Supporting your music habit often leads to drudgery of the worst kind. But there's more than one way to make music work for you, to which Robert "Duke" Levine can attest. "There are definitely a lot of good ways to make money playing music. I've been lucky enough to avoid doing the things I don't want to do," Levine comments. Lucky indeed: since his inception as a working musician at the age of 12, with his band Landslide, music has been his one and only life gig.
From the touring success of Landslide during his high school days, to his years studying music with jazz drummer/composer Bob Moses, and playing gigs in multiple country and grass-roots bands, Levine knew only a life of total music immersion. "I always just did music," he explains; for Levine, it's as simple as that.
A decade later, and boasting an impressive resume, Levine's lengthy career as a gigging musician includes countless performances and session recordings with such artists as Aimee Mann, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Peter Wolf, Shawn Colvin and Ellis Paul. As a sideman, Levine enjoys a different type of artistic freedom. "There isn't the pressure that comes with a solo performance. As a performer, I stand there and play. I'm not trying to be something that doesn't feel natural that's a creative thing in itself."
And yet, the creative balancing act is offset by his solo projects. Levine ushered in the New Year with his fourth CD release after 10 years, entitled Beneath The Blue. Captured live in the studio, the album features performances by an impressive group of players: Kevin Barry (guitar, lap steel), Paul Bryan (bass), Jay Bellerose (drums), Kenny White (keyboards), Mike Rivard (upright bass), and Dan Rieser (drums). Produced by Levine and longtime collaborator Chris Rival, the album includes seven new original songs as well as covers ranging from Burt Bacharach to Duke Ellington. Every note of Levine's guitar work demonstrates the selectivity of a master musician: tight composition, soulful tones, and a remarkable awareness of his fellow players.
"I definitely love playing with others," Levine explains, "but if I could pick anyone to play with, these [musicians on the album] are the people."
After working as sideman for the last six or so years without playing his own gigs, Levine is pleased with how his new record turned out. "It's great to not have constraints, and when it came to recording the album, it was fun to just do things on the fly," he says. In fact, he planned the live takes as a kind of stream of consciousness performance with no overdubs, saying with a smile, "The focus was on playing ... the least amount of talking to anybody is best."
Overall, his ability to conflate the two roles, solo musician and sideman, within his working career enable him to experience deep artistic variety and creativity far beyond the extent of simply making a living. "As I get older, I worry about being in a job where there's no professional security," he concedes. However, "as long as I keep getting new work from people I didn't know before, I consider that I good sign." And although he plans his work schedule one month at time, his months fill up rather quickly in advance.

Currently, you can catch him at his regular Monday night gig from 9 p.m. to midnight at Atwoods Tavern in Cambridge, Mass.

www.dukelevine.com