Levinsky, Walter (18 April 1929-14 December 1999)

Composer and multi-reed musician from Paterson, New Jersey, who was a member of Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra, Benny Goodman’s orchestra, and The Glenn Miller Orchestra.

One of his earliest recordings with Tommy Dorsey is on the Cole Porter anthology, It’s De Lovely – The Authentic Cole Porter Collection. You can also catch him and Tommy in the act on the compilation, I’m Getting Sentimental Over You. He also appears on a series of recordings titled The Golden Age of Light Music, on which he is billed as Walter Leslie.

In 1959, he joined The Glenn Miller Singers for their Reunion in Hi-Fi and was in the reeds section on the anthology, More Live Echoes of the Swinging Bands: The Big 18. Likewise, you could find him in the reeds on Manny Albam’s album, More Double Exposure, Judy Holliday’s Holliday with Mulligan, Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings of Roland Kirk, MundellLowe’s soundtrack to Satan in High Heels, and Anita O’Day’s All the Sad Young Men, all recorded or released in 1961.

In 1962, Walter encouraged people to Listen to Art Farmer and the Orchestra, and jammed with Stan Getz on Big Band Bossa Nova and Don Lamond on Off Beat Percussion. He played alto saxophone on Urbie Green & His 6-Tet and saxophone on Quincy Jones Plays Hip Hits and recorded Jump for Joy with Joe Williams in 1963. In 1964, he was an erstwhile member of The Light Brigade on Enoch Light’s Dimension 3. He recorded with Quincy Jones throughout the 1960s and many of these tracks appear on Strike up the Band. In 1968, he rang in the Yuletide with Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album. Then he joined guitarist Gene Bertoncinifor 1969’s Evolution!.

In 1974, he blew alto sax on Bill Evans’ and Claus Ogerman’s Symbiosis and was initiated as an honorary member of Iota Kappa. He and Jonathan Charles were credited with composing the simply titled “Jon’s – Walt’s” for The Dick Cavett Show, which ran from 1969 to 1975.

In the mid-‘70s, Walter played flute on the Lenny White album, Big City. He was also responsible for the special music arrangements at The 29^th Annual Emmy Awards, which aired on 11^th September 1977. In 1978, he composed the music for the made-for-TV movie Breaking Up, performed on the soundtrack of The Wiz, and, along with Kermit Levinsky, wrote the theme song for the NBC daytime reruns of The Loretta Young Show. Then he collaborated with Frank Sinatra on his 1979 boxed set, Trilogy.

In 1980, he orchestrated the music for the film, Just Tell Me What You Want. He was a member of The Glenn Miller Orchestra on the 1983 album, In the Digital Mood. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, he served in the capacity of Music Recording Supervisor on a number of Woody Allen films, including Bullets over Broadway, Everyone Says I Love You, Mighty Aphrodite, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Radio Days, Sweet and Lowdown, and Zelig. He also appeared on screen as a member of the jazz band in 1989’s Crimes and Misdemeanors.

His film work does not end there: He conducted the music for 1984’s Garbo Talks, played soprano sax on 1987’s The Glass Menagerie, and again served as Music Recording Supervisor on 1990’s The Lemon Sisters and 1992’s Alan & Naomi. In 1992, along with Richard Lieb, he adapted traditional songs for Alan Menken’s soundtrack of Lincoln.

The last album on which he appeared seems to be A Trip to Brazil Vol. 2: Bossa & Beyond, released eight days before his death. His music lives on, however. As recently as 2001, he was billed as the composer of the music for the Science Times episode, “Kiliminjaro’s Vanishing Ice”.

In 2003, a posthumous live recording was released with the title, Walt Levinsky in Concert: As He Wanted to Be Remembered.

Frank Sinatra recordings
That’s What God Looks Like To Me (Stan Irvin/Lan O’Kun)
Reprise RPS 49233 (XNY2101S) (US 45)

Theme from “New York, New York” (Fred Ebb/John Kander)
Reprise RPS49233 (XNY 2103 S) (US 45)

Sources:

Levinsky, Walter (18 April 1929-14 December 1999)

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