This is a collection of original songs with the only exception that the lyrics of the song "A Poison Tree" is a poem by William Blake. My daughter Clare added backing vocals on "Why Why Why". These little gems were written and recorded over a span of several years.

B1 - A Poison Tree

An original instrumental featuring the Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar solid cedar top made in Canada, plus some other surprises. I created the image using Paint.net, a free photo editing software. Follow the sacred seagull on a journey over the wondrous wide waters...

Sacred Seagull

This song topped the US & UK charts and was an absolute phenomenon that launched Rod's solo career. Here I am playing it in live, just a man and a guitar, with no additional instruments; the power of the song still comes through. So much fun to play this!

Maggie May

Nothing like the original nor any of the hundreds of bootlegs. This is my own psychedelic take on a song which is really nothing more than the 4 and the 5 chord going back and forth. What a long, strange trip it was to record this in one long weird day (of ignoring my day job, LOL).

Fire On The Mountain

This is an impressionist neo-classical instrumental which is an original composition just recently completed. The music is evocative, mysterious, and passionate with a Spanish flair that is familiar but stays into unfamiliar territory from time to time...

Featuring the Yamaha MX61 Motif Sound Engine.  The piano however is a real acoustic Samick piano. The synth is courtesy of VST plug-ins from Capsule audio and UNV.net.

Impressions Of Santiago

This is an original composition performed on the Godin Seagull S6 Solid Cedar top acoustic guitar. I took the photograph in Hopewell, NJ at a nature preserve. This is in standard Spanish tuning. I was influenced by some of Led Zeppelin's acoustic guitar work, but I am not using an alternate tuning as Jimmy Page most often did. This is kind of jazzy, especially as it progresses.

Wondering About Wandering

This is an original song by a group of musicians put together by Anthony Iannarone. The song title is by Anthony who plays acoustic piano and harmonica on this one. The photograph of sunset on the Pacific Ocean was taken by me on a business trip to Santa Barbara, California. John Callan on acoustic guitar and drums. Melissa Quattrone on Vocals. I engineered mixed and played synth and bass.

Brilliant Waves Shine Visibly

Featuring Lyrics by Anthony Iannarone.
Music by Melissa Quattrone and John Callan.

All You Can Bring

This is recorded live with guitar and vocals at the same time. The piano is an acoustic upright piano, not a synth. The key was changed to C, but the original is in the key of E; in that way I lowered the melody by 4 semi-tones. That it makes it easier to hit the high notes that Paul sings so effortlessly and smoothly. Another great aspect of the song is the modulation to another key at the moment of the guitar solo. I left out the guitar solo, so this stays in C. You can never get enough covers of a great ballad like this.

And I Love Her

What can you say about this? Masterpiece. What a joy to play this song!

Sounds Of Silence

Men can get their hearts broken too! The intro is my own invention. It sets the mood for the vocal to come in...

It's A Heartache

Take it from somebody who had to study the song so as to be able to do an elaborate cover version of it; this is NOT in my humble opinion, the same song as He's So Fine written by Ronnie Mack. While having a very similar chord progression in places, the lyrics, theme of the song, mood of the song, and the precise melody are different. There is an important key modulation in My Sweet Lord which is not in He's So Fine. I also left that out of my version by the way, to simplify it. In any case, this is a masterpiece, written by George Harrison.

My Sweet Lord

This is an original raucous rock song. The lyrics aim to offend and disturb. The spirit of rebellion expressed with distorted guitars is alive and well. This song is about mortality and calls for a hearty dose of CARPE DIEM.

You're Gonna Die

Jazz fusion composed and performed by Dave Levitt and featuring the 7-string electric guitar.

Two Track Mind

A beautiful and heart-wrenching song that was a big hit way back in 1979. This is timeless ballad. I have changed the key to G, and do my take on it. This uses two acoustic guitars one with a capo on the 5th fret, and an acoustic piano, plus a string arrangement.

Just When I Needed You Most

Vocals, Melody & Lyrics by Dave L. Levitt

Life Goes On

I said nothing
To her pliable side
Nothing to engage her
In a tiresome ride

There can be a way
To rescue all the days
Make way to take her mind divine
Dance right out of time

Life goes
Life goes
Life goes
Life goes on
And on
On and on

I said nothing
To her pliable side
Nothing to engage her
In a tiresome ride

There can be a way 
To rescue all the day
Take her mind divine

Life Goes On

Our beloved pet and friend Dakota passed away on Friday, December 15, 2023. She is remembered with great fondness.

Dakota

Dakota, I see you pushing your ball around
Don't go away
Don't you ever stray from our hearts

CHORUS:
You taught us all we need to
know about life
To give and receive love is
the point of this life

Dakota, I see you eating three kinds of hay
Don't go away
Don't you ever stray from our hearts

CHORUS:
You taught us all we need to
know about life
To give and receive love is
the goal of this life

Dakota, I see you / sleeping so peacefully
Don't go away
Don't ever stray from our hearts

CHORUS:
You taught us all we need to
know about life
To give and receive love is
the heart of this life

Dakota

An original composition for classical nylon string guitar by Dave Levitt, produced by Lucendar.

Pause The Dream

This is an original composition in Eb Major by Lucendar for solo piano.

Performed in one take with no edits.

Played on the Arturia Keylab 88 MKII using the Spitfire Audio Firewood Piano and with the Crystalline Reverb from Baby Audio.

Fireside Daydream

Ambient intro leads to an original singer/songwriter composition sung by vocalist Melissa Quattrone. This original song was composed by Melissa with Lucendar including both lyrics and music.

Windswept

This is a beautiful song, both in its sparse simplicity and the force, whimsy, and intrigue of the lyrics which hearkens to the past, brings us face to face with the here and now, and carries us into a mysterious future. My rendition lowers the key and slows the tempo, but is basically faithful to the original.

After The Gold Rush

Fantastic apocalyptic poetry from Bob Dylan's second album the Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Just Bob and an acoustic guitar in 3/4 time. Atypical of me, my rendition is in the original key of D, using the drop D tuning. Vocal and guitar recorded live, one track and one take. This epic song packs a powerful punch!

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

NEW ORIGINAL LYRICS

I saw a man dressed up like a bat
Getting down with girl who was dressed like a cat
She was frisky, wild and free
But he was calm and cool as can be
Got to admire a man in cape
A true gentleman in really good shape

This lady was pretty
but had sharp fangs
even a super hero might get the love pangs
But his real name is Bruce
And he brushed her away
He took off with Robin
may be that he's gay
But it don't matter now
Everything's changed
It was all in fun
but now it's all rearranged

Seems the bad guys are good
and the goods guys are worse
It don't matter much
We all end up in hearse
See Batman died several years back
Now the Joker's in charge
And he's launched the attack
Robin flipped and Riddler was right
There's no using in running
There's no way to fight

Gotham lies in shambles
But never lose hope
One day at a time, somehow we will cope
We must call the bat-phone
Cos Alfred won't get your text
The bad folks are blackmailed
And they're all over sexed
Get out the bat light
Point it to the sky
Batman will save us
Super heroes never die!

Batman Theme Song - with new Original Lyrics

A very touching and emotional song, because this man was really baring his soul. That's why it's great. This was recorded with 2 microphones and playing the guitar and singing at the same time, using a nylon string guitar. From the 1974 album Blood on the Tracks which is one of his best albums according to many including myself. I dropped the key one whole step because I am playing in D with no capo. I recorded this rendition on February 25, 2024.

If You See Her Say Hello

The best cover of this marvelous song, one of George Harrison's masterpieces from the White Album is arguably by Peter Frampton whose rendition follows along the lines of the original. My version is a radical departure and even contains some new lyrics. This is beyond classification into any particular genre. I'll leave it to the listen to wonder about how I achieved the tone on the "guitar" solo. What is that???

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Featuring the sensational Ross Rondinelli on Drums.

All Along The Watchtower Revisited

I told that I love you
But you don't care
You didn't want me my hanging around
around your lair

You were just a novice
a sweet nineteen
You didn't want me my hanging around
around your scene

But let me tell you somthing
it's years since then
I think you finally realize who was your friend

While all those punks and losers
have lost their way
I've been as solid as a rock and I am here to say

You are my love
You are the one
You are the moon that hides the sun

You were my love
Right from the start
No one else can have this heart

I told that I love you
But you don't care
You didn't want me my hanging around
around your stairs

On many lonely nights
I walked by your door
And now I'm here to tell you that I need more

Sweet Nineteen

Fly All Night

This is very profound and beauty poetry put to music. Judy Collins had a big hit with a cover of this song. The original by the songwriter, Joni Mitchell, was in the key of F, but she did it with an alternate tuning, as she often tended to do. Very interesting chord voicing. My rendition employs standard tuning, and my own chord choices. One of my favorite songs!

Both Sides Now

I just got an Islander Ukulele from Collingswood Music in New Jersey which is made of mahogany and it sounds great! This is my first recording with it. The most classic and basic of 1-4-5 blues songs. Hey, why not combine Elvis with a Ukulele?

Hound Dog By Elvis Ukulele

Lucendar Studios producers independent singer/songwriters with a "less is more" approach including an old school philosophy of mixing in acoustic instruments, NEVER using auto-tune, generally avoiding click-tracks with a fixed tempo. Let's make music by human beings for human beings!

Lucendar

Popular tracks