we encourage teachers to follow a methodology that works best for them. We don’t require teachers to follow our irocku methodology for the live online music lessons. Teachers can choose to use lesson content of their own or the irocku lesson content. We prefer that instructors teach in a manner that is best suited for …
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The Anatomy of a Piano Bassline: “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”
“Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” has been covered by dozens of artists ranging from Bessie Smith to Janis Joplin. Each artist has created his/her own interpretation of this traditional blues song. Musically, it's not that complicated a song. The chord progression is a modified 8-bar blues progression, which admittedly can take some time to learn, but the rhythm is a basic slow blues shuffle. On the piano, though, the bassline can make all the difference. "Nobody Knows You When..." piano lesson For the irocku “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” Advanced Level 7 piano lesson we opted for a traditional stride bassline which is quite challenging to play. In this lesson, the left hand mimics the bass and drum lines on Eric Clapton’s version from the “Unplugged” …
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Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out – Piano Lesson and Sheet Music
Eric Clapton first recorded “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” in 1970 on the Derek and the Dominos debut album, ‘Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs’. With Clapton on lead guitar and Duane Allman filling in on slide guitar there wasn’t much space for Bobby Whitlock to cut loose on the keys. That all changed 22 years later when Clapton recorded an acoustic version of the song with Chuck Leavell on the piano. This week’s piano lesson combines some old style stride blues piano with right-hand rock and blues licks that read like an encyclopedia of modern rock piano. "Nobody Knows You..." piano lesson In 1992, Clapton recorded yet one more version of “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” on his Grammy winning ‘Unplugged’ album. And in doing so, he called up another …
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A moment in rock history- how the Dixie Dregs were discovered
Here's an esoteric piece of music history we just stumbled upon. Rod Morgenstein of the Dixie Dregs talks about how in 1976 Chuck Leavell, who was keyboardist with the Allman Brothers at the time, saw them playing in a Nashville bar. Capricorn Records signed them right up! The Dixie Dregs are an instrumental band that fuses hard rock, southern rock, progressive metal, and even some classical. Could this have been the inspiration for Chuck's rock/jazz fusion band "Sea Level"? Learn how to play rock and blues piano from one of rock’s greatest. Chuck Leavell, legendary keyboardist for The Rolling Stones, The Allman Bros, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and more. Join Now and SAVE!!! …
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The Rolling Stones No Filter European Tour Begins May 17
The Rolling Stones "No Filter Tour" begins Thursday May 17. Please let us know if you will be making it to any of the shows. 17 MAY DUBLIN, IR CROKE PARK WITH SPECIAL GUESTS THE ACADEMIC. 22 MAY LONDON, UK LONDON STADIUM WITH SPECIAL GUEST LIAM GALLAGHER. 25 MAY LONDON, UK LONDON STADIUM WITH SPECIAL GUEST FLORENCE + THE MACHINE. 29 MAY SOUTHAMPTON, UK ST MARY'S STADIUM WITH SPECIAL GUESTS THE VACCINES. 2 JUNE COVENTRY, UK RICOH STADIUM SPECIAL GUESTS THE SPECIALS. 5 JUNE MANCHESTER, UK OLD TRAFFORD FOOTBALL STADIUM SPECIAL GUEST RICHARD ASHCROFT. 9 JUNE EDINBURGH, UK BT MURRAYFIELD STADIUM WITH SPECIAL GUEST RICHARD ASHCROFT. 15 JUNE CARDIFF, UK PRINCIPALITY STADIUM SPECIAL GUESTS ELBOW. 19 JUNE LONDON, UK TWICKENHAM WITH SPECIAL GUEST JAMES BAY. 22 …
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New IROCKU Essentials Series!!! – “Chuck Leavell’s Stride Blues”
"Chuck Leavell's Stride Blues" piano lesson This multi-part video series covers both right and left hand piano techniques that Chuck has used throughout his career. If you want to learn the fundamentals behind Chuck’s epic performances ranging from “Jessica” ( Allman Brothers) to “Honky Tonk Women” ( The Rolling Stones”) and everything in between, this series is the place to begin. The series covers left-hand stride and walking bass lines, and right-hand scales, chords and patterns based on blues, minor, major and pentatonic scales. All are fundamental elements of Chuck’s legendary style. The series begins with an overview of the 8- bar blues form used in the recording, “The Blues is All Wrong”. The first half of the series teaches left-hand stride techniques and introduces elements …
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The Rolling Stones UK, IRE and EU No Filter Tour Announced
The Rolling Stones are bringing the No Filter tour to the UK and Ireland this summer, with some additional European shows! Click here for more info. Learn how to play rock and blues piano from one of rock’s greatest. Chuck Leavell, legendary keyboardist for The Rolling Stones, The Allman Bros, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and more. Join Now and SAVE!!! …
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