Delta In-Flight Calls Up The Tree Man for an Encore Run!
*The Tree Man is Delta’s longest running documentary.
TREE MAN on EarthxTV
EarthxTV, the Dallas-based television entertainment network dedicated to environmental sustainability, is now available in millions of households in the U.S., U.K., and Europe through distribution deals with Charter Communications, Inc. and the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC)in the U.S., Sky and Freeview in the U.K., and M7 in Europe, it was announced today by Rajan Singh, Head of Distribution for EarthxTV. The deals mark the launch of the. The 24/7 linear network caters to audiences increasingly attuned to those pressing issues affecting our planet and The Tree Man certainly fits that model!
The Allman Brothers Band’s Chuck Leavell Talks “Jessica” 50 Years Later How The Allman Brothers Answered Tragedy with the World’s Happiest Song
“The piano solo in ‘Jessica’ is one of the greatest pieces of music I’ve ever heard in my life,” says actor Billy Bob Thornton in the 2020 documentary Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man. Chuck, Thornton explains, “plays another song within the song.” The euphoric peak, no less—though Betts’ guitar solo will also make your insides tingle.
“The piano solo in ‘Jessica’ is one of the greatest pieces of music I’ve ever heard in my life,” says actor Billy Bob Thornton in the 2020 documentary Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man. Chuck, Thornton explains, “plays another song within the song.” The euphoric peak, no less—though Betts’ guitar solo will also make your insides tingle.
The thing that astonishes me most about “Jessica,” however—more than any of its bravura musicianship—is that it exists at all. I was relieved to find that I am not alone in feeling that it is the sunniest piece of music I’ve ever experienced. “It’s the happiest song I’ve ever heard,” said the band’s producer Johnny Sandlin in One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band. “It still makes me smile every time I hear it.” Alan Paul, author of One Way Out and, later, Brothers and Sisters, concurs, writing: “‘Jessica’ is a contender for the world’s happiest song, reflecting its origins.” READ FULL ARTICLE
Chuck Leavell: Bringing Music and Tales from a Rock-and-Roll Life to GPAC, Mempho
Chuck Leavell, a keyboardist of no small accomplishment, hit a rough patch at the turn of the 1980s. As he neared the age of 30, the best option in his life seemed to be … farming? Granted, he loved the tree farm near Macon, Georgia, that he’d settled on. But, as his wife Rose Lane notes in The Tree Man, a documentary on Leavell’s life, “Chuck comes in; he’s kind of downtrodden a little bit because his life isn’t going the way he wanted it to. He said, ‘I’m just gonna not do my piano. I’m just gonna have a farm; We’re gonna live out here on the farm, everything’s gonna be great.’ And I’m going, ‘No, it’s not going to be like that.’” Rose Lane knew something Leavell didn’t: She’d received a phone call earlier, arranging to have Leavell audition for the Rolling Stones.
Chuck Leavelll
Flailing musicians take heart at this tale: Chuck Leavell, a keyboardist of no small accomplishment, hit a rough patch at the turn of the 1980s. As he neared the age of 30, the best option in his life seemed to be … farming? Granted, he loved the tree farm near Macon, Georgia, that he’d settled on. But, as his wife Rose Lane notes in The Tree Man, a documentary on Leavell’s life, “Chuck comes in; he’s kind of downtrodden a little bit because his life isn’t going the way he wanted it to. He said, ‘I’m just gonna not do my piano. I’m just gonna have a farm; We’re gonna live out here on the farm, everything’s gonna be great.’ And I’m going, ‘No, it’s not going to be like that.’” Rose Lane knew something Leavell didn’t: She’d received a phone call earlier, arranging to have Leavell audition for the Rolling Stones. - Written by Alex Greene
THE TREE MAN FLYING HIGH ON DELTA IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
Delta Air Lines In-Flight Entertainment is adding our award winning film, The Tree Man with Chuck Leavell for the summer months of June, July and August. There is an estimated 57 million travelers ✈️ during this time! Please give it a watch when you fly 🙏🍿
Delta Air Lines In-Flight Entertainment is adding our award winning film, The Tree Man with Chuck Leavell for the summer months of June, July and August. There is an estimated 57 million travelers ✈️ during this time! Please give it a watch when you fly 🙏🍿
Screenings Held for Arkansas Episodes of ‘America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell’ and award winning film ‘The Tree Man’
The Arkansas-filmed episodes of America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell will be premiered in free, back-to-back screenings Thursday, April 21, in Fayetteville and Bentonville. These half-hour episodes highlight what’s exceptional about Arkansas through interviews with an array of stakeholders in the forest culture and economy in regions around the state.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR
The Arkansas-filmed episodes of America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell will be premiered in free, back-to-back screenings Thursday, April 21, in Fayetteville and Bentonville. These half-hour episodes highlight what’s exceptional about Arkansas through interviews with an array of stakeholders in the forest culture and economy in regions around the state.
A screening event for the University of Arkansas campus community will be held from 12:30 to 2 p.m. April 21 in Vol Walker Hall. A public screening event will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. that day at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. There is no cost to attend the Crystal Bridges event; registration is available at: https://crystalbridges.org/calendar/april-film-americas-forests/
These screenings are presented through a collaboration between the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, Crystal Bridges, and the producers of America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell. Each event will include a conversation with Leavell, as well as a short performance of music from his career. Each event also will include a screening of a 30-minute version of the documentary Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man, which shows how Leavell divides his talents between music, forests and family.
ESPN with Marty & McGee
Chuck was on Marty & McGee ESPN TV & Radio. Marty and McGee give The Tree Man BIG PROPS towards the end of the interview!
Chuck was on Marty & McGee ESPN TV & Radio. Marty and McGee give The Tree Man BIG PROPS towards the end of the interview!
I've played keyboard for The Rolling Stones for 40 years — here's what my life is like on and off tour
Chuck Leavell - I've played keyboard for The Rolling Stones for 40 years — here's what my life is like on and off tour
Chuck Leavell in Business Insider today. The Tree Man 🎥 with a mention and a couple Allen Farst 📷 pictures. #rollingstones #TheTreeMan #chuckleavell
Rolling Stones Detroit tour stop ‘miracle’ after ‘gut punch’ of drummer’s death
Chuck Leavell, 69, has been a mainstay in The Rolling Stones lineup since the early 1980s, serving as musical director on tour and providing his keyboard wizardry on the band’s studio albums. So returning to the stage with the likes of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood after a long hiatus has been electrifying, he said.
DETROIT — When the Rolling Stones rolled into Detroit earlier this week for one of the final stops on their much-ballyhooed “No Filter” tour, it marked another incredible milestone for the venerable band that’s been rocking stages for 59 years.
Longtime Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell called it “not much short of a miracle” that the legendary band’s mammoth U.S. “No Filter” tour had happened at all.
The Rolling Stones’ ‘miracle’ tour set for Detroit after ‘gut punch’ of Charlie Watts’ death
In a revealing Local Spins interview, long-standing keyboardist Chuck Leavell talks about the thrill of playing with the iconic band, moving forward without Charlie Watts and the upcoming 60th anniversary.
In a revealing Local Spins interview, long-standing keyboardist Chuck Leavell talks about the thrill of playing with the iconic band, moving forward without Charlie Watts and the upcoming 60th anniversary. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
The Rolling Stones’ Chuck Leavell on the loss of Charlie Watts, being back on tour
The Rolling Stones
ArtsATL November 8th, 2021
Middle Georgian Chuck Leavell is widely considered the greatest rock ’n’ roll pianist of his generation.
He was 20 years old when he joined The Allman Brothers Band and played the iconic solo on “Jessica” on the group’s breakthrough Brothers and Sisters album. His piano also fueled Gregg Allman’s signature album, Laid Back, and as well as Eric Clapton’s Grammy-winning Unplugged DVD and album.
Leavell has spent the past 40 years as a mainstay in The Rolling Stones, and evolved into the band’s music director a few decades back.
The Tree Man, Chuck Leavell on CNBC
The Tree Man, Chuck Leavell (Rolling Stones) was on CNBC this week. Cool interview- talks about his film at the end of the interview. Click here to watch film WATCH-
Special Screening of the Tree Man at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science IMAX Theater
Chuck Leavell in Ouray , Colorado
Celebrating our Public Lands: Oct. 21 Screening Event to Feature Films starring Chuck Leavell
Double feature showing at Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Denver, CO - On Thursday, Oct. 21, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science IMAX Theater will screen two short feature films and episodes that highlight accomplishments in their conservation and care, including Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man and America’s Forests with Chuck Leave celebrates the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
The Oct. 21 event will take place from 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Following the screenings, a fireside chat will be held to discuss "What's Happening on Colorado's Forests", moderated by Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and featuring Bud Wudtke, Executive Director Intermountain Forest Association, Jacqueline Buchanan Deputy Regional Forester Region 2 US Forest Service, and Greg Nelson, Mayor of Ouray, Colorado. The event is free and open to the public, with registration required at chooseoutdoorsscreening.eventbrite.com. The event also will be offered virtually.
Chuck Leavell may be best known as the keyboardist and musical director for The Rolling Stones, but he is also an educated and enthusiastic forestry advocate, conservationist and tree farmer. The first film of the evening, Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man, shows how he divides his talents between music, forests and family.
Leavell also is host of the made for TV series, America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell. He serves as the on-camera guide, traveling across the country to interview people who are passionate about the gifts we receive from our forests as part of the national TV series, The second showing is an episode from the series that shines a light on the 50-year tradition in which the USDA Forest Service provides a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building during the holidays. The 2020 tree was provided by the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) on the Western Slope of Colorado. Leavell follows the journey – from selection and cutting to ornament making and community celebrations – as the Tree makes its way from Colorado to Washington, D.C. Leavell also learns about the multiple uses of this winter wonderland by sharing adventures and hearing from staff from the USDA Forest Service.
“The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is a mechanism for the nation to come together during this magical time of year and to celebrate one of our most treasured resources”, said Leavell. “Whether for building or for recreation, our forests are good for the economy and for the spirit.”
RELIX MAGAZINE JULY ‘22
Relix Magazine’s 4 page spread in the June/July ‘22 issue just dropped to the public. Get your copy today OR CLICK HERE TO READ ONLINE
Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man is the cover story in the new digital issue of Blues Music
Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man is the cover boy in the new digital issue of Blues Music Magazine. Just click on this link & follow the prompts to read it: https://bluesmusicstore.com/bmo_may_05_21/
Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man, A World-Class Keyboard Player
Written by Ray Chelstowski - Copper Magazine
Rock and roll documentaries have become fairly predictable. Over the past year alone I think I must have watched about two dozen. They tend to follow a formula, and if the focus of the film is pretty well-known, it’s likely that you won’t leave the viewing having learned much more than you already knew going in. That’s not the case with Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man. This is the story of the legendary keyboardist, often described as the “Fifth Rolling Stone.” What sets it apart is the manner in which it showcases Leavell’s talent and body of work, and reveals his love of nature, his commitment to family, and his remarkable sense of humanity. There’s a balance to the film that’s rare and ironically metaphoric to how Chuck Leavell leads his life. CLICK FOR PART I and CLICK FOR PART II
Moderator Mara Davis, Chuck Leavell, Allen Farst with Special Guest Warren Haynes & Host Kristi York Wooten
You can now watch the replay of the conversation with legendary Georgia musician Chuck Leavell and filmmaker Allen Farst as we discuss their new documentary, Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man, featuring interviews with the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Carter and more. This event included a musical performance by Chuck Leavell and commentary by musician Warren Haynes. Moderated by Mara Davis with special guest Melissa Ruggieri from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Host: Kristi York Wooten
FEEDBACK the president of the Georgia Broadcaster's Association sent us an email to say “today's event was his "favorite hour" since the pandemic began!”
Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man Discussion
WHEN - Wednesday, 03.17.2021 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Join us for a conversation with legendary Georgia musician Chuck Leavell and filmmaker Allen Farst as we discuss their new documentary featuring interviews with the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Carter and more. This event includes a musical performance by Chuck Leavell and commentary by musician Warren Haynes.
‘Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man’ talks music, forestry, love
Jon Siembieda: During the pandemic, I’ve had the extra time to catch up on music documentaries and have combed through a lot. I have to say, your film is absolutely one of the very best I’ve seen.
Chuck Leavell: Well, thank you. We really had a good time doing it. It took three and a half years of work to get all of the footage together.
Jon: Out of all the documentaries with a star-studded cast of legit interviews, I’d say of recent times the three that blew me away with legend after legend going deep on the music would be yours, Jeff Beck’s, and Bobby Keys’. You guys got everybody to talk. That’s a testament to you.
Chuck: I was hoping maybe we’d get 50 percent to agree, and much to my surprise, it was a lot more than that.
Jon: The movie really has a cool concept, marrying three aspects of your life – obviously, the music, but also your marriage, and your life as an award-winning tree farmer. You really seem like you’ve made all of it work.
Chuck: I really appreciate that. When Allen (Farst, the filmmaker) and I initially got together, that was the theme. Three parts: My career in music, my environmental work and the love story. When we first discussed this project, he asked why I wanted to do this. My motivation was to have a document for future family members (such as) our grandchildren. I wanted something for the family to see, and to get a snapshot of the era of my work in music, from the Allmans (and before) to the present. There were a couple of folks I wish I could have gotten: Mac (Rebennack, aka Dr. John), but he was really, really ill when we were inquiring, and of course Gregg (Allman), but the same story – he was just too ill. But I’m very grateful for who we did get, and I really have to credit Allen. We had all this footage, and I said, “How the hell are you going to stitch this together?” But he did it over about six weeks, 8-10 hours a day. I have to give credit where credit is due. Allen did a fabulous job.
PARIS MOVE RATES THE TREE MAN “A MUST / INDISPENSABLE”
Like those of the late singers honored in Morgan Neville's documentary “Twenty Feet from Stardom”, the name of Chuck Leavell (born Charles Alfred Leavell in Birmingham, Alabama, April 28, 1952) does not evoke not necessarily much in the eyes of the general public. Nevertheless, this emeritus pianist can take pride in more than five decades of contribution to modern musical history, alongside names such as Dr. John, the Allman Brothers Band, Marshall Tucker and Charlie Daniels, not to mention his own blues-jazz-rock fusion band, Sea Level, nor of course its almost forty years of collaboration with the Stones. As this good Chuck states in the introduction, this film comes in three parts.
His career as a musician first of all, of course, but also two passions at least as important in his eyes: that of the preservation of nature (through his tree reserve Tree Farmer, on his Charlane Plantation, on the outskirts of Macon in Georgia ), and finally his wife of nearly half a century, Lady Rose Lane Leavell. Here, the great witnesses are called John Mayer, Keith Richards, David Gilmour, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, Dickey Betts, Warren Haynes, Julian Lennon, Billy Bob Thornton, Paul Schaffer, Eric Clapton, Charlie Daniels, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Chris Robinson, Mike Mills, Pat Monahan, Darryl Jones, Lisa Fischer, Karl Denson, Bernard Fowler, Don Was, John Popper as well as ex-president Jimmy Carter (who was a fan and friend of the Brothers when he was initially elected governor of Georgia), but Chuck himself and his companion in turn reveal delicious and touching storytellers, while the splendid forest landscapes of Georgia display impressions of classic western movies in Panavision.
Among the many highlights on the program, seeing Chuck Leavell join the Eric Church Band on stage for a superb version of “Ain't Wastin 'Time No More” which opened the Allmans “Eat A Peach” the “Midnight Rider” the late Gregg with Charlie Starr, during the Capricorn Revival concert, or the sequence where old Dickey Betts remembers how Chuck's luminous presence increased tenfold the lyricism of their 1973 instrumental hit, “Jessica”.
In the introduction, Chuck dedicates (in eternal modesty) this film to his four grandchildren, the last word goes to another veteran, Keef “the riff” Richards, who ends this exegesis with: “this guy is a gentleman and a genuine man. I couldn't describe it better, do you understand? ”, Before splitting his legendary saurian smile, and opening the credits.
No better, indeed: an absolute must for any fan of music from the Old South (and the Stones too)!
*Patrick Dallongeville Paris-Move, Blues Magazine, Illico & BluesBoarder