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Saxophones, Fute, and Spoken Word
Born October 23rd 1953 in Philadelphia, PA. Elliott grew up in the culturally/musically
rich environment of Philadelphia in a family with an artistic background in literature and visual arts.
Upon entering
college, in 1971, he studied music compostion and creative writing at the University of Oregon with composer Monte Tubb. Elliott
then returned to Phila. and began private studies with Mike Guerra, the former Granoff teacher of John Coltrane, Gerry Mulligan,
and many others around Phialdelphia. During this same period Elliott met and began studies with Cecil Taylor, who was
conducting a residency at Glassboro College, now Rowan University. He continued to study with Cecil Taylor and perform
in the ensembles with Cecil at the school. Later Taylor commissioned Elliott to join CECIL'S UNIT CORE ORCHESTRA, which performanced
at Carnegie Hall in New York City during 1974. Elliott continues to collaborate with Cecil Taylor in many ensembles- including
residencies at Turtle Bay Music School, S.F. Jazz Fest, several Knitting Factory Orchestras, and The Skopje Jazz Fest.
Elliott
also studied with flutist/composer Claire Polin; and with saxophonist/composer Odean Pope- with whom he also performs as a
member of his Saophone Choir.
Out of the original Glassboro ensemble emerged the OLDUVAI ENSEMBLE with co-founders;
Tom Rollison on guitar and drummer Jim Richards, which recorded and performed throughout the US until Richard's death in 1979.
Working with this ensemble marked an era when Elliott would steer toward a more electrified fusion of music, where he would
record such albums as ILTAR, a project co-led by Mike Urbanek (guitar) and Steve Buchanan (guitar, sax). Iltar was hailed
as one of the earliest "new fusion" albums of the area- combining elements of both progressive rock and jazz of that time.
During the late 1970's and 1980's Elliott collaborated with many musicians in a free and improvisational level at the Long
March Coffee House and the Painted Bride Arts Center under the direction of vibraphonist and educator Bill Lewis. Elliott
Levin's INTERPLAY ENSEMBLE, which still exists today(and includes Rick Iannacone-guitars; Ed Watkins, Ron Howerton, and Keno
Speller-percussion, along with Charles Cohen-synthesizers, and many of the leading improvisers today as guests), and is one
of many project spawned from this era in Elliott's career. The band NEW GHOST (co-founded with Iannacone) also formed later
from this period, and featured all original poetry and music- touring and recording around the U.S. and Europe.
During
the 1990's he collaborated in ensembles with saxophonists David Murray, Fred Ho, Bobby Zankel, and Odean Pope, clarinetist
Gunter Hampel, vibraphonist Khan Jamaal, Philadelphia Orchestra composer Barry Shuck, violinist Billy Bang, Alan Silva (bassist/synthesizer),
Simon Shaheen (violinist, oud), David Amram, and many others. Also during mid-90's series of workshops and performances around
US of Jewish and Arabic roots and fusion music including a New York City performance for the Israeli/Arab Peace Summit at
United Nations. In the late-90's Elliott joined the world fusion band Animus.
Elliott has collaborated musically and
poetically with many spoken word artists such as Gloria Tropp and Talking Free Be-Bop, whose members have included; Steve
Buchanan, Ken Yamazaki, Billy Martin, John Medeski, Chris Wood,and Dave Fiuczyinski; Miguel Algarin (founder of Nuyorican
Cafe), Reg E. Gaines, Frank Messina(& Spoken Motion), Wil Perkins, and Aschak.
Even though Elliott felt most at
home in the more improvisational music and performance poetry scene during the 1970's through the present he was not limited
to it. In addition to Elliott's free expression of music he spent much time in a wide variety of groups thriving around Philadelphia
in the rock and rhythm and blues scene. From 1983 through 1994 he toured with Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes extensively
throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. He also performed and recorded with the Philadelphia based SCRAM!, EDO, Intuitive
Music Unit, Animus, The Deep Space Posse, Disco Biscuits, King Britt, Josh Wink, Cee Knowledge & the Cosmic Funk Orchestra
which featured Doodle-Bug of Digable Planets (one of first fusions of jazz/hip-hop).
Elliott has recorded 4 CDs under
his name for CIMP-"The Motion Of Emotion"(with late drummer Denis Charles, and bassists Akira Ando, and Dominic Duval); "Soul-Etude"
and "A Fine Intensity" (with Sun Ra Arkestra trombonist-Tyrone Hill, also Howard Cooper-bass, Ed Watkins- percussion); and
"On In Onondaga"("Opportunities & Advantages")-(with the previous 4-tet plus Sun Ra Arkestra leader-Marshall Allen on
alto sax). This band has been recording and performing over the last few years to the present..
Awards:
New American
Radio Grants (NYC)- 1990 & 92
Pa. Council for the Arts (media performance)-1993
LA Cultural Affairs (workshops/performance
at Watts Towers Arts Ctr.)-1993
Cal. Endowment for the Humanities (Ruse Gallery in San Diego/tour of Cal.-with reed
player-Zopilote, and poet Gerardo Navarro)
Meet The Composer- with vocalist/poet Gloria Tropp, percussionist-Ken Yamazaki-1995
Meet The Composer- with vocalist/poet Wil Perkins -1998
Publications:
"Does it Swing?" (book of poetry- Heat Press,
1996)
Intervals (Poems of Musicians)-Beehive & Sisyphus Press -2000
Published in periodicals-LA Weekly (LA),
Blue Beat Jacket (Japan), Painted Word (Phila.), Vital Pulse (NYC), Po' Fly (Ky.), Poets & Prophets (Phila.), Collages
& Bricollages (Pa.)
Articles: Phila. Legends (Interview)- Phila. City Paper, Apr.10, 1997
Fusing Jazz and
Hip-Hop- Phila. Inquirer, Jan.12, 2001
Recordings (leader, co-leader, compilations, and as sideman):
Taka-I-Ki,
NYGong- both on Live at the ZU Fest (NYC)- (late '70's)
OLDUVAI MUSIC (Tiwa-1978)
ILTAR (Tiwa-1979)
Iris Lord
& The Divine Monochord- (1988)
A Taste of Philadelphia (w/ New Ghost)- (1989)
Poetry From Philadelphia- (1989)
New American Radio: "A Gift of Ghosts"(1990)
Music From Philadelphia (w/ New Ghost)-(1990)
Music From Philadelphia
(Interplay-1990)- both produced by Jim Meneses for Pa. Council of the Arts
New American Radio: "Postcards fromThe Edge"
(1992- N.A.R.,executive prod. Helen Thorington)
Atzilut, The Fourth World (1992-Kessler Prods.)
Manifestations (Vols.1-7)
(w/ I.M.U., Pleasure Center, Matahari)-(early/mid-90's)
If It Dropped In Your Neighborhood You'd Look Up Too (Phila. Compilation
(New Ghost)-Starfish Records) - (early/mid-90's)
Atzilut: Souls On Fire - (mid-90's)
Juan Avila: Sleeping Giant -
(1996)
Disco Biscuits: Encephalous Crime - (1996)
Frank Messina: Biting the Tongue - (1997)
King Britt/ Sylk 130:
When The Funk Hits The Fan - (1997)
Josh Wink: HearHere - (1997)
Jackson Krall Quintet: Live at Fire In The Valley
Fest - (1997)
Temple of Bon Matin: Bullet in2 Mesmer's Brain - (mid-90's)
Out Of Philadelphia (Vols. 1 & 2)- (mid-90's)
Devil's Breakfast (NYC)-(mid 90's)
Muse Mob (NYC)-(mid 90's)
NEW GHOST: Live Upstair's at Nick's (Tiwa -1998)
THE MOTION OF EMOTION w/Denis Charles-dr., Akira Ando & Dominic Duval-basses (CIMP-1998)
Last Temptation of the
Mark Boyce Combo - (1998)
Elliot Diamond & 4 Winds Society: The Dance of the 7 Chakras; Nitche Tai Tai-(1998)
Wil
Perkins/Elliott Levin: Scat! Does it swing? - (1998)
Put Your Tongue To The Rail (comp. of Jim Carrol compositions, w/
New Ghost & Dawn Morpurgo)-(1999)
Charles Cohen/Elliott Levin: Live at the Transonic Fest - (1999)
Project Logic:
Live at TLA (Phila.)-(1999)
Various live recordings with Project Logic (DJ Logic-Ropeadope Recs.)-1999-2001
CooCooHandlers:
Collagen - (1999)
Animus: Live at The Tin Angel (Animusmusic-1999)
A FINE INTENSITY (CIMP-1999) w/ Tyrone Hill-trombone,
Howard Cooper-bass, Ed Watkins-drums
SOUL-ETUDE (CIMP-2000) w/ Tyrone Hill-trombone, Howard Cooper-bass, Ed Watkins-drums
Cee Knowledge & the Cosmic Funk Orchestra - (2000)
Phila. City Paper Compilation (w/New Ghost)-(2000)
P.M.
& The New Breed: Groovalicious - (2000)
Don Preston's Akashic Ensemble: The Inner Realities of Evolution - (2000)
Elliott Levin/Bobby Bradford/Don Preston Trio: Asymetrical Construct - (2000)
Like Wow: Burn, World, Burn - (2000)
Calvin Weston & Big Tree: When We Were Young - (2001)
Metagroove: Send Us Your Children - (2001)
Phila. City
Paper Compilation (w/Animus)-(2001)
Burlap Palace (Tribute to Muscle Shoals)-(2001)
Fractal Ark (vol.2)-(2001)
Animus:
...world fusion (2002)
Andrew Peklar: Station To Station (2002)
Akash: Private Sessions - (2002)
Capt. Beefheart
Tribute (w. Trio Interplay & Nou Ra)-(2002).
Robert Getz: Duet - (2002).
Cecil Taylor Ensemble- Live at Total
Music Meeting (Berlin-FMP-1996, released 2003);
ON IN ONONDAGA (2003, CIMP) w/ Tyrone Hill-trombone, Howard Cooper-bass,
Ed Watkins-drums & Marshall Allen -sax, & clarinet.
Alan Silva & The Visions Orchestra-(2003). (CD & video,
Eremite Records)
Don Preston's Akashic Ensemble - The Inner Realities of Evolution (2003)
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