Alan Levitt (November 11, 1932 – November 28, 1994) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

drummer.

Career

Levitt was born in New York City to Ben Levitt (1908–1941) and Florence Cohen Levitt (1912–1950). Early in life he showed an interest in music. In the early 1940s he went to an inter-racial summer camp, Camp Wo-Ch-Ca, where he met Mike Stoller. They became close friends and both became interested in boogie-woogie and jazz. In 1947 when they were 14 years old they visited a social club at in Harlem. For the next two years they spent weekend evenings listening to

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

Oscar Pettiford Oscar Pettiford (September 30, 1922 – September 8, 1960) was an American jazz double bassist and composer. He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom. Jazz bassist Christian McBride called Pettiford "probably the most imp ...

, and

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first re ...

. In 1949 Mike Stoller moved to Los Angeles. Levitt went on to be a jazz drummer. Stoller met another young man in Los Angeles and they wrote songs together. They were known as Leiber & Stoller. Levitt studied with Lennie Tristano for many years, along with Lee Konitz. Levitt also studied occasionally with Max Roach. Levitt studied piano with Moses Chusids in high school. He studied under Lennie Tristano along with Lee Konitz and studied drums under Irv Kluger in 1949–50. In the early 70s he picked up studies again with Max Roach. After moving to the Canary Islands, Spain, in 1973 with Stella, his common law wife, and her five children, Levitt played with Canadian bass player Lloyd Thompson, Dutch pianist , and American trumpeter Don Jeter. Moving then to Madrid, Levitt played with Spanish saxophonist Pedro Iturralde. Moving to France in 1975, Levitt again met and played with friends from the U.S. In Paris he founded a band with Alain Jean-Marie. His group consisted of Stella on vocals, Sean on guitar, Alain Jean Marie on piano and Gus Nemeth on bass. He played with

Paul Bley Paul Bley, Order of Canada, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a Canadian jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live per ...

, Lee Konitz,

Warne Marsh Warne Marion Marsh (October 26, 1927 – December 18, 1987) was an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Los Angeles, his playing first came to prominence in the 1950s as a protégé of pianist Lennie Tristano and earned attention in the 1970s as ...

Jimmy Raney James Elbert Raney (August 20, 1927 – May 10, 1995) was an American jazz guitarist, born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, known for his work from 1951 to 1952 and then from 1953 to 1954 with the Red Norvo trio (replacing Tal Farlow) a ...

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...

Harry "Sweets" Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard backi ...

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened to "Jaws"): it is either said that ...

, J. J. Johnson,

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

Jimmy Gourley James Pasco Gourley, Jr. (June 9, 1926 – December 7, 2008) was an American jazz guitarist who spent most of his life in Paris. Gourley was born in St. Louis in 1926. He met saxophonist Lee Konitz in Chicago when both were members of the sa ...

Peter Ind Peter Ind (20 July 1928 – 20 August 2021) was a British jazz double bassist and record producer. Early life Ind was born in Middlesex. His father was a builder. Ind began to learn the violin at the age of eight and played in his school orches ...

Martial Solal Martial Solal (23 August 1927 – 12 December 2024) was a French jazz pianist and composer. Life and career Solal was born in Algiers, French Algeria on 23 August 1927, to Algerian Jewish parents. He was persuaded to study clarinet, saxophone, ...

, René Urtreger,

Pierre Michelot Pierre Michelot (3 March 1928 – 3 July 2005) was a French jazz double bass player and arranger. Early life Michelot was born in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris on 3 March 1928. He studied piano from 1936 to 1938, and switched to playing ...

Michel Petrucciani Michel Petrucciani (; ; 28 December 1962 – 6 January 1999) was a French jazz pianist. From birth he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature. Despite his health condition and rel ...

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American Swing music, swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948� ...

Dorothy Donegan Dorothy Donegan (April 6, 1922 – May 19, 1998) was an American classically trained jazz pianist and occasional vocalist, primarily known for performing stride and boogie-woogie, as well as bebop, swing, and classical. Biography Early li ...

, Guy Lafitte and

Barney Wilen Bernard "Barney" Jean Wilen (4 March 1937 – 25 May 1996) was a French jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist and composer. Biography Wilen was born in Nice, France; his father was an American dentist turned inventor, and his mother was French. His ...

. Levitt died Nov. 28, 1994 in France, age 62.

Discography

As leader

* ''We Are the Levitts'' (ESP Disk, 1968) * ''Dearly Beloved'' with Stella Levitt (Maracatu, 1989)

As sideman

With

Lee Konitz Leon "Lee" Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist and composer. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's ass ...

* ''In Harvard Square'' (Storyville, 1955) * ''Jazz at Storyville'' (Storyville, 1956) * ''

Lee Konitz Meets Warne Marsh Again ''Lee Konitz Meets Warne Marsh Again'' is a live album by American jazz saxophonists Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh recorded at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in 1976 and released on the Pausa Records, Pausa label.Live at the Montmartre Club: Jazz Exchange Vol. 2''(Storyville, 1977) With others *

Sidney Bechet Sidney Joseph Bechet ( ; May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Ar ...

, ''Sidney Bechet Martial Solal'' (Swing, 1957) *

, ''Paul Bley'' (Wing, 1954) * Nathan Davis, ''London by Night'' (Hot House, 1987) *

Bob Dorough Robert Lrod Dorough (December 12, 1923 – April 23, 2018) was an American bebop and cool jazz vocalist, pianist, and composer. He became famous as the composer and performer of songs in the TV series ''Schoolhouse Rock!'', as well as for his wor ...

, ''Devil May Care'' (52e Rue Est, 1983) * Bob Dorough, ''Songs of Love'' (Orange Blue, 1988) *

Teddy Edwards Theodore Marcus "Teddy" Edwards (April 26, 1924 – April 20, 2003) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Edwards was born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. He learned to play at a very early age, first on alto saxophone ...

, ''Sunset Eyes'' (Pacific Jazz, 1960) *

, ''and the Cool Sounds'' (Verve, 1957) * Dusko Goykovich, ''Celebration'' (DIW, 1987) *

Stephane Grappelli Stephane may refer to: * Stéphane, a French given name * Stephane (headdress) A stephane (''ancient Greek'' στέφανος, from ''στέφω'' (stéphō, “I encircle”), '' Lat.'' Stephanus = wreath, decorative wreath worn on the head; cr ...

, ''Stephane Grappelly et Son Quartette'' (Barclay, 1957) *

, ''

The Unissued 1975 Copenhagen Studio Recordings ''The Unissued 1975 Copenhagen Studio Recordings'' is an album by the Warne Marsh Quartet, recorded in Denmark in late 1975 but not released on the Storyville Records, Storyville label until 1997.

'' (Storyville, 1997) * Warne Marsh, ''

The Unissued Copenhagen Studio Recordings ''The Unissued Copenhagen Studio Recordings'', is an album by saxophonist Warne Marsh's Trio recorded in Denmark in late 1975 but not released on the Storyville label until 1997.

'' (Storyville, 1997) *

, Chuck Wayne, Joe Puma, Dick Garcia, ''The Fourmost Guitars'' (ABC-Paramount, 1957) * Bobby Scott, ''Scott Free'' (ABC-Paramount, 1955) *

Lennie Tristano Leonard Joseph Tristano (March 19, 1919 – November 18, 1978) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and teacher of jazz improvisation. Tristano studied for bachelor's and master's degrees in music in Chicago before moving to New Yo ...

, Marian McPartland, Bobby Scott, Joe Bushkin, ''The Jazz Keyboards'' (Savoy, 1955) * Rene Urtreger, ''Rene Urtreger Trio'' (Versailles, 1957) * Guy Lafitte, ''The things we did last summer'' (Black & Blue, 1990)) *

, ''Tilt'' (Swing, 1957) * Barney Wilen, ''Barney Wilen Quintet'' (Fresh Sound, 1989) *

Joe Lee Wilson Joe Lee Wilson (December 22, 1935 – July 17, 2011) was an American jazz singer from Bristow, Oklahoma, who lived in Europe since 1977. Biography Part African-American and part Creek Native American, John Fordham"Joe Lee Wilson obituary: El ...

, ''Secrets from the Sun'' (Inner City, 1977)

References

Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...

and

Ira Gitler Ira Gitler (December 18, 1928 – February 23, 2019) was an American jazz historian and journalist. The co-author of ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'' with Leonard Feather—the most recent edition appeared in 1999—he wrote hundreds of ...

. ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz''. Oxford, 1999, p. 411. {{DEFAULTSORT:Levitt, Al 1932 births 1994 deaths 20th-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians American jazz drummers American male drummers American male jazz musicians Drummers from New York City