WELCOME to the official Chuck Leavell website! Chuck is one of the most respected and sought-after piano players and keyboardists in modern music history, as well as one of the most dedicated and revered conservationists in the world. His work both as a solo artist and as a musician with The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Gov’t Mule, Train and many others is among the most accomplished of any living keyboardist. Chuck is an inductee in both the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. His latest CD Live In Germany was just released on Evergreen Arts Records, and he also appears with the Rolling Stones on their new CD, A Bigger Bang. He's now finally home after two years on the road with the Rolling Stones World Tour. Musician, author, speaker, conservationist and family man, Chuck Leavell remains active in all of these endeavors.
Thanks for visiting us, enjoy browsing!
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CHUCK TO PERFORM TOMORROW ON LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON!
BREAKING NEWS! Chuck has received a short notice invitation to be the
musical guest on Jimmy Fallon's show: "LATE NIHT WITH JIMMY FALLON" on the
NBC network. Chuck will be performing with the house band, THE ROOTS...and
we think he'll have a short discussion with Jimmy at the beginning of the
show.
From NBC.com: Chuck Leavell, keyboardist for the Rolling Stones and cofounder of the Mother Nature Network, will perform with THE ROOTS on "LATE NIHT WITH JIMMY FALLON". The show airs Wednesday the 17th of June at 12:35E/11:35C. Either set your DVRs or tune in to check out Chuck's performance
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HittinTheNote.com: Chuck Leavell: The Mother Nature Network
Chuck Leavell is one of the most-talented keyboardists in rock and roll history, but the former Allman Brother and current Rolling Stone also is one of the leading tree farmers and environmentalists in the United States. Chuck's latest project is the Mother Nature Network, and it's clear that he puts as much energy and passion into caring for the land as he does when he plays music. To help promote awareness of Earth Day on April 22, please enjoy this insightful and informative conversation with Chuck Leavell of the Mother Nature Network.
How did you come to be involved with the Mother Nature Network?
Joel Babbit is a friend of mine from Atlanta who I have known for five or six years, and he has had a stellar career in advertising and public relations. Joel has represented companies like Dell Computer, AT&T and other biggies, he was largely responsible for all the publicity for the Atlanta Aquarium, and he worked for a year on the '96 Olympics. Joel is a real team player, a very brilliant guy, and very civically involved. Joel called me and asked me to meet with him, and he said, "Listen - I've been doing some research, and think we may have an opportunity here." I asked him what he had in mind, and he said, "I represent a lot of companies that want to get out to the public exactly what they are doing environmentally. They may be taking steps to save energy, or doing other things that are environmentally friendly, and they want the public to know. These clients come to me, asking where they need to be for exposure to get these messages out. It's obvious that the internet is a place that people are going to more and more for all kinds of information. My clients have been asking where on the internet they can get exposure, and I've been researching, and I want to show you what I've found." Joel showed me what he had found, and I was familiar with some of them, like www.treehugger.com, which has around for about ten years now. There also is www.grist.org, which is another fairly well-known environmental site. There are some others, but in my opinion, they weren't that great, and the information they were putting forward we felt could be better.
Click
here to read entire Hittin The Note interview. |
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ABB Live Concert CDs: Allman Brothers Band @
Beacon Theater - 3/28/09 w/ Chuck Leavell, Phil Lesh & Bob Weir - Instant Live Pre-Sale
The final show of the 2009 Beacon run was one for the ages! Phil Lesh and Bob Weir of The Dead added their own psychedelic flavor to this show, and former ABB keyboardist Chuck Leavell made a triumphant guest appearance on tunes like "Jessica" and "Mountain Jam."
The core band was hittin' the note like only they can, with the extended "Rocking Horse" a first set standout. Check out the teases and jams of everything from "Third Stone From The Sun" to "Blue Sky" wrapped up in this monster version! "Who To Believe" made its first appearance of the run, with Gregg singing from the depths of his soul on this number. Gregg's old Daytona pal Floyd Miles added bluesy soul on "Born Under A Bad Sign" and "Stormy Monday," and Chuck Leavell finished off the first set with a version of "Jessica" that stands with the best ever.
The second set was the Allmans meets the Dead, with fascinating results. This version of "Sugaree" is dripping with soul, and Chuck comes back out to lend his keyboard skills to an inciendiary "Franklin's Tower." Leavell also joined the band for a ferocious "Mountain Jam" that ended the second set in style, before an extended "Statesboro Blues" encore finally ended the show at 12:38 AM, some four hours after it started!
Click here to view all of the details about this pre-sale!
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TimberBuySell.com: A Man Of Trees And Stones
Performing with the Rolling Stones would be a pinnacle accomplishment for most musicians. Chuck Leavell won't be satisfied until he saves the planet.
Leavell doesn't let moss grow on his farm or in his life onstage.
Performing with the Rolling Stones would be a pinnacle accomplishment for most musicians. Chuck Leavell won't be satisfied until he saves the planet. One of the most sought-after pianists in the recording industry, Leavell is most known for his contributions to the Allman Brothers Band in the early '70s and his multi-decade career with Mick, Keith and the rest of the Rolling Stones.
But his longest association began in 1981, when Leavell and his wife inherited his grandmother's diversified farm. Soon after, he was backstage at concerts reading anything and everything on crop farming, land use and ecology. His fellow rock stars at the time, blues act The Fabulous Thunderbirds, didn't know what to make of their studious piano player."They scratched their heads," Leavell said in an interview with The Press. "They said, 'What the heck is Chuck doing in the corner over there studying these forestry books?'"
Leavell has learned a lot more on the subject since then. Visiting Coeur d'Alene for the first time, Leavell shared his message of conservation at last week's Small Log Conference at The Coeur d'Alene Resort. "It was Theodore Roosevelt who said over a hundred years ago that until we solve the problems connected to our natural lands, we really don't stand much chance of solving the other problems that face us, and I believe that's true today just like it was then," he said.
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here to read the article. |
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CMT
News: Fans
Pack Surf Ballroom for Tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens
and the Big Bopper
CLEAR LAKE, Iowa -- Fifty years later, a lot of things sure
seemed the same at the Surf Ballroom. Poodle skirts, pompadours,
the Crickets on the bandstand and the brutally cold weather
with below-zero wind chill.
Feb. 3, 1959, was the day the music died as Buddy Holly, Ritchie
Valens and the Big Bopper perished in a snowy plane crash shortly
after performing at the Surf as part of the Winter Dance Party
that had crawled through the Upper Midwest in a poorly heated
school bus.
On Monday night (Feb. 2), 1,800 people from 32 countries gathered
in Clear Lake at the sold-out Surf to commemorate that infamous
day by listening to an eclectic parade of stars -- Wanda Jackson,
Graham Nash, Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys, Joe Ely, Peter &
Gordon, Dave Mason, Delbert McClinton, Bobby Vee, the Big Bopper
Jr. and the Crickets, Holly's backup band.
Click here to continue reading the article.
Click
here to read the Billboard article.
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BluesWax - Chuck Leavell: A Solid, Good Time For All (1.7.09)
The 2005-2007 Rolling Stones' tour was Chuck Leavell's twenty-fifth year with the world's greatest Rock 'n' Roll band. The later summer of 2007 found Leavell back with the Stones for a European tour and when the tour ended in August of 2007 Leavell played on in Europe. He did a solo tour called "Green Leaves and Blue Notes," where he performed and recorded with a band of German musicians. The result is captured on a new double, live CD called Chuck Leavell: Live In Germany. This band recorded several of Leavell's original tunes, plus their take on covers of classic songs that Leavell played with the Allman Brothers ("Jessica" and "Statesboro Blues"), as well as the Stones ("Tumbling Dice," "Honky Tonk Woman," and "Rip this Joint").
One of the several highlights include a rousing rendition of Eugene McDaniel's classic "Compared to What," made ultra-famous by Eddie Harris and Les McCann, and also covered by many others. Also included are interpretations of Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia On My Mind," George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun," and a few standards, including Professor Longhair's "In The Wee Wee Hours," as well as Bobby Troup's "Route 66." This two-CD set has everything I hoped for from Leavell, plus a few surprises. Even though these well known covers are sprinkled throughout, they don't dominate the concert. The backing German Rock band manages to hold its own, but Leavell's vocals are tested on a couple of songs from time to time. The styles of music covered are honky-tonk, Rock 'n' Roll, Jazz, and southern Blues. As entertainment value goes you should get some great mileage out of this CD; just sit back and enjoy the delightful groove and vibe.
In addition to Leavell's solo projects (his previous Southscape featured Larry Carlton on several tracks) and working with the Stones, Leavell continues to be an in-demand session player and producer. More recent years finds him on recordings with top-notch Country artists like Lee Ann Womack, the Montgomery-Gentry Band, Miranda Lambert, as well as two Nashville artists, Lady Antebellum and David Nail. Of particular note, Leavell recently recorded with bassist Mike Gordon from the now defunct band Phish for a new CD scheduled to be released in 2008. Now this could be interesting. Stay tuned for more from Mr. Leavell.
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The Mother Nature Network
Dear Friends,
I know we're all excited but at the same time curious and concerned about our country's future now that we have a new President in place. Many of us are particularly concerned about our direction in environmental affairs. At The Mother Nature Network, we will be tracking the issues and reporting on how things progress. We hope you'll visit us for updates from time to time...for now, please check out the url below which introduces the new players that will be leading the country's environmental policies...we want the public to know who these folks are, and some background on them so we can follow how they handle our challenges now that they are in office. So far it looks like a good start...but let's all keep a watchful eye and hope this team will lead us in the right direction in the right way!
url - http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/politics/stories/the-green-power-players-in-obamas-dc
Chuck Leavell
Director of Environmental Affairs
The Mother Nature Network
191 Peachtree St., NE - Suite 4075
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-856-7020
http://www.mnn.com
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Denver Post: Rolling Stones keyboardist gets honorary music degree
Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell entertained Central Michigan University graduates and joked about rock musicians during an appearance at commencement ceremonies.
Leavell also was presented with an honorary Doctor of Music degree during Saturday's event.
He told the crowd he learned to play the piano by listening to his mother play. He said that she never had any formal training, but that he loved hearing her at the keys at their home in Alabama.
He also offered life lessons for graduating students, including the importance of integrity, desire and determination.
"The pursuit of excellence can take you to the Super Bowl or the Hollywood Bowl, if you're committed," Leavell said. "If you keep these principles in life, no matter what you've chosen to do, you will be successful." He also offered a groaner for the graduates.
Click here to read the entire article from the Denvert Post.
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Jambase.com - Mike Gordon set to release The Green Sparrow featuring Chuck Leavell & more!
Rounder Records is proud to announce the release of Mike Gordon's solo album, The Green Sparrow. Set for an August 5 release, The Green Sparrow finds the accomplished Phish bassist showcasing his wide range of influences in a confident ten-track album that reminds us that Gordon is one of the most imaginative and mold-breaking musicians in music today. Recorded at Gordon's home studio in Vermont and mixed at The Barn, his former band's studio and art space, The Green Sparrow features special guests Chuck Leavell, Phish's Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell, Bill Kreutzmann, Ivan Neville and horn players from Antibalas.
Since the break up of Phish in 2004, Gordon has participated in many projects, none of which have been purely solo. An artist known for his endless creativity and touring stamina, Gordon took 2007 off from touring and dedicated his time to writing this record. The end result is an eclectic album boasting Gordon's skillful assimilation of free-form rock & roll, calypso, pop and funk that showcases a unexpected side to Gordon's songwriting.
From the deeply rooted funk of "Radar Blip" to the rousing intricacies of "Andelman's Yard," from the spirited rock of "Traveled Too Far" to the punch of "Another Door," The Green Sparrow is a playful album from an artist who continually reveals new layers of far-reaching invention.
Click here to see a few pictures from the session.
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Glide Magazine - Chuck Leavell Releasing Double Live CD
Chuck Leavell, who has been tagged the "fifth Rolling Stone" and remains one of music's most respected & sought-after pianists of the past 30 years, will celebrate the release of a new double CD set Live In Germany: The Green Leaves and Blue Notes Tour on May 13, 2008 on Evergreen Arts, distributed by RED/Sony.
An inductee to both the Alabama and Georgia Music Halls of Fame, Leavell is perhaps best known for his work with The Rolling Stones - a long and prosperous association that began in 1982 and continues today. His piano and keyboard work has also been heard on recordings with the likes of Eric Clapton, The Black Crowes, George Harrison, The Allman Brothers Band, The Indigo Girls, Blues Traveler, Train, Montgomery-Gentry, Lee Ann Womack and many more.
Leavell's previous solo efforts have been highly acclaimed by the press, beginning with the celebrated 1999 Christmas album What's In That Bag? on Capricorn Records; 2001's Forever Blue: Solo Piano, a collection of seven original songs and three classics including "Georgia On My Mind," and 2005's Southscape, described as "Southern Jazz."
As the two-year long Rolling Stones' "A Bigger Bang" tour came to an end in late summer of 2007, Leavell remained in Europe for the "Green Leaves & Blue Notes Tour," where he recruited some of Germany's top musicians to accompany him. In a live performance recorded on September 14, 2007, for the German radio station HR1, Leavell and his international crew, which included drummer Paul Hochstadter, bassist Christian Diener, saxophonist Lutz Hafner, guitarist Frank Kuruc, recorded 19 songs in an hour and a half set. In addition to performing a handful of Leavell's original tunes, the group performed covers of such classic songs as The Allman Brothers' "Jessica" and "Statesboro Blues" (with a cameo appearance by Henning Eichler on harmonica); The Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman" and "Rip this Joint;" a rousing rendition of Les McCann and Eddie Harris' "Compared to What;" moving renditions of Ray Charles' "Georgia" and George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun;" and a few standards including "In the Wee Wee Hours" and "Route 66."
Click here to read the entire press release in Glide Magazine.
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Chuck Leavell
Forever Green
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Chuck Leavell
Between Rock & Home Place
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Chuck Leavell
The Tree Farmer
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Chuck Leavell
Piano Instruction Vol. 1
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Chuck Leavell
Live at the Douglass Theatre
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| ***NEWS ARCHIVE*** |
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