Since the 70s, keyboardist/composer PETE LEVIN has been part of New York’s jazz, pop, and electronic music scene. In 1974 he got a call to play French 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, beginning the transformation of the band into the electronic/acoustic hybrid sound that won 2 Grammy awards. Among the first to explore synthesizers during the 70s, Pete became a sought-after sideman for studio and live gigs. As a writer and musician he worked on film scores, jazz and pop records, and hundreds of TV and radio commercials.
Over the years, interspersed with Gil Evans, Paul Simon, Annie Lennox and Jimmy Giuffre 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 did the orchestral score for the independent film, ZELIMO, wrote an original music score for a stage production of THE DYBBUK, created the electronic music score for Linda Rodgers’ award-winning “Surgical Audiotape”
series, did 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 finally released his first solo jazz album, “Party In The Basement”, for Gramavision Records. This was followed by “Solitary Man”, two unique jazz Christmas CDs done as a duo with drummer Danny Gottlieb, and through the 90s, a series of electronic music albums for Alternate Mode. In 2006, Pete revisited his first love, the Hammond Organ, releasing 5 albums in expanded organ trio format, beginning with “DEACON BLUES” for Motema Music, and culminating with the self-released “JUMP!” in 2010. He currently tours as a trio with guitarist Dave Stryker and legendary drummer Lenny White. His most recent project is a jazz quartet with Tony Levin, aptly named “The Levin Brothers.” The group does vintage, ‘straight-ahead jazz, modeled after the Oscar Pettiford bands of the 1950’s. They released a self-titled album on digital and vinyl, and toured extensively during 2015. For his current projects, Pete assembled an all-star group of alumni from the Gil Evans Orchestra of the ’70s to form “The Monday Night Band.” The band debuted in New York City in late 2014. The performance was captured on audio and video, both with planned releases in 2016.
Pete is an artist/endorser of Nord keyboard instruments, Mackie amplification and Westone in-ear monitors.
*Between 1964 and 2015 Pete has recorded and/or performed with artists & groups, including …*
Gary Anderson, Ron Aprea, Nikki Armstrong, Jennifer Aylmer, Aztec Two Step, Larry Baeder, Dave Bargeron, Joe Beck, Jeff Berlin, Pat Bianco, Marc Black, Terrance Blanchard, Carla Bley, Rosalinde Block, Blood Sweat & Tears, The Blues Farm, GI Blythe, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Beki Brindle, Broadside Brass Bed Band, Hugh Brodie, Brubeck Brothers Quartet, Hiram Bullock, Butterfield Blues Band, Donald Byrd, Don Byron, Rennie Cantine, Rondi Charleston, Hillary Chase, Jay Chattaway, Tommy Chong, Jeff Ciampa, The City Boys, The Clams, John Clark, Jay Clayton, Jimmy Cobb, Judy Collins, Willie Colon, Commander Cody, Murali Coryell, Cray & Dempsey, David Darling, Kal David, Betty Davis, Miles Davis, Andrea Dawn, Debbie Deane, Mike DeMicco, Angela Deniro, Kenwood Dennard, Jacque DeShetler, Danny Draher, Robbie Dupree, Bill Edwards, Mark Egan, Don Elliott, Doug Elliott, Jimmy Eppard, Joey Eppard, Eric Erickson, Gil Evans, Miles Evans, Fania All-Stars, Rachelle Farelle, Five Satins, 52nd Street, Bryan Ferry, Matt Finck, Alex Foster, Letizia Gambi, Chrissy Gardner, Don Gardner, Jimmy Giuffre, Leila Gobi, Danny Gottlieb, Government Mule, Sarah Greene, Nicole Hart, Richie Hart, Jonas Helborg, Deborah Henson-Conant, Jana Herzen, Gregory Hines, Erin Hobson, Clint Holmes, Nick Holmes, Helen Hooke, Freddie Hubbard, Nick Humez, Chris Hunter, Howard Johnson, Meg Johnson, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Band, Raven Kane, Toshihiko Kankawa, Randy Kaye, Mamadou Kelly, Roman Klun, Charlie Kniceley, La La, Wayne Lammers, Arnie Lawrence, Erik Lawrence, Annie Lennox, Ray LeVier, Tony Levin, Levin Brothers, PJ Lorenz, Ken Lovelett, Charles Lyonhart, Betty MacDonald, Rod MacDonald, Al MacDowell, Machan, Mike Mainieri, David Malachowski, Tom Malone, Melissa Manchester, Chuck Mangione, Gap Mangione, Manhattan Project, Lou Marini, Keith Marks, Janet Marlowe, Lee Marvin, Cynthia McCorkindale, Bucky Milam, Liza Minnelli, Charles Mingus, Chris Mitchell, Tommy Mitchell, Monday Night Band, Sam Morrison, Gerry Mulligan, Amina Claudine Myers, Bob Nieske, Olivia NewtonJohn, New York Mary, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Odd Couple Quintet, Eileen O’Hare, Shunzo Ohno, Ted Orr & Blue Food, Jeff Oster, Rob Paparozzi, Jon Paris, Gil Parris, Vincent Pasternak, Jaco Pastorius, Pamela Pentony, Roxy Perry, Eric Person, Scott Petito, Vito Petroccitto, Simon Phillips, Pieces Of A Dream, Monika Piotrowska, Lorenza Ponce, Kitt Potter, Jim Pugh/Dave Taylor, Tony Purrone, Python Soup, Genya Ravan, Baron Raymonde, Billy Reed, Athena Reich, The Retro Rockets, Nicki Richards, Amy Rogell, Robbie Robertson, Teri Roiger, Jonny Rosch, Andy Rothstein, Katrin Roush, Steve Rowell, Raphael Rudd, Bobby Rydell, Ali Ryerson, Emily Saaen, Salt ‘N Pepa, David Sanborn, Dario Saraceno, Ellie Sarty, Steve Satten, Sari Schorr, Steve Schultz, John Scofield, Mark Sganga, Marlene Shaw, Wayne Shorter, Carly Simon, Paul Simon, Marilyn Sokol, Lew Soloff, Melvyn Sparks, Straight Ahead, Roseann Sureda, Gani Tamir, Peter Thomakos, Artie Traum, Happy Traum, John Tropea, Barbara Truex, Elijah Tucker, Joe Lynn Turner, Uncle Funk, Michal Urbaniak, Michael Veitch, Jimmy Vivino, Lou Volpe, Filippo Voltaggio, Voyceboxing, Joe Louis Walker, Corbett Wall, Lynette Washington, Ernie Watts, Jim Weider, Peter Welker, Wet Paint, Lenny White, White Flag, Vanessa Williams, Deborah Winters, Woodstock All-Stars, Gary Wofsey, Chris Zaloom, Zuice
*Websites at *
http://www.petelevin.com
https://www.facebook.com/pete.levin1
http://www.thelevinbrothers.com/
*Discography at*
http://www.petelevin.com/discography.htm
*Some Youtube links:*
*Pete Levin Trio*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPVnoVRFW4c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQCyJBfOUbc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2J_87zjIDI
*The Levin Brothers*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2U5Z5uHEc4
*Pete Levin’s “Monday Night Band” project – a reunion of Gil Evans Orchestra alumni*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY_ZB9-scZA
