Hannibal band to play local musician’s composition

Professional musician Jeremy Levy has returned to Hannibal from California to visit his parents, Mike and Ileen Levy, and to join the Hannibal High School Jazz Band as it plays one of his compositions Monday night, May 19, at its spring concert.
The concert will begin at 7 p.m. in the HHS auditorium. Both Levy, a trombonist, and another HHS graduate, Michael Shultz, will join the band at the concert. Shultz is a member of the University of Missouri at Kansas City concert jazz band.
In a phone interview from his home in Glendale, Calif., Jeremy Levy explained that his song for the local audience is a jazz rock tune written for big bands. In Hannibal he also plans to share his experiences during a band clinic at school. At the clinic, Levy said, he will be playing and will offer the student musicians an opportunity to question him about his career.
Levy, 27, graduated from HHS in 1997 and continued his education in Miami. After graduation there, he moved to Los Angeles, he said, “because that’s where I needed to be. I had a few connections through people I knew.”
Now, he said, “I do 10 or 20 things in any given day. What I enjoy most is writing and rehearsing with my big band.” This is the Budman/Levy Orchestra, which plays in clubs in Los Angeles. His partner is saxophonist Alex Budman.
Levy combines composing and performing. Some recent projects included work on Rest Stop 2, Pushing Daisies, The Simpsons Video Game, Rush Hour 3, and a new ballet by Elvis Costello. As a copyist, recent clients included American Idol, Joss Stone, Elvis Costello, Jamie Cullem, Queen Latifah and Wayne Shorter.
As a performer, Levy can be heard on The Game’s new album, “LAX.” He also recently played on an upcoming track for Nas, and he is on the Brian Setzer Orchestra CD “Wolfgang’s Big Night Out.” Nationally, Levy has toured with The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Chuck Negron, and Engelbert Humperdinck.
He has been a featured soloist with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra and the University of Miami Concert Jazz Band. He also has performed with Christian McBride, Terence Blanchard, Bobby Watson, Jon Faddis, David Sanchez, Arturo Sandoval, Ed Calle, Greg Gisbert, David Liebman, Bob Mintzer, Jim McNeely and Joe Lovano. He has performed back up music for Barry Gibb, Steve and Eydie, Debby Boone, Hal Linden, Deana Martin, Tito Puente Jr., Byron Stripling, Patti Austin, The Temptations, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Platters, David Lee Roth, Joe Piscopo, Susan Anton and Les Brown Jr.

Some of Levy’s career information was found on jlevymusic.com.