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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. |
