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Adam Levy
Adam Levy: guitarist, songwriter, educator, journalist, author.
About Me
Adam Levy is a guitarist in high demand. His playing has been featured on recordings by
major-label artists such as Norah Jones (her first three albums), Tracy Chapman (New
Beginning), and Amos Lee (Amos Lee). He has also played on records by acclaimed indie
artists such as Ani DiFranco (¿Which Side Are You On?) and Anaïs Mitchell (Young Man in
America). Levy has performed live onstage with all of these musicians—as well as with
Rosanne Cash, Lisa Loeb, Darol Anger, Regina Carter, and many others.
What keeps Levy so busy, working in a wide variety of styles, is his knack for playing things
that are unpredictable yet sound right as soon as you hear them. Take, for example, Levy’s
guitar solo on Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason.” Though steeped in Chicago blues
essence, it’s wholly original—free from cliché or caricature. His solo on Norah Jones’ “Come
Away with Me” is more understated—a simple, earnest plea echoing the sentiment of the
song. It has elements of jazz and country, but ultimately defies pigeonholing.
In addition to his work as a guitarist, Levy has blossomed as a songwriter in recent years,
with work appearing on releases by Norah Jones, Chris Difford (of Squeeze), Glen Phillips
(of Toad the Wet Sprocket), Miles Zuniga (of Fastball), and Amber Rubarth (rising indie
songstress). Though he often writes alone, he is just as comfortable co-writing with other
simpatico songwriters. One of his recent collaborations was with singer/songwriter Jill
Sobule. The song they wrote together, “Bound to Happen,” is featured in the documentary
film If You Build It.
Over the past decade or so, Levy has released a dozen of his own recordings—some song-
oriented, some instrumental. His latest is the lyrically driven Portuguese Subtitles. Another
of Levy’s recent releases is Live from Sun Studio, which he recorded with his electrified trio
at the legendary Memphis recording studio where Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash famously
got their starts. His 2010 album, The Heart Collector, is an all-acoustic session, supported
by a successful Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign. In their online review of The Heart
Collector, music magazine No Depression said, “There really isn't anything to prove when
you're this good and have always been this good. The Heart Collector has only confirmed,
reaffirmed, and validated that Levy is one of the best songwriters and musicians in the
business. It is a great album overflowing with warm and soulful songs that enchant the
ears and captivate the heart.”
Several cities have been home to Levy over the years, including New York, San Francisco,
and New Orleans. He currently lives in another culture-rich municipality, Los Angeles—the
city in which he was born.
