Certified Organic
Online at

 

Deacon Blues
Pete's 2007 organ trio debut for Motéma

Online at

 

GOP Party Monsters
Political satire from the far (out) left - skewering Bush, Cheney, Coulter, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Condoleezza, Spitzer & more with an eclectic array of hilarious songs and richly underscored spoken word.
Online at
 

 

 

 


is happening!
 

Updated Saturday, June 28, 2008
You are visitor #Hit Counter.
I appreciate that.  Thanks for looking in.       

 

 

 

 

 
 
Michael Bloom
Media Relations
musicpr@earthlink.com

Pete's EPK (Electronic Press Kit) includes Certified Organic images & text, reviews, band info, bios, audio samples, photos and other promotional materials.

It's primarily for music industry and media use, but you're welcome to browse.
 
 

 

 

 

 

"Aside from my family, playing creative music
  is my only reason for being on this earth."
  ~ Arnie Lawrence
 

My 2nd organ trio CD; and this set grooves ... hard!

Four great guitarists are featured on the album: studio veteran John Cariddi (Steve Marcus, Peggy Lee), Mike DeMicco (Dave Brubeck, Jack DeJohnette), rocker Jesse Gress (Todd Rundgren, Tony Levin Band) and the legendary Joe Beck (Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Sergio Mendez). Former Hot Tuna drummer Harvey Sorgen is there throughout. Guests include saxophonist Erik Lawrence (Hipmotism, Levon Helm) and percussionists Ernie Colon & Ken Lovelett.

 

If you've got a minute, give a listen.  There are sound bytes just below in the Snocap window.  Click the little [+] thingy next to my name to expand the list for the individual tracks.  Of course, if you're moved to possess an actual physical copy, you'll get to check out the rest of Emily Saaen's clever graphic design work.  CDBaby's got 'em.
 
 
 
The trio ... live!
Teaneck, NJ  6/20/08     Photo: Edward Ajaj
Petoranello Gardens Ampitheater,  Princeton, NJ  6/21/08
photos: Lorene Lavora
Recording

Recording at Jerry Marotta's Woodstock studio, "Jersville" and at my own studio, which I haven't yet bothered to name.  ("Petesville"?)  Here's a few studio shots ...
Mike DeMicco John Cariddi
Roman Klun mics drums at Jersville Harvey Sorgen
Ernie Colon Joe Beck Jesse Gress
Erik Lawrence Cynthia Daniels & Pete Ken Lovelett

Control room at Petesville

With my Leslie & mics taking over the kitchen,
dinner = takeout!
 
"I'm too young to die and too old to pimp;  So I'm just gonna keep on playing!"
Clark Terry
   Pete Levin Band on YouTube

 

 

 

 

A video collage taken at a 2007 gig at the Knitting Factory in New York City ... Pete-organ, Joe Beck-guitar, Harvey Sorgen-drums, Ernie Colon-congas.  Take a look
Uncle Funk @ Keegan Ales  May 10, 2008
Joe Beesmer, Jesse Gress, Carlos Valdez, Randy Ciarlante, Tony Levin, Pete Levin
Fundraiser for the Animal Welfare Adoption Network
Photos: Lisa Burklund

 

Alexis P. Suter Band, with Bruce Katz and Pete both playing Nord organs
3/21/08    Bearsville Theater   Woodstock, NY
3/1/08   Rosendale Cafe   Betty MacDonald Trio with Charlie Kniceley and Pete
Sittin' in, Richard Carr & Felix  era
2/24/08   The Retro Rockets with George "Commander Cody" Frayne
Pete, Jimmy Eppard, Commander Cody, "Tall Paul" Verdon, Charlie Kniceley
Uncle Funk at New World Home Cooking   Saugerties, NY    New Year's Eve 2007
Tony Levin & Joe Beesmer Jerry Marotta
Jesse Gress Carlos Valdez
New World chef/owner Ric Orlando sittin' in
Joe & Tina Pete
Woodstock knows how to party!

Wasting time on line:

           1000 CLEANHEADS!!
My gallery collection of musicians who shave their heads - takeitfromthehead.com  just hit 1000 Cleanheads!  All that talent and beauty in one place ... scary!  Click the image.  (With all those photos, the home page takes 3-4 minutes to download.  Please be patient.)

 Uncle Funk Scrapbook
Joe Beesmer's Uncle Funk doesn't perform often, but it's one of my favorite Woodstock gigs.  Personnel varies depending on who's in town.  This Ed Ajaj photo from a past gig at Keegan Ales in Kingston included Jesse Gress (Tod Rundgren), Jerry Marotta (Hall & Oates), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel) and me.  Hanging with us later on stage were Larry Fast (Synergy) and Sid McGinnis (David Letterman Show); it's that kind of scene.  Over the last few years I've amassed a bunch of photos from U.F. gigs, and have brought them together on a new Uncle Funk Scrapbook Page. 

9/29  Lake George Blues Fest.  Guitarist David Malachowski assembled "The Woodstock All-Stars" to headline Saturday night at this wonderful Blues festival on the bank of Lake George in upstate New York, which was followed by a fireworks display on the lake.  Highlight of the evening:  We were running overtime;  Toward the end of our set, Harvey Sorgen launched into an extended drum solo as the scheduled fireworks went off behind the stage.  Talk about getting a reaction to a solo!!!

Lake George - quite a backdrop for the concert stage.
(Of course we couldn't see this at night)
Jill Stevenson Adam Widoff David Malachowski Albert Cummings
Pete Dennis Gruenling & Gina Fox
Harvey Sorgen Pete & David

9/2  Alexandria Bay, NY   Literally a stone's throw from Canada, on the St. Lawrence River, I played the "Blues In The Bay" festival with one of my favorite blues singer/guitarists, Kal David, along with vocalist Lori Bono and drummer Mike Nappi.  This little tourist town turns into a virtual Mardi Gras every Labor Day weekend, with this great 3-day Blues fest in the middle of it.

8/20  Recorded some piano tracks for singer/songwriter Amy Rogell's new album "Miles of Smiles" with engineer/producer Steve Larsen at Hi Top Studio in Stamford, CT.   Beautiful mural in back of us.

Shlep the Hammond & play the Blues department:

Saturday 7/21    Heading out for a 2-day mini-tour with Blues Guitarist Kal David - Black Eyed Sally's in Hartford, CT, then down to Atlanta, Georgia for the DeKalb Blues Festival.  Other than my loving the way Kal plays (and sings) and that I always look forward to the times I get to play with him.

The show at Sally's was packed with an enthusiastic crowd, many of the being folks long-standing fans from Kal's band "The Fabulous Rhinestones."  We rocked the joint! Then, back to band-on-the-road reality.  Loaded up after the show - about 2:30am - we headed out for a 2-hour drive to Stewart Airport in Newburgh, NY for a 6am flight to Atlanta for our next gig.  Zero sleep.  Why do we do it?  Beats me!
Black-eyed Sally's in Hartford, CT    Great blues club - great food!
That's the Petemobile on the left, with the Hammond in the back.
Lori Bono & Kal Mike Nappi
Kal - in the audience

03/05/07   The Pete Levin Quartet at The Knitting Factory in New York City

Pete, Joe Beck, Harvey Sorgen, Ernie Colon
Photos by Andrew Lepley

03/03/07  Up close and personal at the Rosendale Cafe; Rosendale, NY
Good photos of the Tony Levin Band on the road keep popping up.  Photographer Andrew Lepley caught this show at the Knitting Factory in NYC

Photographer Gary Bandfield caught the final bow at the end of our set at the NAMM show this past January - the Tony Levin Band and guest Tod Rundgren.


Pete, Jesse Gress, Tod Rundgren, Tony Levin, Larry Fast, Jerry Marotta

8/20/06  A quick memory of the Tony Levin Band's swing through Europe this past spring; Francesco Grieco sent me this photo, taken after our last gig in Hamburg.  Yes, we were as tired as we look!  Forgetting the part where our hotel lost our reservation and we had no rooms, this was a great gig.  Click the photo to go to the gallery page.

L to R: Jerry Marotta, Rob Frazza, Pete, Larry Fast, Tom Griesgraber, Tony, Francesco, Jesse Gress, Marco Parisi

Pete Live
(This is the current 2 months or so.  Click here for the whole deal.)

Did you hear the one about the jazz musician who won
1/2 a million dollars in the lottery?

An interviewer asked him what his plans were.
He said he'd just keep on gigging until the money was gone.
June  
Fri 6 Teaneck, NJ at the Jazzberry Patch with Nikki Armstrong Trio - Pete with Lee Marvin & Jimmie Young
Wed 11 CERTIFIED ORGANIC TOUR - Peekskill, NY at 12 Grapes: Pete Levin Trio w. John Cariddi & Harvey Sorgen
Thu 12 CERTIFIED ORGANIC TOUR - West Hartford, CT at Szechuan Tokyo: Pete Levin Trio w. John Cariddi & Harvey Sorgen
Fri 13 CERTIFIED ORGANIC TOUR - Albany, NY at Justin's: Pete Levin Trio w. John Cariddi & Harvey Sorgen
Sat 14 CERTIFIED ORGANIC TOUR - Rosendale, NY at The Rosendale Cafe: Pete Levin Trio w. John Cariddi & Harvey Sorgen
Mon 16 CERTIFIED ORGANIC TOUR - Piermont, NY at The Turning Point: Pete Levin Trio w. John Cariddi & Harvey Sorgen
Wed 18 Franklin Lakes, NJ at Endless Vine with Pat Bianco Band
Fri 20 CERTIFIED ORGANIC TOUR - Jazzberry Patch @ Classic Quiche Cafe: Pete Levin Trio w. John Cariddi & Harvey Sorgen
Sat 21 CERTIFIED ORGANIC TOUR - Princeton, NJ at the Pettoranello Gardens Ampitheater - a Blue Curtain event:  Pete Levin Trio w. John Cariddi & Harvey Sorgen
Sat 28 Poughkeepsie, NY at Ciboney Cafe with Matt Jordan Band
   
July
Thu 3 Davenport, Iowa at the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival with Kal David
Fri 4 Stone Ridge, NY at Jack & Luna's with the Betty MacDonald Quartet
Sat 5 Beacon, NY with The Saints Of Swing
Sun 6 Saugerties, NY at New World Home Cooking w. Uncle Funk: New World's 15th anniversary bash 
Thu 10 Rochester, NY at The Rochester Ribs & Blues Festival w. Kal David
Fri 11 Hartford, CT at Black Eyed Sally's with Kal David
Sat 19 Rosendale, NY Street Fair with Tumbao Blue
Sun 20 Dekalb, GA at the Dekalb Rhythm N' Blues Fest with Kal David
Wed 23 Franklin Lakes, NJ at Endless Vine with Pat Bianco Band