Home » Jazz Musicians » Pete Levin

Pete Levin

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. Says Levin,

“What I got from Gil was the unshakable notion that playing music was to create from a place where there are no boundaries. If it can be imagined then it can be done.”

With “DEACON BLUES,” for Motema Music, Pete re-emerged in 2007 as a band leader and master of reinvention, embracing his roots and first love, the Hammond Organ. Working with a group of iconic jazz sidemen (Joe Beck, Danny Gottlieb, Tony Levin, Mike DeMicco) Levin and company demonstrated an uncanny chemistry that was immediate and infectious. Pete followed up in 2008 with "CERTIFIED ORGANIC", continuing to push the envelope of the classic organ trio. In addition to his soaring Hammond, he demonstrates once more that he knows how to feature his sidemen, giving plenty of playing space to the 4 guitarists on the album - John Cariddi, Joe Beck, Mike DeMicco & Jesse Gress - as well as saxophonist Erik Lawrence and drummer Harvey Sorgen.

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.

“I started bringing a Clavinet, too. Eventually Gil brought John Clark into the band because I couldn’t get back to my horn in time. After a while, I just stopped bringing it. Name another band leader that would let a sideman do that! I owe him a lot.”

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.

Read more

Tags

6
Album Review

Gil Evans Remembered: Gil Evans Remembered (Live At The Cutting Room, NYC)

Read "Gil Evans Remembered (Live At The Cutting Room, NYC)" reviewed by Jack Kenny


Few people have a better right to remember Gil Evans than these musicians. The serrated wail of this band enraptured, touched and torched the listeners. It is easy to see why musicians from the Monday Night Band would want to play, creating under Evans' beatific musical vision. It must have been inspiring. Most of the musicians on the album played sometime over the years at Sweet Basil from 1983 to Evans' death and even beyond. He loved the way that ...

4
Radio & Podcasts

Visioneers, T.K. Blue, 45trio, Work Money Death, Gil Evans Remembered, And More

Read "Visioneers, T.K. Blue, 45trio, Work Money Death, Gil Evans Remembered, And More" reviewed by Tony Poole


Tony Poole selects his favourite new releases and pre-releases. 12 new tracks you need to hear! Playlist Gil Evans Remembered “Teen Town" from Live at the Cutting Room, NYC (Dot Time Legends) 00:00 Edgar Van Asselt “Samba Pra Mim ft. Lilian Viera" from Celebracao! (Left To Right Music) 06:13 Dora Morelenbaum “VW Blue" from Pique (Mr Bongo) 11:11 Caixa Cubo “Jureta" from Modo Avião (Far Out Recordings) 12:56 kitti “Everything You Wanted" from Something In The Water (Rebecca's ...

238
Album Review

Pete Levin: Certified Organic

Read "Certified Organic" reviewed by Woodrow Wilkins


Trio music generally combines bass and drums with a piano, guitar or saxophone. Organist Pete Levin deviates from this formula on Certified Organic. The only constants are himself and drummer Harvey Sorgen. Apart from that, he employs one of four guitarists on each of the 10 tracks, one of two percussionists on several, and a saxophone on two. So, in essence, it's an organ-led trio plus one or two on all but three songs. The organ also plays the bass ...

193
Album Review

Pete Levin: Certified Organic

Read "Certified Organic" reviewed by John Kelman


Pete Levin is sometimes overshadowed by his brother Tony, an in-demand player in the art-rock world (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson), who also built serious jazz cred in his youth with vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Warren Bernhardt. But keyboardist Pete Levin has built a fine discography of his own more closely linked to the jazz world. A lengthy stint with composer/arranger Gil Evans, and session work with guitarist John Scofield and trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard helped spread his name, but it's ...

156
Album Review

John Clark: I Will

Read "I Will" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


French hornist John Clark along with his venerable band-mates go straight to the heart with their expressive and altogether grand rendition of Coltrane’s hypnotically melodic, “India”. Bright, rousing horn charts, and fluent phrasing by Clark get things off to a rather rapid and somewhat boisterous start! Here, the pre-eminent french hornist and his fine cast including, drummer Bruce Ditmas, saxophonists Alex Foster, Chris Hunter and others assist Clark in compiling this outstanding production consisting of jazz standards and Clark originals. ...

167
Album Review

John Clark: I Will

Read "I Will" reviewed by Joel Roberts


The French horn is not the first instrument that comes to mind when one thinks of jazz. In modern jazz history, there have been only a handful of musicians -- David Amram, Julius Watkins, Gunther Schuller -- who have achieved any acclaim on the instrument. John Clark is another. A veteran of the progressive big bands of Gil Evans, Carla Bley, and McCoy Tyner, and a current member of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Clark is probably the most in-demand ...

Read more articles
7

Recording

Keyboardist / Arranger / Composer Pete Levin Releases New CD: "Möbius" (Lenny White Label) on September 25

Keyboardist / Arranger / Composer Pete Levin Releases New CD: "Möbius" (Lenny White Label) on September 25

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

CD release performance set for November 8 at The Cutting Room in NYC Featuring Lenny White, Tony Levin, Alex Foster and more! With A Nod To Gil Evans. Keyboardist-arranger-composer Pete Levin's ninth solo release, Möbius, was recorded live in the studio in two days, capturing the “no boundaries" spirit of Gil Evans. The music explores textural grooves ranging from straight-ahead bop to funk, world-beat, and the experimental. The disc features 10 tracks including eight originals, “I Mean You" by Thelonious ...

99

Recording

Pete Levin - Jump! (2010)

Pete Levin - Jump! (2010)

Source: Something Else!

By Pico A couple of years back keyboardist and composer Pete Levin put forth Certified Organic, the second in a string of Hammond B-3 jazz records he's recently taken an interest in making. It was a thoroughly enjoyable set, one that sizzled and simmered in all the right places, and we had a great time expounding on its virtues. The album featured guitar great Joe Beck on a couple of tracks, who unbeknownst to me when our review published on ...

277

Recording

Jump! Pete Levin's B-3 Organ Trio CD Feat. Lenny White and Dave Stryker

Jump! Pete Levin's B-3 Organ Trio CD Feat. Lenny White and Dave Stryker

Source: Michael Bloom Media Relations

Pete Levin's 2010 CD release JUMP! (Pete Levin Music, Sept. 28 Release) documents his continuing efforts to push the envelope of the traditional organ trio. The set is a collaboration with the remarkable guitarist Dave Stryker and legendary drummer Lenny White. They are joined on 5 of the 10 tracks by the dazzling percussionist Manolo Badrena. 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 ...

Downbeat Magazine
Deacon Blues, Pete Levin
May 2007
by Ken Micallef

The New York artist has a serious keyboard resume (playing with the likes of John Scofield, Miles Davis and Gil Evans), so you'd expect him to lay down some real grease and gravy on Deacon Blues, his first album to embrace the Hammond B-3. Levin and company play it cool for much of the album, but when the group catches fire, as on "Dragonfly" and "Uptown," Deacon Blues glows with purpose.

All About Jazz
Certified Organic
Pete Levin / Pete Levin Music 2008
By John Kelman
August 2008

Keyboardist Pete Levin has built a fine discography, closely linked to the jazz world, but it's his recent solo work that's most worth visiting. On "Certified Organic" Levin recruits a large cast of characters for an album high on groove but broad in reach, with elements of swing, soul-jazz, funk, fusion and more.

Read more

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Gil Evans Remembered...

Dot Time Records
2024

buy

I Will

Postcards
2022

buy

To Love Again -...

Nanny Assis Arts
2021

buy

Paper Doll

Peirdon Production
2020

buy

Cool Night

Peirdon Production Corporation
2017

buy

Similar

Jimmy Smith
organ, Hammond B3
Tony Monaco
organ, Hammond B3
Jimmy McGriff
organ, Hammond B3
Joey DeFrancesco
organ, Hammond B3
Wild Bill Davis
organ, Hammond B3
Linda Dachtyl
organ, Hammond B3
Sam Yahel
organ, Hammond B3
Jack McDuff
organ, Hammond B3
organissimo
organ, Hammond B3
Rhoda Scott
organ, Hammond B3
Larry Goldings
organ, Hammond B3
Shirley Scott
organ, Hammond B3
Reuben Wilson
organ, Hammond B3
Trudy Pitts
organ, Hammond B3
Robert Walter
organ, Hammond B3
Leon Spencer
organ, Hammond B3

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.