Adam Levy

To call Adam Levy a "well-traveled musician" would be a hell of an understatement. During a six-year stint touring as a member of Norah Jones' Handsome Band, Levy went round the world several times and maxed out the pages of his passportand then a second onewith country stamps and visas. He first played with Jones at the very beginning of the singer's career and went on to be the featured electric guitarist on her wildly successful first three albums and DVDs. Levy held the enviable gig through 2007, ultimately leaving to follow his own path as a performing songwriter.

Levy released two CDs under his own name while in Jones' band, and has continued to release new recordings annually since thensome featuring his lyrical songs, some wholly instrumental. His best-known is 'The Heart Collector,' praised by No Depression online as "a great album overflowing with warm and soulful songs that enchant the ears and captivate the heart." Other recent CDs include 'Town & Country,' 'Blueberry Blonde,' and 'Live from Sun Studio'the latter tracked, of course, at the legendary Memphis mecca where Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley cut their first acetates.

Jones is not the only top-shelf artist whose music Levy has been party to. He can be heard on Tracy Chapman's New Beginning (that's Levy's laid-back blues solo on "Give Me One Reason"), Amos Lee's eponymous Blue Note debut (featured on the single, "Arms of a Woman"), Lisa Loeb's 'Lullaby Girl,' Vulfpeck's 'The Beautiful Game,' Allen Toussaint's 'American Tunes,' and Meshell Ndegeocello's 'Ventriloquism.'

Levy is also well-known as a writer and journalist, with articles appearing regularly in the pages of Fretboard Journal and Acoustic Guitar magazines. And he has earned a reputation as an esteemed educator. He is the author of Jazz Guitar Sight-Reading (book) and Play the Right Stuff (book & DVD), and has led many workshops and masterclasses all across the U.-and internationally.