The Bio

Pete Levin has performed and recorded with hundreds of Jazz and Pop artists – Paul Simon, Annie Lennox, Miles Davis, David Sanborn, Vanessa Williams, Lenny White, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Robbie Robertson, and John Scofield to name a few – in a diverse career highlighted by an 8 year stint with Jimmy Giuffre and 15 years with the legendary Gil Evans.

A year after being called to play French Horn in the Gil Evans Orchestra, Pete brought a Moog Synthesizer to a gig. Gil loved it and Pete’s role was permanently changed. The band was transformed into the electronic/acoustic hybrid ensemble that electrified audiences worldwide, winning two Grammy awards along the way. Known internationally as the “go to” synthesizer specialist, Pete led the vanguard of that technology as a keyboardist and arranger. “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.” Of his years recording and touring with the Jimmy Giuffre 4, Pete relates, “Jimmy’s compositions, like his playing, are soulfully expressive and elegant, yet very transparent and disciplined; Nothing wasted, every note exactly right. Playing the Giuffre Book was a great learning experience.”

An in demand session musician, Pete has also arranged and orchestrated electronic music for hundreds of TV and radio commercials and feature films including MISSING IN ACTION I, II & III, LEAN ON ME, SILVER BULLET, RED SCORPION, THE COLOR OF MONEY, MANIAC and STAR TREK. He composed the orchestral score for the independent film ZELIMO, wrote an original score for a stage production of THE DYBBUK, created the electronic music score for Linda Rogers’ award-winning “Surgical Audiotape” series and composed the anthem for the 1992 United Nations Earth summit, performing it twice for the U.N. General Assembly.

Pete, whose dry sense of humor is never far from the surface, reveals,” My all time favorite session yielded the top-40 hit single “Close To You” by THE CLAMS, a Spike Jones tribute band I formed with my brother, bassist Tony Levin (of Peter Gabriel and King Crimson fame) and superstar drummer Steve Gadd.” Thirty years later the recording is still a cult classic.

In 1990, Pete signed with Gramavision releasing his first solo jazz album, PARTY IN THE BASEMENT, followed by SOLITARY MAN and two jazz Christmas CDs in collaboration with drummer Danny Gottlieb. Over the remainder of the decade, Pete released four New Age CDs for Alternate Mode Productions, and a variety of eclectic albums for independent labels.

With DEACON BLUES, Pete re-emerges as a leader and master of reinvention, embracing his roots and first love, the Hammond Organ. Playing in the traditional organ trio format, the innovative, straight ahead mainstream jazz arrangements are flavored with hip-hop, soul, samba and pop grooves. The set is a blend of original compositions and jazz treatments of classic pieces – Steely Dan’s DEACON BLUES, Ralph Towner’s ICARUS, the Beach Boys’ SAIL ON SAILOR and Erik Satie’s FIRST GYMNOPEDIE.

As solo recording artists, both Levin brothers produce their albums close to home, in the Woodstock, NY area. DEACON BLUES features outstanding performances by bassist Tony Levin and local Woodstock artists, guitarist Mike DeMicco, percussionists Ken Lovelett and Carlos Valdez, as well as performances by legendary jazz guitarist, Joe Beck, and drummer, Danny Gottlieb.

Always on the cutting edge and looking for new challenges, Pete currently tours playing keyboards with The Tony Levin Band in promotion of their new, critically acclaimed Narada release, RESONATOR. Playing world-wide to sold out houses, this high octane prog rock group plans to include double bills with The Pete Levin band, performing and promoting DEACON BLUES as an opening act for major clubs and festivals internationally. This historical pairing promises to fire up legions of eclectic music fans everywhere, hungry for the excitement of live classic jazz and rock reinvented for the new millenium. This “must see” double bill can be accessed for tickets and more information by visiting www.petelevin.com, www.tonylevin.com and www.motema.com.