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| PARTY
IN THE BASEMENT Pete
Levin
Gramavision
Copyright (P)
1989 Gramavision Records
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| Pete's debut solo album
for Gramavision, sparked by an assortment of soloists and
sidemen who, like Pete, are all alumni of the Gil Evans
Orchestra during the 70s and 80s. Several tracks feature a
9-piece band configuration, recorded live in the studio.
All take good advantage of dynamic soloists like Alex Foster
(sax), Lew Soloff (trumpet), Mike Stern (guitar) and Howard
Johnson (tuba). Some powerful music here. |
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| After
nearly 20 years as a New York sideman in studios and on the road, and
being labeled a pioneer in electronic music during the 70s, Pete
utilized synthesizers, drum machines and the latest computer technology in his diverse musical assignments (ranging from PAUL SIMON to JIMMY GIUFFRE, MILES DAVIS to TOMMY CHONG).
After a long period of backing up other artists, this is keyboardist
Pete Levin's first solo recording.
For his debut as a leader, Pete uses a variety of musicians associated with the late
Gil Evans.
"My association with Gil goes back to the
mid-70's, and a lot of my best musician friends were in his band. I really like the idea of combining my electronics with organic players so my favorite selections on this album are the ones on which I created an entire track electronically and then brought in a few players to replace or add to what I had recorded."
Notably, Pete's compositions and arrangements are very
"programmatic", evoking images. Pete described it as
scoring a film that he had only imagined.
The opening selection, "PARTY IN THE BASEMENT" has a happy funky melody, lots of riffing and a strong tenor solo by
Alex Foster. "I wanted a big raunchy sax section with all low instruments, so I had
Alex play three tenor parts and Howard Johnson record two baritone saxes and a bass sax."
"THE HUNTER", as with many of these originals, evokes a strong visual image. "I imagined a tribal hunter somehow being transported from Africa to New York City. Even in his confusion, as he tries to make sense of it all, there is a regal dignity in his bearing." The African groove set by drummer
Lenny White sets the stage for an intense solo by guitarist Mike Stern.
"I used 'BELLS' as an opportunity to feature
Danny Gottlieb. Most of the other sounds on this cut were made by my computer.
"Its a little pop-oriented but impossible to dance to!" GEORGE GERSHWIN's "GONE" was recorded by
Gil Evans for the classic Miles Davis Porgy & Bess album. "Later on GIL took the same chart, tripled the tempo and made an uptempo blues out of
it, calling it 'GONE #2' I created my own version by altering the chords and slowing it down a bit. We thought of
Gil when we recorded this.
"'ONE DAY IN THE SCHOOLYARD' is a bunch of children playing at school.
Howard Johnson's tuba represents the school bully and he ultimately gets shouted down by the other kids. It's pretty
tongue-in-cheek."
"SUBWAY" originated as part of a suite Pete wrote about New York City.
Possibly the standout piece on the CD, it's been recorded 4 times by the
Gil Evans Orchestra, by the Jimmy Giuffre Quartet, and other ensembles.
The funky "RAGTIME: SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAST CHANCE SALOON", which features
Lew Soloff's high note trumpet, has a humorous dixielandish middle section.
Pete actually played banjo on this cut, reminiscent of a sideman job he
worked when he was in college. "A fight breaks out in the crowd but the band keeps on playing right through it" explains
Pete.
On 'FOR A PLACE TO SLEEP', which is about a homeless guy wandering around New York, I had ALEX FOSTER improvise over my track without using a chart at all."
"SOMETHING I SAID?" ("essentially an argument between two people")
Finally the
haunting Steven Sondheim ballad "NOT WHILE I'M AROUND" becomes a vehicle
for Pete's unaccompanied synthesizer textures.
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| TRACKS:
Click the Tree to hear an MP3 sample. |
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1 |
Party In
The Basement |
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7 |
Ragtime: Saturday Night At The Last Chance Saloon |
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3 |
Bells |
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8 |
For A Place To Sleep ... |
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4 |
Gone (#3) |
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5 |
One Day In The Schoolyard |
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| PRODUCTION
CREDITS:
Produced by: PETE LEVIN
Recorded at: CREATIVE AUDIO, NEW YORK, NY, GRAMAVISION STUDIO, NEW YORK,
NY, and RPM STUDIO, NEW YORK, NY
Recording Engineers: ALEC HEAD (at Gramavision and RPM), JASON BAKER (at
Creative Audio)
Mixed by ALEC HEAD
Mixed at: CARRAIGE HOUSE STUDIO, STAMFORD, CT and SOUNDTRACK, NEW YORK,
NY
Mastered by BOB LUDWIG at MASTER DISK, NEW YORK, NY
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| PERFORMERS:
Pete Levin- organ, synthesizers,
banjo, programming
Lew Soloff - trumpet
Alex Foster - tenor sax, soprano sax
Dave Bargeron - trombone
Howard Johnson - baritone sax, tuba, bass sax
Mike Stern - guitar
Kevin Kuhn - guitar
Mark Egan - bass
Lenny White - drums
Danny Gottlieb - drums
Gordon Gottlieb - percussion
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REVIEWS:
A powerful showcase for Levin's big-band charts and his piano and synth work. From the kickoff title track, which features bright boogie piano and a
slammin' drum machine groove; to the extravagant lead synth lines that decorate the mellow strains of Sondheim's "Not While I'm Around," Levin amply demonstrates his creativity and keyboard prowess. It's refreshing to hear an instrumentalist who is schooled in jazz harmony and orchestration, because he knows so many more ways to solve the common compositional problems than the average bozo with a stack of synthesizers and a new-age record deal. The CD is also unusual because of its effective blend of electronics with live horn soloists and sections.
Jim Aiken Keyboard Magazine September 1990
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ARTIST
BIO:
Pete Levin
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In a diverse
music career spanning several decades, keyboardist/arranger Pete
Levin has performed and recorded with hundreds of Jazz and Pop
artists - including Paul Simon, Annie Lennox, Miles Davis, David
Sanborn, Lenny White, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Robbie
Robertson and John Scofield - receiving critical accolades for
his work during a 15 year association with the legendary Gil
Evans, and his 8 year stint with jazz icon Jimmy Giuffre.
While playing
French Horn with the Gil Evans Orchestra in the early 70s, Levin
brought a Moog Synthesizer to a gig at New York’s Village
Vanguard. Already known as a “go to” synthesizer specialist,
Pete was at the vanguard of that technology. Gil loved it and
Levin’s role was permanently changed as the band transformed
itself into the electric/acoustic hybrid ensemble that
captivated audiences worldwide for years, winning two Grammy®
awards along the way.
An in-demand New
York session keyboardist, Levin has also created electronic
realizations for hundreds of TV commercials, dramatic series and
feature films, including “Missing in Action,” “Lean on Me,”
“Silver Bullet,” “Red Scorpion,” “The Color of Money,” “Maniac,”
“Spin City,” “America’s Most Wanted” and “Star Trek.” In a
dizzying array of unrelated commissions, Levin composed
orchestral scores for the feature film “Zelimo” and for a stage
production of “The Dybbuk;” had the honor of composing the
anthem for the 1992 United Nations Earth summit, “The Future is
in Our Hands,” performing it twice for the U.N. General
Assembly; and, as far removed from Jazz as it gets, was awarded
the Army Commendation Medal for writing the official military
band arrangement of the U.S. Infantry song.
But Levin, whose
wry sense of humor is never far from the surface, reveals that
his all time favorite recording session produced the top-40 hit
single “Close to You” by The Clams, a Spike Jones tribute band
formed with his brother, bassist Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King
Crimson), drummer Steve Gadd (Eric Clapton, Paul Simon) and
Grammy® winning recording engineer Dixon Van Winkle (Paul
McCartney, Frank Sinatra). Thirty years later the recording is
still a cult classic.
In 1990, Levin
signed with Gramavision to release his first solo jazz album,
“Party in the Basement,” followed by “Solitary Man” in 1991.
Collaborating with drummer Danny Gottlieb, Pete released “The
New Age of Christmas” on Atlantic and “Masters in this Hall” for
Gramavision. In the years following, he released four New Age
CDs for Alternate Mode Productions, and a variety of eclectic
albums for independent labels.
With “Deacon
Blues,” Pete Levin returns to the cutting edge as a band leader,
while tipping his hat to his mainstream jazz roots. Expanding on
the traditional organ trio format, his innovative arrangements
are flavored with soul, samba and hip-hop grooves. The set mixes
four Levin originals with his unique treatments of familiar
classics, including Steely Dan’s “Deacon Blues,” Ralph Towner’s
“Icarus,” the Beach Boys’ “Sail on Sailor” and Erik Satie’s
“First Gymnopedie.” The album features outstanding performances
by bassist Tony Levin, guitarist Mike DeMicco, percussionists
Ken Lovelett and Carlos Valdez, legendary jazz guitarist Joe
Beck, and drummer, Danny Gottlieb. For Levin, this recording was
a labor of love.
Veteran career
side men and solo recording artists, both Levin brothers produce
their own albums close to home, collaborating with other
world-class musicians in their Woodstock, New York community.
Pete’s Hammond is featured on Tony’s latest critically acclaimed
Narada release, “Resonator,” while Tony’s basses grace several
tracks on Pete’s “Deacon Blues.”
Pete currently
tours playing piano and organ with The Tony Levin Band, his
brother’s high octane Progressive Rock quintet that plays
world-wide to sold out houses. Plans are in the works for double
bill concerts with Pete’s trio opening for the Tony’s band in a
historic pairing that aims to fire up legions of crossover music
fans, as Tony’s fiery progressive rock is paired with Pete’s
contemporary, improvisational jazz. |
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