About
Bass player Tony Levin has maintained this website since 1996, offering behind-the-scenes insights into life on the road and showcasing his tour photography.
Some of his notable recording and touring credits: Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, John Lennon, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, Alice Cooper, Joan Armatrading, Peter Frampton, Ringo, Carly Simon, Judy Collins, Paula Cole, Seal, Cher, Tracy Chapman, James Taylor, Stevie Nicks, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, jazz groups: Buddy Rich, Gary Burton, Gap & Chuck Mangione, Chris Botti, Al Di Meola, Herbie Mann and Steps Ahead.
Solo albums: World Diary, Waters of Eden, Resonator, Pieces of the Sun, Stick Man, Bringing It Down to the Bass.
Collaborative groups: BEAT, Liquid Tension Experiment, Bruford Levin Upper Extremities, HOBOLEMA (Holdsworth, Bozzio, Levin, Mastelotto), Bozzio Levin Stevens, Levin Torn White, Levin Minnemann Rudess, Gorn Levin Marotta, L’Image, White Elephant and Levin Brothers.
Books published: Beyond the Bass Clef, Road Photos, Crimson Chronicles, Fragile as a Song, Images from a Life on the Road, and the forthcoming The Book of BEAT.
Levin is currently a recording/touring member of Peter Gabriel Band, Stick Men, Levin Brothers, and the newly formed BEAT — a band launched in 2024 alongside Adrian Belew, Steve Vai, and Danny Carey to perform the iconic 1980s music of King Crimson.
Born in Boston on June 6, 1946, Levin grew up in Brookline, MA, and began playing upright bass at age 10. In high school, he added tuba (soloing with the concert band) and sang in his own barbershop quartet. Primarily focused on classical music, he played at the Kennedy White House with the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, then attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, performing under Igor Stravinsky and with the Rochester Philharmonic. There, he met drummer Steve Gadd, who introduced him to jazz and rock, which led to Tony switching to electric bass and later becoming a sought-after studio musician in New York.
After recording on numerous albums, Levin joined Peter Gabriel's band in 1977, moving away from studio playing to focus more on live performance, and adopting the Chapman Stick—an instrument he’s helped popularize since then. His interest in the Stick eventually led to the formation of Stick Men, a band known for its adventurous and experimental approach to progressive music.
In 1984, Tony released Road Photos, a photo collection from his travels with Gabriel, Crimson, and others. This was followed by Beyond the Bass Clef, a book of essays and stories about bass playing, and Crimson Chronicles Vol. 1, featuring candid photos from his 1980s era with King Crimson. Then came a small leather bound poetry book, Fragile as a Song..In 2021 came Images from a Life on the Road, a coffee table size book featuring, of course, his road photos.
Levin’s Road Diaries, launched in 1996, is one of the longest-running music blogs on the web and continues to document his tours around the globe. Tony has currently played about 2,700 shows.
Recent years have seen continued output and creativity. In addition to new releases with Stick Men and the solo album Bringing It Down to the Bass, 2024 saw the launch of the band BEAT, bringing together decades of musical history in an exciting new live experience, as well as a live recording coming out in Sept 2025.
Tony remains actively engaged in music, photography, writing and touring—continually redefining what it means to be a modern artist.