LARK
STREET
MUSIC PLAYING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES WRITTEN BY
HELENE COHEN
A mecca for musicians, this Teaneck vintage guitar shop is striking a harmonious chord in today’s American music culture.
L
ark Street is a historic street in Albany, New York, full of shops, restaurants, coffee houses, and a diversity of art galleries and brownstone residences. In a twist of fate, this popular Albany street brought history to New Jersey when, in 1999, Bernard Levine moved his family and his vintage guitar business, Lark Street Music, to 479 Cedar Lane in Teaneck. In an era where music superstores entice customers with foreignmade instruments, Levine—considered by many to be at the forefront of a Renaissance in repairing and building hand-crafted instruments and guitars—owes a large part of his success to the fact that he is one of the few dealers who handles vintage string instruments, primarily American-made. Buzzy, as Levine is nicknamed, has been buying, selling and handling fine string instruments and
guitars for more than three decades. When asked about the longevity of Lark Street Music, Steve Devito, the store manager, replied, “We’re fortunate enough to be around one of America’s great contributions to the world—American guitars. American guitars are some of the best artifacts our country has to offer.” “They are still top of the list and guitarists covet American guitars in a way that is similar to how violinists would covet an Italian violin,” Buzzy added. Lark Street Music’s clientele list is as interesting as the vintage guitars that come its way. Along with local musicians and shoppers, high-profile musicians number among the store’s steady stream of customers. Last fall, Jackson Browne stopped by and, before making a purchase, was reacquainted with his old Jazzmaster guitar, which Buzzy had acquired years
ago. A week later, Walter Becker of Steely Dan arrived looking for a new pedal to enhance the sound of his guitar. At any given time, the store’s door swings open to the likes of Gaslight Anthem, Bucky Pizzarelli, Leslie West, Billy Gibbons, Peter Wolf, Jeff Tweedy, Keith Urban, Tom Petty, Robert Plant and Eric Clapton. At times the door swings in the opposite direction. At the artists’ request, Buzzy will travel to places where artists are performing, bringing instruments they may be interested in. “I visited with Keith Richards at Radio City Music Hall and sold him a white Gibson ES345,” Buzzy recalled. “In the Martin Scorsese movie on the Rolling Stones, Shine a Light, Richards is featured playing that Gibson.” “It’s a small vintage guitar world,” Buzzy explained, “so another aspect of the business is rentals.” ReContinued on pg. 48
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SPRING 2012