Lou Levy
b. 5 March 1928, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Among Levy's early piano jobs were stints in the late '40s with the big bands of Georgie Auld and Woody Herman. He also accompanied Sarah Vaughan in 1947, the first of many singers with whom he worked over the years. Others included Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day, Nancy Wilson and Peggy Lee, whom he accompanied sporadically for 18 years from 1955. Among the bands with which he has played are those led by Terry Gibbs, Benny Goodman and Stan Getz. He also worked with Supersax, Conte Candoli, Shelly Manne, Zoot Sims and Al Cohn. Influenced by Bud Powell but with his own forthright style and a distinctive soloist and superb accompanist, Levy remains an important if sometimes overlooked jazz pianist.