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Publicity
Contact:
Michael Bloom Media Relations
323.258.6342
musicpr@earthlink.net
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ace Keyboardist Pete Levin Goes B-3
On Motema Music Debut CD
DEACON BLUES
(April 3, 2007 Release)
Motema Music
announces keyboard wizard Pete Levin’s debut for the label,
DEACON BLUES. 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.
In a
diverse music career spanning several decades, keyboardist/arranger
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 music for hundreds of
TV commercials, dramatic series, and feature films.
With
DEACON BLUES (Motema Music 0008),
Levin returns to the cutting edge as a bandleader, 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 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,” he declares.
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 worldwide 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. |
