Josh

Name: Josh Levy
Place of Origin: Los Angeles, CA & Houston, TX
Instrument: Saxophones

Why is the baritone sax better than any other sax?
That sounds like the fifth question from Passover! The bari has the power to change a song with one or two notes - in the Tower of Power sense - and has a very unique voice. I've come to regard the bari a bit like a niche instrument, albeit a reasonably large niche, that brings a lot of colorful and percussive possibilities to the table. Playing bari lets you really interact all over the band; occasionally with the rhythm section in different groups, playing dedicated bari lines, carrying the bottom of the horns - all of which is absolutely true with GF. Perhaps most importantly (tongue firmly in cheek) I can drop a low A and make the stage shake. I don't think that'll make anyone else want to play bari, but it's as close to a rock star as you can get for a low end player...

How was adjusting to life on the road with GF?
Surpringly easy. I honestly didn't know what to expect, but as someone who loves to travel and see new places, this was perfect for me. Caught a ballgame in Chicago (vs those damn Indians who killed the Sox that night) which is one of my favorite pastimes, saw London, played with Maceo and Prince!!! Got to go home to LA for a day or so, and on and on. It was a great way to get to know the guys a lot better too, minus the odd dietary habits (myself included) and, um, smells (myself included). Excepting free baseball tickets (and time to see the games) in every city, it couldn't have been better.

Do people hate on you for being a Yankee’s fan and why?
YES!! WTF?! I don't sign the checks and George doesn't return my calls anymore. The Yanks are easy to hate because they win a lot, until recently. What I love is the history and tradition that the team brings to baseball as a game. It seems like every year or two another Hall of Famer has a number retired or has their day at The Stadium (capital on purpose!). There are franchises all over sports that pocket revenue sharing checks from teams like the Yanks, only to put a mediocre product at best in front of their fans. The Yankees invest in winning at any cost. As far as the free agent argument, was TO a Cowboy draft pick? Was Michael Finley a Spurs pick? That's the price to compete these days. Can you tell I deal with this a lot? People hate on the Yankees because they're the winningest American sports franchise in history. Nobody likes to be second (St. Louis Cardinals) and most are far behind that. Just for the record, 26 titles, people! And the '6' of the 26 is not permanent at The Stadium. I'm not kidding! At any rate, I think anyone from TX can relate this with the Cowboys. You love 'em or hate 'em. Only the Yankees win a lot more. (I'm going to suffer for that...)