Chuck Leavell is one of the great piano and organ players of our time. A member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout their commercial zenith in the 1970s, he subsequently became a founding member of the jazz rock ensemble Sea Level. He has served as the principal touring keyboardist and de facto musical director of The Rolling Stones since 1982. As a session musician, Leavell has performed on almost every Rolling Stones studio album released during his tenure. He has also toured and recorded with Eric Clapton, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Gov't Mule and John Mayer. I was lucky enough to speak with Chuck about his many musical adventures, recording the classic Allman's album "Brothers and Sisters", his epic solo on "Jessica", and being in the studio with Mick and Keith for albums like "Undercover", "Steel Wheels" and "Blue and Lonesome". We yakked for a while, so I had to split this into 2 episodes. Part 2 will come next week. Enjoy my conversation with Chuck Leavell, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes!