Dan Levinson
A clarinetist who acts as a sonic time traveler, meticulously resurrecting the hot jazz and sweet sounds of early 20th century America.
Born 1965 (age 61)·American musician·Birthday: July 8·Generation X
Biography
Dan Levinson didn't just learn to play jazz; he apprenticed himself to a specific era. With a clarinet and saxophone as his vehicles, he dedicated his life to the intricate, joyful, and often overlooked music of the 1910s through the 1930s. This isn't mere revivalism; it's a deep scholarly passion performed with contagious enthusiasm. He leads bands like the Canary Cottage Dance Orchestra and the New Millennium All-Stars, ensembles that feel less like museum pieces and more like lively séances channeling the spirits of Bix Beiderbecke and the California Ramblers. Levinson's work is a vital link, ensuring that the sophisticated arrangements and spirited improvisations of jazz's first flourishing continue to be heard not as history, but as living, breathing art.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Dan was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Dan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded and leads the Canary Cottage Dance Orchestra, specializing in music of the 1920s.
- Has performed and recorded extensively with Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, a premier 1920s-30s jazz group.
- Served as a musical director for several high-profile retrospective projects and silent film accompaniments.
- Maintains an active recording and touring schedule focused exclusively on pre-swing era jazz.
Did You Know?
He is a noted collector and historian of vintage saxophones and clarinets.
He performed on the soundtrack of Martin Scorsese's film 'The Aviator'.
He studied under and performed with the veteran jazz saxophonist and clarinetist Joe Muranyi.
“The music of the 1920s isn't old; it's a living language waiting to be spoken.”
