Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Levy.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born in Los Angeles, in the mid-1960s. I began to fall in love with the sound of music as a young child, then tried playing music. Piano, then clarinet, then guitar. (The guitar is the only instrument that I really stuck with.) My grandfather was a pianist and composer for television. His success made the dream of being a musician seem possible — even practical. (As I later discovered, it is not practical. But it’s rewarding in many ways.)
I moved to San Francisco in the late 1980s and played lots of jazz gigs. I also played with some great local singer-songwriters — including Tracy Chapman. I’m featured on her mid-’90s single “Give Me One Reason.”
I moved to NYC in the late 1990s and played lots more jazz gigs. I also played with some more great local singer-songwriters — including Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash, and Lisa Loeb.
I returned to Los Angeles — my hometown — in 2012. Still more jazz gigs and more singer-songwriter gigs. In the past year or two, I’ve performed and/or recorded with Meshell Ndegeocello, Amos Lee, Rufus Wainwright, Andrew Bird, Lisa Loeb (now a West Coaster), and Gaby Moreno. I’ve continued to make my own music as well.
Please tell us about your art.
I make music — some with words, some without. Either way, I’m always trying to tell a story. I use words to tell quotidian tales. Love, loss, hope, fear, family, and so on. I use instrumental music to tell stories that aren’t so easily put into words. People may be able to follow the stories I imagine in my wordless music, or they can make up their own.
Silence can be kind of scary for some people — maybe in the same way that some are afraid of the dark. I sometimes make music to shine a little light into the darkness. I don’t always have an important message that I’m trying to convey. Often, I’m trying to provide atmosphere — a space where people feel comfortable exploring or just being.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
Finding an original way to express ourselves while connecting with listeners. There’s so much noise surrounding us all the time. Listeners and artists may become desensitized and forget what it means to genuinely connect.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
They can hear me play live once per month or so at 1642 in Echo Park — with Rich Hinman vs. Adam Levy. I have other ensembles and play other rooms but that’s my favorite room in L.A. and my favorite group of musicians to play with. (I play guitar, Rich Hinman plays guitar and pedal-steel guitar, Jennifer Condos plays bass, Jay Bellerose plays drums.)
People can support my work by buying my music via Bandcamp (https://adamlevy.bandcamp.com) or by subscribing to my online series Guitar Tips Pro (https://patreon.com/guitartipspro).
Contact Info:
- Website: http://adamlevy.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stringjuggler/
Image Credit:
Main photo: Jay Bellerose
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
