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Pete Levin

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General Info

  • Genre: Jazz

    Location Woodstock, New York, US

    Profile Views: 145276

    Last Login: 10/11/2010

    Member Since 5/25/2006

    Website http://www.petelevin.com

    Record Label Motema

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    .. !-START Block to Place Custom Banner at Top of Page-! .... !-Create div with image.-! ............ !-END Block to Place Custom Banner at Top of Page-! .. .. .. .. .. ..PETE'S LATEST ORGAN TRIO CD!.. ...... Available on line both as a physical CD and Digital Download at .... .. .... ...... .. ..PETE LEVIN TRIO, LIVE @ MOODY JAZZ CAFE FOGGIA, ITALY.. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .... .. PETE LEVIN TRIO - ON THE ROAD .... .. .. Le Moulin - Paris, FR 10/08/09 .. Photo: Alain Chauché .... .. .. The Blue Note - Milano, IT 10/13/09 .. Photo: Roger Salem .... .. .. The Blue Note - Milano, IT 10/13/09 .. Photo: Roger Salem .... .. .... .. .. Teatro Sociale: Stradella, Italy Dec 5 .. Photo: Laura Passera .... .. .. Stazione Birra: Roma, Italy Dec 9 .. Photo: Roberto Scorta .... .. .. Stazione Birra: Roma, Italy Dec 9 .. Photo: Roberto Scorta .... .. .. Teatro Sociale: Stradella, Italy Dec 5 .. Photo: Laura Passera .. .... .. .. .. PETE LEVIN TRIO .. PETORANELLO GARDENS AMPITHEATER: PRINCETON, NJ .. JUNE '08 .. .. Photo: Lorena Lavora .... .. .... ....DEACON BLUES.... .... .. After years of being a "synthesizer specialist", this project is a meaningful return to my first keyboard love, the Hammond Organ. I've been playing it for years, live and in the studio, but have never used it this way on one of my own albums. Mostly in the traditional organ trio format, the CD features brilliant guitar work by two good friends, ..Joe Beck.. and ..Mike DeMicco... The incredible ..Danny Gottlieb.. has the drum chair, and my brother ..Tony Levin.. is sitting in on bass for a couple of tunes, including playing lead on a beautiful Jimmy Giuffre ballad. It's an exciting project for me. I did a New York metropolitan area promo tour fronting a quartet with ..Joe Beck.., Hot Tuna's ..Harvey Sorgen.. on drums, and ..Ernie Colon.. on percussion, finishing in NYC at the Knitting Factory. (Photo & video below) The quartet has some small gigs this month followed by the Quarry Jazz Festival in Woodstock, NY on August 3rd. .... .. ..Deacon Blues.. is available at ....Amazon.com.... .. .... ....WASTING TIME ON LINE DEPARTMENT:.... .... .. ...... .. ......takeitfromthehead.com: over 1300 Musicians who shave their heads...... .. .... All that talent & beauty in one place ... amazing! (And they all look like me. How 'bout that!) .... .. .. .. .. ......Making MySpace Friends - just a note;...... .... It's great making new friends here on MySpace and catching up with many old friends. Making the world smaller is what the Internet does best. But I'm not here to just "collect" friends. So here's the deal: .... I'm going to deny your add request if I don't know you and .......    your profile is blocked, or..    you show only a screen name and hide your real name, or..    there's profanity on your page (posted by you or your Myspace 'friends'), or..    your page glorifies drugs, drinking, scantily clad babes, etc. .... I'm not being judgmental about your page, but I need to be comfortable with it to post a comment there. If you need any of that qualified, we're not going to be friends anyway, so save your energy. I'm just telling you. .... ......Pete.. .... Woodstock, NY January '08...... .... .. .. .. ....SHOTS FROM THE ROAD.... .... .. .. .... .. .. ..With Joe Louis Walker @ Maximum Blues Festival .. Carleton Sur Mer, Quebec August, '09.. .... .. .. ..With Rondi Charleston @ Catalina - Los Angeles, CA May '09.. .. Pete, Rondi, Jay Leonhart, Joel Frahm, Alvester Garnett, Dave Stryker .... .. .. ..Kal David & The Real Deal .. Rochester Ribs & Blues Festival 7/10/08.. .... .. .. ..Alexis P. Suter @ Bearsville Theater - Woodstock, NY March '08.. .. Photo: Lisa Burklund .... .. .. .. ..Pete Levin Quartet.. .. Pete, Joe Beck, Harvey Sorgen, Ernie Colon .. ..Knitting Factory, NYC.. .. Photo: Andrew Lepley .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... same gig, but you can watch us move and sweat. .... .. .. ..Tony Levin Band - with special guest Tod Rundgren.. .. Pete, Jesse Gress, Tod, Tony, Larry Fast, Jerry Marotta .. ..NAMM Show, Anaheim, CA January 2007.. .... .. .. ..Tony Levin Band - vocalizing.. .. Pete, Jerry Marotta, Tony .. ..Someplace in Europe ..... .. ...... ......BIO...... Multi-keyboardist, composer/arranger ..PETE LEVIN.. has been on the New York music scene since the 70's, recording and touring internationally with hundreds of artists. He has just completed his 8th solo CD, ..DEACON BLUES.., a mainstream jazz, organ trio project. Pete currently tours with his own group and with ..The Tony Levin Band.., promoting Tony's latest CD release, ..RESONATOR... He lives in Woodstock, NY... ..Since the 70s, keyboardist/composer, Pete has been part of New York's jazz, pop, and electronic music scene. He grew up with classical music, majoring in French horn at Boston University and later at Juilliard in New York, where he also began playing Hammond Organ with New York jazz and pop groups while doing recording work on French Horn. In 1974 he got a call to play horn with legendary jazz arranger ..Gil Evans.., and Gil made him a regular. A year later Pete brought a Moog synthesizer to an Evans gig. Gil loved it and Pete's role was permanently changed. initiating the band's long transformation to the electronic/accoustic hybrid sound that won 2 Grammys. Among the first to explore synthesizers during the 70s, Pete became a sought-after sideman for recording and live performances. As a writer and musician he worked on film scores, jazz and pop records, and hundreds of TV and radio commercials. As production techniques changed during the 80s, Pete became a "programmer", orchestrating with electronic instruments under computerized MIDI control. In this new millenium - while he continues to use computer technology and a mixture of new and vintage synthesizers - he has largely returned to his keyboard roots, perfoming mainly on piano and organ... ..Over the years, interspersed with ..Gil Evans.., ..Paul Simon.., ..Annie Lennox.. and ..Jimmy Giuffre Four.. tours, Pete has done arranging and electronic music for feature films including ..MISSING IN ACTION, LEAN ON ME, SILVER BULLET, THE COLOR OF MONEY.. and ..STAR TREK... He composed orchestral scores for the independent film, ..ZELIMO.. and a theatrical production of ..THE DYBBUK.., created the electronic music score for Linda Rodgers' award-winning .."Surgical Audiotape".. series, created the official band/chorus arrangement of the U.S. Infantry song and composed the anthem for the ..1992 United Nations Earth Summit.., performing it in the U.N. General Assembly. His favorite collaboration was with his brother, bassist ..Tony Levin.. and drummer ..Steve Gadd.. - .."THE CLAMS".., a Spike Jones tribute band - that produced a top-40 hit single .."CLOSE TO YOU".., now a cult classic. In 1989 Pete released his first solo jazz album, .."Party In The Basement".., for Gramavision Records. This was followed by .."Solitary Man".., two unique jazz Christmas CDs, ..The New Age of Christmas.. for Atlantic and ..Masters In This Hall.. for Gramavixion, both done with drummer ..Danny Gottlieb... Through the 90s, Pete recorded a series of electronic albums for Alternate Mode Records... ...... .. .............. ................ .................. ........
  • Members

    .. .. .... .. .. CERTIFIED ORGANIC .... .. This is not your father’s organ trio! .. .... .. .. Pete Levin’s 2008 CD release CERTIFIED ORGANIC continues to push the envelope of the traditional organ trio. On top of the grooves laid down by former Hot Tuna drummer Harvey Sorgen and Pete’s organ bass, four veteran guitarists stretch out on the album: ubiquitous New York session guitarist John Cariddi (Steve Marcus, Patti Austin, Ricki Lee Jones), the legendary Joe Beck (Miles Davis, Gil Evans, David Sanborn), Mike DeMicco (Dave Brubeck, Jack DeJohnette), and rocker Jesse Gress (Todd Rundgren, Tony Levin Band). Pete knows how to feature his sidemen, but when it’s time for the Hammond to take charge, he does just that. In addition, the organ’s bass is mixed up front as an equal element. The set rocks and grooves hard - not a hint of Smooth Jazz in sight. .. .... Michael Bloom Media Relations.. P.O. Box 41380.. Los Angeles, CA 90041.. 323.258.6342.. musicpr@earthlink.net .... .. .. .... .. .... ..Recording CERTIFIED ORGANIC.. .. .... .. .. .... .. .... .. ...... .. .... .. ..2007.. .. .. .... .. .... ....FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE...... ..Ace Keyboardist Pete Levin Goes B-3.. On Motema Music Debut CD DEACON BLUES.. (March 20, 2007 Release)........ .. ..With the keyboard wizard's debut album for the Motema label, Pete Levin re-emerges in 2007 as a bandleader and master of reinvention, embracing his roots and first love, the Hammond Organ. Working with a group of top sidemen (Joe Beck, Danny Gottlieb, Tony Levin, Mike DeMicco) Levin and company demonstrate an uncanny chemistry that is immediate and infectious....... Michael Bloom Media Relations.. P.O. Box 41380.. Los Angeles, CA 90041.. 323.258.6342.. musicpr@earthlink.net.... ......~~~~.. .... .. ..PETE LEVIN BAND - 2007:.... .... Pete Levin, Joe Beck, Mike DeMicco, Tony Levin, Danny Gottlieb, Ken Lovelett, Carlos Valdez.... In 2007, Pete continues to tour with.. ..TONY LEVIN BAND - 2007:.... .... .. Tony Levin.. Jerry Marotta, Larry Fast.. Jesse Gress, Pete Levin.. .... ..THE CLAMS:.... .... .... Pete Levin, Tony Levin, Steve Gadd, Michael Holmes, Vinnie Pasternak, Dixon VanWinkle
  • Influences

    ......Gil Evans, Bill Evans, Jimmy Giuffre, Herbie Hancock, Art Tatum, Julius Watkins, Oscar Peterson, Oscar Pettiford, Larry Young, Billy Preston, Richard Tee, Richard Strauss, Bach, Copland, Bartok, Morricone, Mancini, Eddie Sauter, Nelson Riddle, Jay Chattaway, Joni Mitchell, Sinatra, Ray Charles, Spike Jones, Stan Freberg ..... .. .. .. .... .. .... ..
  • Sounds Like

    On a good day, hopefully a lot like people who have influenced me. But I'll leave that to reviewers. Of more interest ... .... .. Quotable quotes that float MY boat - from my musician friends (and a few I never got to play with) .. .... "Aside from my family, playing creative music is my only reason for being on this earth." ~ Arnie Lawrence .... "There is no such thing as a limited instrument, only limited musicians." ~ Howard Johnson .... "Quit playing what you think I want you to play!" ~ Gil Evans .... "If America has a future, jazz has a future. The two are inseparable." ~ George Russell .... "If it sounds good, it is good." ~ Duke Ellington .... "Intuition has to lead knowledge; but it can't be out there on it's own. If it's on it's own, you're gonna flounder sooner or later." ~ Bill Evans .... "I'm too old to pimp and too young to die, so I'm just gonna keep on playing." ~ Clark Terry .... "Whatever tempo you play it at, that's the right tempo." ~ Thelonius Monk .... "Never play anything the same way twice." ~ Louis Armstrong .... "A musician is influenced by hundreds of people and things, and all show up in his work. To fasten on any one or two is ridiculous." ~ Bill Evans .... “When you’re dead, you’re done.” ~ Louis Armstrong ....

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  • Art Lip (Fusion)

    Thank you for your friendship!                           
    You are also welcome here                        
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-Lip-Bandpage/109886815752351
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    http://www.reverbnation.com/artlip
    And here: www.art-lip-music.org         

    2 months ago
  • CORLEONE MONTANA PRODUC…

    Corleone Montana #1 ReverbNation Jazz Charts for Washington, DC http://www.reverbnation.com/rpk/corleonemontana  ...CMP  

    3 months ago
  • Richard Harris


    HAVE A GREAT DAY MY GOOD FRIEND!
     

    "JACKSON'S LOVE - FOR THE LOVE OF A CHILD" - MY BRAND NEW CD - HAS JUST BEEN RECORDED - WATCH FOR IT SOON @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    TODAY'S THOUGHT IS ABOUT FRIENDSHIP ...

    “Truly GREAT FRIENDS

    are hard to FIND,

    difficult to LEAVE,

    and IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGET.”

    LIFE IS PARTLY WHAT WE MAKE IT ~

    AND PARTLY MADE BY THE FRIENDS WE CHOOSE!

    With LOVE, RESPECT, and PEACE my friend,

    Richard

    www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    Please take a minute and give my music a listen!

    MY ALBUM "LOVE'S SWEET SONG" HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A WAMMIE AWARD AS JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR! LISTEN TO SOME SWEET SOUNDS - AVAILABLE @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    6 months ago
  • Richard Harris


    Are you one of Romney's 47% Pete?
     

    "JACKSON'S LOVE - FOR THE LOVE OF A CHILD" - MY BRAND NEW CD - HAS JUST BEEN RECORDED - WATCH FOR IT SOON @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    TODAY'S THOUGHT IS ABOUT MITT ROMNEY'S 47% ...

    "There are 47% of the people (over 141,000,000 people) who

    will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47%

    who are with him, who are dependent upon GOVERNMENT,

    who believe that they are VICTIMS, who believe the

    government has a responsibility to CARE FOR THEM, who

    believe that they are ENTITLED to HEALTH CARE, to FOOD, to

    HOUSING, to YOU-NAME-IT. That that’s an entitlement. And the

    government should give it to them. And they will vote for this

    president no matter what…These are people who pay no income

    tax…MY JOB IS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE. I’ll

    never convince them they should take PERSONAL

    RESPONSIBILITY and care for their lives."

    ~ Mitt Romney

    HE DOESN'T OFTEN INSULT HALF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, BUT WHEN HE DOES, HE CHARGES $50,000.00 A PLATE TO HEAR HIM.

    With LOVE, RESPECT, and PEACE my friend,

    Richard

    www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    Please take a minute and give my music a listen!

    MY ALBUM "LOVE'S SWEET SONG" HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A WAMMIE AWARD AS JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR! LISTEN TO SOME SWEET SOUNDS - AVAILABLE @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    7 months ago
  • Thank You Troops

    Hi there - we hope all is well with you and your family.  Feel free to post your messages for our Troops here and on our Facebook page.  Thank you for your support!

    Thank You Troops - http://www.facebook.com/thankyoutroops

    7 months ago
  • Richard Harris


    You Change Your LIFE By Changing Your HEART Pete!
     

    "JACKSON'S LOVE - FOR THE LOVE OF A CHILD" -  MY BRAND NEW CD - HAS JUST BEEN RECORDED - WATCH FOR IT @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    TODAY'S THOUGHT IS ABOUT INSPIRATION ...

    "Let me ASPIRE

    to INSPIRE

    before I EXPIRE."

    CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOU

    CHANGE YOUR WORLD!

    With LOVE, RESPECT, and PEACE my friend,

    Richard

    www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    Please take a minute and give my music a listen!

    MY ALBUM "LOVE'S SWEET SONG" HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A WAMMIE AWARD AS JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR! LISTEN TO SOME SWEET SOUNDS - AVAILABLE @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    8 months ago
  • Richard Harris


    An APPLE a Day Keeps the DOCTOR Away Pete!
     

    I AM RECORDING A NEW ALBUM THIS SUMMER - WATCH FOR IT @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    TODAY'S THOUGHT IS ABOUT OUR HEALTH ...

    “The only way to KEEP YOUR HEALTH

    is to EAT what you DON'T WANT,

    DRINK what you DON'T LIKE,

    and DO what you'd RATHER NOT.”

    ~ Mark Twain

    HE WHO HAS HEALTH HAS HOPE ~

    AND HE WHO HAS HOPE HAS EVERYTHING!

    With LOVE, RESPECT, and PEACE my friend,

    Richard

    www.myspace.com/richardharrislive

    Please take a minute and give my music a listen!

    MY ALBUM "LOVE'S SWEET SONG" HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A WAMMIE AWARD AS JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR! LISTEN TO SOME SWEET SOUNDS - AVAILABLE @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com






    With LOVE, RESPECT, and PEACE my friend,

    Richard

    www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    Please take a minute and give my music a listen!

    MY ALBUM "LOVE'S SWEET SONG" HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A WAMMIE AWARD AS JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR! LISTEN TO SOME SWEET SOUNDS - AVAILABLE @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com"

    9 months ago
  • Richard Harris

    STAY YOUNG Pete!
     

    I AM RECORDING A NEW ALBUM THIS SUMMER - WATCH FOR IT @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    TODAY'S THOUGHT IS ABOUT YOUTH ...

    "Have you seen the new BOSS?

    This time, the company's YOUTH MOVEMENT

    has gone TOO DARN FAR!"

    I'LL TELL YA HOW TO STAY YOUNG ~

    HANG OUT WITH OLDER PEOPLE!

    With LOVE, RESPECT, and PEACE my friend,

    Richard

    www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    Please take a minute and give my music a listen!

    MY ALBUM "LOVE'S SWEET SONG" HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A WAMMIE AWARD AS JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR! LISTEN TO SOME SWEET SOUNDS - AVAILABLE @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    10 months ago
  • Richard Harris


    Happy 4th of July ~ LET FREEDOM RING Pete!
     

    I AM RECORDING A NEW CD THIS SUMMER - WATCH FOR IT @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    TODAY'S THOUGHT IS ABOUT FREEDOM ...

    “The WILL OF THE PEOPLE is the only legitimate foundation

    of ANY GOVERNMENT, and to protect ITS FREE

    EXPRESSION should be our first object.”

     ~ Thomas Jefferson

    EVERYTHING THAT IS REALLY GREAT AND INSPIRING IS

    CREATED BY THE INDIVIDUAL WHO CAN LABOR

    IN FREEDOM!

    With LOVE, RESPECT, and PEACE my friend,

    Richard

    www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    Please take a minute and give my music a listen!

    MY ALBUM "LOVE'S SWEET SONG" HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A WAMMIE AWARD AS JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR! LISTEN TO SOME SWEET SOUNDS - AVAILABLE @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    10 months ago
  • Richard Harris


    Don't WORRY Pete!
            

    I AM RECORDING A NEW ALBUM THIS SUMMER - WATCH FOR IT @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    TODAY'S THOUGHT IS ABOUT WORRY ...

    "It is NOT WORK that KILLS MEN, it is WORRY.

    Work is healthy; you can hardly put more on a man

    than he can bear. But WORRY is rust upon the blade.

    It is not MOVEMENT that destroys the machinery,

    but FRICTION."

     ~ Henry Ward Beecher

    MOST OF THE BAD THINGS YOU WORRY ABOUT

    WILL NEVER HAPPEN!  DON'T WORRY ~ BE HAPPY!

    With LOVE, RESPECT, and PEACE my friend,

    Richard

    www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    Please take a minute and give my music a listen!

    MY ALBUM "LOVE'S SWEET SONG" HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A WAMMIE AWARD AS JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR! LISTEN TO SOME SWEET SOUNDS - AVAILABLE @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    11 months ago
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Bio:

!-START Block to Place Custom Banner at Top of Page-! !-Create div with image.-!
.. !-END Block to Place Custom Banner at Top of Page-! ..

PETE'S LATEST ORGAN TRIO CD!


Available on line both as a physical CD and Digital Download at




PETE LEVIN TRIO, LIVE @ MOODY JAZZ CAFE FOGGIA, ITALY








PETE LEVIN TRIO - ON THE ROAD


Le Moulin - Paris, FR 10/08/09
Photo: Alain Chauché


The Blue Note - Milano, IT 10/13/09
Photo: Roger Salem


The Blue Note - Milano, IT 10/13/09
Photo: Roger Salem




Teatro Sociale: Stradella, Italy Dec 5
Photo: Laura Passera


Stazione Birra: Roma, Italy Dec 9
Photo: Roberto Scorta


Stazione Birra: Roma, Italy Dec 9
Photo: Roberto Scorta


Teatro Sociale: Stradella, Italy Dec 5
Photo: Laura Passera



PETE LEVIN TRIO
PETORANELLO GARDENS AMPITHEATER: PRINCETON, NJ
JUNE '08

Photo: Lorena Lavora



DEACON BLUES

After years of being a "synthesizer specialist", this project is a meaningful return to my first keyboard love, the Hammond Organ. I've been playing it for years, live and in the studio, but have never used it this way on one of my own albums. Mostly in the traditional organ trio format, the CD features brilliant guitar work by two good friends, Joe Beck and Mike DeMicco. The incredible Danny Gottlieb has the drum chair, and my brother Tony Levin is sitting in on bass for a couple of tunes, including playing lead on a beautiful Jimmy Giuffre ballad. It's an exciting project for me. I did a New York metropolitan area promo tour fronting a quartet with Joe Beck, Hot Tuna's Harvey Sorgen on drums, and Ernie Colon on percussion, finishing in NYC at the Knitting Factory. (Photo & video below) The quartet has some small gigs this month followed by the Quarry Jazz Festival in Woodstock, NY on August 3rd.

Deacon Blues is available at Amazon.com


WASTING TIME ON LINE DEPARTMENT:


takeitfromthehead.com: over 1300 Musicians who shave their heads


All that talent & beauty in one place ... amazing! (And they all look like me. How 'bout that!)

Making MySpace Friends - just a note;

It's great making new friends here on MySpace and catching up with many old friends. Making the world smaller is what the Internet does best. But I'm not here to just "collect" friends. So here's the deal:

I'm going to deny your add request if I don't know you and ...

   your profile is blocked, or
   you show only a screen name and hide your real name, or
   there's profanity on your page (posted by you or your Myspace 'friends'), or
   your page glorifies drugs, drinking, scantily clad babes, etc.

I'm not being judgmental about your page, but I need to be comfortable with it to post a comment there. If you need any of that qualified, we're not going to be friends anyway, so save your energy. I'm just telling you.

Pete
Woodstock, NY January '08

SHOTS FROM THE ROAD




With Joe Louis Walker @ Maximum Blues Festival
Carleton Sur Mer, Quebec August, '09



With Rondi Charleston @ Catalina - Los Angeles, CA May '09
Pete, Rondi, Jay Leonhart, Joel Frahm, Alvester Garnett, Dave Stryker


Kal David & The Real Deal
Rochester Ribs & Blues Festival 7/10/08



Alexis P. Suter @ Bearsville Theater - Woodstock, NY March '08
Photo: Lisa Burklund


Pete Levin Quartet
Pete, Joe Beck, Harvey Sorgen, Ernie Colon
Knitting Factory, NYC
Photo: Andrew Lepley


... same gig, but you can watch us move and sweat.


Tony Levin Band - with special guest Tod Rundgren
Pete, Jesse Gress, Tod, Tony, Larry Fast, Jerry Marotta
NAMM Show, Anaheim, CA January 2007


Tony Levin Band - vocalizing
Pete, Jerry Marotta, Tony
Someplace in Europe ...



BIO

Multi-keyboardist, composer/arranger PETE LEVIN has been on the New York music scene since the 70's, recording and touring internationally with hundreds of artists. He has just completed his 8th solo CD, DEACON BLUES, a mainstream jazz, organ trio project. Pete currently tours with his own group and with The Tony Levin Band, promoting Tony's latest CD release, RESONATOR. He lives in Woodstock, NY.

Since the 70s, keyboardist/composer, Pete has been part of New York's jazz, pop, and electronic music scene. He grew up with classical music, majoring in French horn at Boston University and later at Juilliard in New York, where he also began playing Hammond Organ with New York jazz and pop groups while doing recording work on French Horn. In 1974 he got a call to play horn with legendary jazz arranger Gil Evans, and Gil made him a regular. A year later Pete brought a Moog synthesizer to an Evans gig. Gil loved it and Pete's role was permanently changed. initiating the band's long transformation to the electronic/accoustic hybrid sound that won 2 Grammys. Among the first to explore synthesizers during the 70s, Pete became a sought-after sideman for recording and live performances. As a writer and musician he worked on film scores, jazz and pop records, and hundreds of TV and radio commercials. As production techniques changed during the 80s, Pete became a "programmer", orchestrating with electronic instruments under computerized MIDI control. In this new millenium - while he continues to use computer technology and a mixture of new and vintage synthesizers - he has largely returned to his keyboard roots, perfoming mainly on piano and organ.

Over the years, interspersed with Gil Evans, Paul Simon, Annie Lennox and Jimmy Giuffre Four tours, Pete has done arranging and electronic music for feature films including MISSING IN ACTION, LEAN ON ME, SILVER BULLET, THE COLOR OF MONEY and STAR TREK. He composed orchestral scores for the independent film, ZELIMO and a theatrical production of THE DYBBUK, created the electronic music score for Linda Rodgers' award-winning "Surgical Audiotape" series, created the official band/chorus arrangement of the U.S. Infantry song and composed the anthem for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit, performing it in the U.N. General Assembly. His favorite collaboration was with his brother, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Steve Gadd - "THE CLAMS", a Spike Jones tribute band - that produced a top-40 hit single "CLOSE TO YOU", now a cult classic. In 1989 Pete released his first solo jazz album, "Party In The Basement", for Gramavision Records. This was followed by "Solitary Man", two unique jazz Christmas CDs, The New Age of Christmas for Atlantic and Masters In This Hall for Gramavixion, both done with drummer Danny Gottlieb. Through the 90s, Pete recorded a series of electronic albums for Alternate Mode Records.




....

Member Since:

May 25, 2006

Members:



CERTIFIED ORGANIC

This is not your father’s organ trio!


Pete Levin’s 2008 CD release CERTIFIED ORGANIC continues to push the envelope of the traditional organ trio. On top of the grooves laid down by former Hot Tuna drummer Harvey Sorgen and Pete’s organ bass, four veteran guitarists stretch out on the album: ubiquitous New York session guitarist John Cariddi (Steve Marcus, Patti Austin, Ricki Lee Jones), the legendary Joe Beck (Miles Davis, Gil Evans, David Sanborn), Mike DeMicco (Dave Brubeck, Jack DeJohnette), and rocker Jesse Gress (Todd Rundgren, Tony Levin Band). Pete knows how to feature his sidemen, but when it’s time for the Hammond to take charge, he does just that. In addition, the organ’s bass is mixed up front as an equal element. The set rocks and grooves hard - not a hint of Smooth Jazz in sight.

Michael Bloom Media Relations
P.O. Box 41380
Los Angeles, CA 90041
323.258.6342
musicpr@earthlink.net





Recording CERTIFIED ORGANIC











2007



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ace Keyboardist Pete Levin Goes B-3
On Motema Music Debut CD DEACON BLUES
(March 20, 2007 Release)


With the keyboard wizard's debut album for the Motema label, Pete Levin re-emerges in 2007 as a bandleader and master of reinvention, embracing his roots and first love, the Hammond Organ. Working with a group of top sidemen (Joe Beck, Danny Gottlieb, Tony Levin, Mike DeMicco) Levin and company demonstrate an uncanny chemistry that is immediate and infectious.

Michael Bloom Media Relations
P.O. Box 41380
Los Angeles, CA 90041
323.258.6342
musicpr@earthlink.net

~~~~

PETE LEVIN BAND - 2007:

Pete Levin, Joe Beck, Mike DeMicco, Tony Levin, Danny Gottlieb, Ken Lovelett, Carlos Valdez

In 2007, Pete continues to tour with
TONY LEVIN BAND - 2007:

Tony Levin
Jerry Marotta, Larry Fast
Jesse Gress, Pete Levin


THE CLAMS:


Pete Levin, Tony Levin, Steve Gadd, Michael Holmes, Vinnie Pasternak, Dixon VanWinkle

Influences:


Gil Evans, Bill Evans, Jimmy Giuffre, Herbie Hancock, Art Tatum, Julius Watkins, Oscar Peterson, Oscar Pettiford, Larry Young, Billy Preston, Richard Tee, Richard Strauss, Bach, Copland, Bartok, Morricone, Mancini, Eddie Sauter, Nelson Riddle, Jay Chattaway, Joni Mitchell, Sinatra, Ray Charles, Spike Jones, Stan Freberg ...




Sounds Like:

On a good day, hopefully a lot like people who have influenced me. But I'll leave that to reviewers. Of more interest ...

Quotable quotes that float MY boat - from my musician friends (and a few I never got to play with)

"Aside from my family, playing creative music is my only reason for being on this earth." ~ Arnie Lawrence

"There is no such thing as a limited instrument, only limited musicians." ~ Howard Johnson

"Quit playing what you think I want you to play!" ~ Gil Evans

"If America has a future, jazz has a future. The two are inseparable." ~ George Russell

"If it sounds good, it is good." ~ Duke Ellington

"Intuition has to lead knowledge; but it can't be out there on it's own. If it's on it's own, you're gonna flounder sooner or later." ~ Bill Evans

"I'm too old to pimp and too young to die, so I'm just gonna keep on playing." ~ Clark Terry

"Whatever tempo you play it at, that's the right tempo." ~ Thelonius Monk

"Never play anything the same way twice." ~ Louis Armstrong

"A musician is influenced by hundreds of people and things, and all show up in his work. To fasten on any one or two is ridiculous." ~ Bill Evans

“When you’re dead, you’re done.” ~ Louis Armstrong

Record Label:

Motema

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