Baltimore native, attended Peabody Conservatory eventually becoming a renowned musician and composer for Stan Kenton and Don Ellis’ Orchestras. In the early 1950s he joined Stan Kenton’s band as a saxophone player. After a brief stint with Kenton, he returned to Baltimore and worked at his dad’s store. Locally he performed with his combo where he could be seen at the Mardi Gras, Eastwind, Lyric Theater…and his basement on Sunday afternoons.
After his failed attempt to bring a jazz program to the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Levy landed a job as a music professor at Towson State University. There he built the jazz program into a top 3 program in the country, attracting students from around the world. His Towson State Jazz Ensemble turned out many fine musicians. Levy was also active in the Left Bank Jazz Society and performed at many of their Sunday Jams. Many musicians came through his band. A February 1966 line-up at the Crystal Ballroom featured Tom Garvin (piano), Chuck Regner (bass), Larry Woolridge (guitar), Ted Hawke (drums), Carmen Strollo (drums), Bill Crisman, Bob Barrett, Bill Stocksdale, Emil Rusinko and Tony Arno (trumpets), Donald Arnold (mellophone, flute), Fran King and Harry Kleintank (saxes), Jack Hook and John Potocki (trombones), with vocalists Margie Schaeffer, and Gus Cocoras.
Under Levy’s direction the TSJ Ensemble won awards at Notre Dame festivals, and Quinnipiac Festival (1970), also performed for the first jazz fest at John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (1972). Locally they performed at annual Baltimore City Fairs, Towsontowne Spring Festivals, Chesapeake Festivals, many college concerts, etc…
Levy and his TSJ Ensemble began a tradition of releasing annual albums featuring students in his jazz program.
