The Vibe
On any given Monday night during the 1980s you could walk into Sweet Basil, an intimate but decidedly hip little haven situated in Manhattan's bustling West Village, and hear the Gil Evans Orchestra performing in all its chaotic glory. Stuffed into the back end of the club, crammed onto the small stage and spilling out onto the floor, were the 15 or so musicians comprising that sprawling, adventurous ensemble. Hunched over a Fender Rhodes electric piano stage right, playing in zen-like fashion while conducting the band with a meaningful nod or significant hand gesture, was the legendary arranger and collaborator with Miles Davis on such landmark sessions as "Birth of the Cool," "Miles Ahead," "Porgy & Bess" and "Sketches of Spain."
Tucked away in a corner on the opposite side of the stage from Gil, with clean-head and subversive intentions, was Pete Levin doing weird and wonderful things with his synthesizers on swirling, psychedelic renditions of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing," "Stone Free" and "Voodoo Child" along with expansive interpretations of Wayne Shorter's "Parabola," Herbie Hancock's "Prince of Darkness," Charles Mingus' "Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blue" and "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," or Gil's own staples like "Orgone," "Jelly Roll" and "Snowflake Bop."
Between the miraculous music that seemed to take on a life of its own, the shaman-like presence of the bandleader, the joyful onstage camaraderie of the musicians and the countless martinis consumed, it was a magical, intoxicating scene each Monday night at Sweet Basil. Pete Levin was in the eye of that sonic hurricane every week, mischievously tweaking our sensibilities with his vintage synth gear.
While Pete long ago made a name for himself on the New York scene as a synth specialist through his longstanding relationship with the Gil Evans Orchestra (from 1973 until the maestro's passing in 1988) and as an in-demand session player, he maintains a passion for piano and organ. On Deacon Blues, his fourth outing as a leader, Pete cleverly reconfigures engaging material through the prism of a lifelong B-3 fan.
"Someone once wrote that I was 'one of the pioneers of the electronic music scene,'" says Pete, whose synthesizer work was also featured for eight years in the cutting edge Jimmy Giuffre 4. "I think that's going a little overboard, but for 30 years or so I have been one of the main synthesizer guys in New York, and I've gotten to play some great music with many brilliant artists and composers - and I made a good living at it. That's as good as it gets! Now in 2006, I thought it was time to explore my first love, the Hammond Organ, which I've been playing for years but never recorded on as a leader. I thought it would be fun, and I was right!"
Pete's brother, bassist Tony Levin, joins in on the fun here, along with guitarists Joe Beck and Mike Demicco, drummer Danny Gottlieb and percussionists Ken Lovelett and Carlos Valdez. Together they demonstrate an uncanny chemistry that is immediate and infectious.
The Bio
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," Pete Levin re-emerges 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 demonstrate an uncanny chemistry that is immediate and infectious.
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(r) 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."
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(r) winning recording engineer Dixon Van Winkle (Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra). Thirty years later the recording is still a cult classic. "All my arranging and orchestrating work is grounded in what I experience in live performance, interacting with other musicians and audiences. That's what I was trained to do. Synthesizers and computer programming came later. My best and most creative ideas come from playing live."
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. "The Hammond Organ has got such a rich history. There's really no other sound quite like it. Even the best synth simulations fall short. You crank up the motor, you hit a note and it sings to you. It's like the soul of every organ player is being breathed out from the instrument."
Veteran career sidemen 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." "It's predictable that most of my oldest and best friends are musicians. But, it's amazing how many of them have had an impact on the way their instruments are played, and are respected by fans and peers all over the world. I'm pretty lucky."
Always on the cutting edge and looking for new challenges, 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 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.
The Discs
As a solo artist, Pete Levin has release nine albums:
- Deacon Blues (Motema, 2007)
- Masters In The Hall (Remix, 2001)
- A Solitary Man (Gramavision, 1991)
- Party In The Basement (Gramavision, 1990)
- Masters In This Hall (Gramavision, 1990)
and four recordings for Alternate Mode Music (1998-2002), plus The Clams - "Close To You" (CTI, 1976), the hit single recorded with Tony, now a cult classic.
Pete has also recorded and performed with a veritable who's who of over 150 pop and jazz groups, including Aztec Two Step, Jeff Berlin, Carla Bley, Brubeck Brothers, Hiram Bullock, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Cobham, Willie Colon, Kal David, Miles Davis, Angela DeNiro, Robbie Dupress, Gil Evans, Rachelle Farelle, Bryan Ferry, Jimmy Giuffre, Gregory Hines, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Band, Annie Lennox, Tony Levin, Chuck Mangione, Charles Mingus, Gerry Mulligan, Jaco Pastorius, Nicki Richards, Robbie Robertson, Ali Ryerson, Salt 'N Pepa, David Sanborn, John Scofield, Wayne Shorter, Paul Simon, Lew Soloff, Jim Weider, Vanessa Williams and Lenny White.
Side artist recording highlights include:
- 27 recordings with the legendary Gil Evans (during their 15-year collaboration
- 3 recordings with The Jimmy Giuffre Four (during their 8-year collaboration)
