(when you don't want to read the tedious long versions)

ARTIST: Pete Levin
ALBUM: "Certified Organic"
Review by David Malachowski

Levin leaves boundaries behind and pushes expectations aside.  His thick juicy tone on organ is to die for, as are his undeniable chops. But it's his own tunes that offer real insight: "The Face In the Mirror," "When I Was Young" and "I'm Falling" are weighty and confident compositions. Real musicians playing real music, what could be better?

Pete Levin
Certified Organic (independent)

People who can play the Hammond B3 organ, while doubling on bass, are hard to come by.  People who can make music doing it are rarer still.  Pete Levin, A-list keyboardist and local legend is one of the best at this, and here he gives us the second installment of his love affair with the Hammond in a trio setting.  Levin's B3 organ is like butter and, let's be honest, everything goes better with butter.  Organic butter, of course.

All Music Guide
June 2008

Certified Organic
Pete Levin

by Michael G. Nastos

Organist Pete Levin has played commercial music for many years, but returned to his soul-jazz roots with the 2007 Motema CD release Deacon Blues. He continues on that path here with the independently produced Certified Organic. Though not straight bop or swing, Levin plays accessible funky contemporary jazz on the one hand, and also a deeper introspective style that harkens back to his time with the legendary Gil Evans Orchestra. A very talented player, Levin has chops to burn, but never bumps them up to boil. His simmering tone for some may be cerebral, but he is mindful of having a good time feeling. Levin can play dirty, gritty and toe tapping music as easily as intellectual, thought provoking and ethereal sound texts. Remember - Levin played primarily Moog synthesizers (and French horn) with Evans' contemporary big band when it was more electric oriented, and performing the music of Jimi Hendrix. Open mindedness and appreciation for the many gifts he possesses is the key to appreciating this intriguing follow-up to the very good CD Deacon Blues, which also deserves much praise.

Certified Organic
by Greg Haymes

Following the success of his 2007 CD "Deacon Blues," Woodstock keyboardist Pete Levin is back with his follow-up, "Certified Organic," a scorching slab of Hammond organ trio jazz. Levin has long been considered a synthesizer specialist, but the new album features him exclusively playing Hammond organ, backed by an all-star batch of musicians.  Levin simply smokes on this disc, and in addition to penning half of the tunes himself, Levin has the stylistic stretch to dig deep into the song bags of such diverse composers as Jaco Pastorius, Cole Porter and Prince.

Covers include a nicely remade version of "Love For Sale" and Moacir Santos' "Nana." Jaco Pastorious' "Teen Town" is tackled, too, in one of the few versions not centered around a bass player.  All told, this is a consistently good effort, providing solid grooves that are edgy enough to avoid the "smooth jazz" tag, but contemporary enough to pull in listeners outside of the straight jazz crowd.

It seems just yesterday I reviewed "Deacon Blues" by Pete Levin. In that six months time, Levin has recorded part II in his "back to the roots" series of organ trios (and quartets, and quintets).  Pete Levin made his reputation as a synth specialist playing with pop and jazz artists such as Paul Simon, Annie Lenox, Gill Evans, and John Scofield.  In 2007, Levin got the urge to revisit his roots and first love, the Hammond organ. He put out an album of organ trio treatments of more contemporary tunes like The Beach Boy's "Sail on Sailor" and Steely Dan's "Deacon Blues." With "Certified Organic," Levin and gang further expand the form.

When I think of organ trios, Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff most often come to mind. However, you won't find a shuffle on this record. A lot of funk, some swing, but no shuffles. More than anything else, tone separates the guitarists from each other.  The CD features a mix of some surprising covers and Levin originals. Prince's "The Question of You" features a snippet of Hendrix's "Voodoo Child." Standouts include Cole Porter's "Love For Sale," "Nana," and an explosive rendition of Jaco Pastorius' classic "Teen Town."

This music swings, cooks, grooves, paints, and even oozes. The packaging by Emily Saaen absolutely delights, harkening back to vintage Blue Note album covers. But only in America, marketing paradise, could an electric band proudly wear the label "organic!"

I fell in love with one song on this release by organist Pete Levin.  “Where Flamingos Fly” is a mood piece on which Levin states and restates its plaintive theme. It is truly gorgeous and when guitarist Joe Beck enters, it takes on an added luster.

Keyboardist Pete Levin has built a fine discography, closely linked to the jazz world, but it's his recent solo work that's most worth visiting. Drawing from the same organ jazz roots that defined Deacon Blues (Motema, 2007), on Certified Organic Levin recruits a larger cast of characters for an album high on groove but broad in reach, with elements of swing, soul-jazz, funk, fusion and more.

Levin's own multifaceted nature drives the record, starting from the get-go with his funkified “I'm Falling,” where guitarist John Carridi's chunky rhythm playing locks hand-in-glove with drummer Harvey Sorgen's in-the-pocket groove. Levin solos with the organ-equivalent of Scofield's uncanny ability to take things out just enough to create a palpable release when he brings it back in, while Carridi's overdriven solo is bop-inflected but blues-centric.

While grabbing a larger chunk of compositional credit this time around, Levin also finds new approaches to popular tunes. But it's Levin's arrangement of Jaco Pastorius' often-covered “Teen Town” that's Certified Organic's biggest surprise. Usually a bass workout, this time the knotty but singable theme isn't its primary focus; it's a steadily-building trade-off between Levin and saxophonist Erik Lawrence. Demonstrating undeniably fine skills as composer, arranger and performer whose reach goes well beyond Certified Organic's groove-happy veneer, it's an album that easily places Levin in the same company as Larry Goldings, Gary Versace and Dan Wall.

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