all about jazz   august '08

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

Pete Levin's credentials and resume are a given, but in case you live in a cave: Miles, Gil Evans, John Scofield, Jimmy Giuffre, Annie Lennox, Paul Simon.  Need we say more?

Last year's organ centric "Deacon Blues" was a smashing success, so this follows with good reason.  Recorded in Woodstock by Levin and Roman Klun, this time Levin leaves boundaries behind and pushes expectations aside.

As can be expected, a star-studded cast accompanies him: Mike DeMicco, Joe Beck, Jesse Gress, John Cariddi, Erik Lawrence and Harvey Sorgen.

"I'm Falling" opens with a deep funky groove provided by the amazing Sorgen, who is really the secret weapon of this CD.

Levin's thick juicy tone is to die for, as are his undeniable chops. "Nana" has a clever melody line which is expanded upon and exploited in the solo sections. Cole Porter's "Love For Sale" gets a fine reading, as does Jaco Pastorius' "Teen Town," a complex workout that keeps you on the edge of your seat (as Gress and Lawrence fly).

But it's his own tunes that offer real insight: "The Face In the Mirror," "When I Was Young" (featuring a brilliant solo by DeMicco) and the aforementioned "I'm Falling" are weighty and confident compositions. Real musicians playing real music, what could be better?

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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 (Paul Simon, Annie Lennox, Gil Evans, John Scofield just for starters), 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.  With the indefatigable Harvey Sorgen (Hot Tuna) on drums, and Jesse Gress, Mike DeMicco, Joe Beck and John Cariddi circulating through the guitar chair - and other guests - Levin's trio cracks through a selection of jazz/R&B instrumental originals and version of Cole Porter, Jaco Pastorius and Prince tunes, all with a rich interplay and soulful soloing and textures.  Levin's B3 organ is like butter and, let's be honest, everything goes better with butter.  Organic butter, of course.

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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, and his extensive resume includes stints with jazz greats (Gil Evans, Jimmy Giuffre), as well as pop icons (Paul Simon, Annie Lennox), but the new album features him exclusively playing Hammond organ, backed by an all-star batch of musicians including guitarists Joe Beck (Miles Davis), Mike DeMicco (Jack DeJohnette), John Cariddi (Patti Austen) and Jesse Gress (Todd Rundgren, Tony Levin), as well as dynamic drummer Harvey Sorgen (Hot Tuna, David Torn).

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. So hold onto your hats - Justin's in Albany is guaranteed to be the scene of some seriously steaming sounds on Friday, when Pete Levin and his band celebrate the release of their new disc.

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Blogcritics Magazine
Quickies: Pete Levin, CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Written by Pico
Published July 24, 2008

An aptly titled album, this organ trio-based effort is a hard-driving blend of jazz, funk and rock that isn't loaded down with unnecessary filler, just lean, vintage grooves. Coming on the heels of this keyboardist's first Hammond B-3-led release Deacon Blues, this one largely follows the same script.

Levin has mainly made his mark over the course of thirty-plus years scoring for TV commercials, drama series and feature films, as well as extended stints in the Gil Evans Orchestra and Jimmy Giuffre's band. He's also the brother of bassist extraordinaire Tony Levin, and both have played together in, among other projects, a Spike Jones tribute band.

Even within the fairly narrow realm of organ trio jazz, Levin mixes things up enough to hold your interest. "I'm Falling" is a James Brown-styled blues number, while "When I Was Young" gently swings. Selections like "The Question For U" comes closer to the rock side, making this sound akin to the power-organ trio Niacin than to Jimmy Smith. "Where Flamingos Fly" is plaintive adaptation of a classic Gil Evans piece.

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.

Using a revolving cast of guitarists, most notably Joe Beck, each brings the right style to suit the song. Erik Lawrence, the son of former colleague Arnie Lawrence, expands the trio to a quartet for a couple of tracks.

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.

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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). And since then, my appreciation for jazz has increased exponentially thanks to the phenomenal CD collection at the Greenwich, CT public library. I immersed myself in Coltrane and Miles. Which leaves me a little better prepared to handle this little baby.

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. The list goes on for a very long time and even includes little ole me. I had the pleasure of jamming with Levin on Marshall Tucker's "Can't You See" at a local Westchester jam. In 2007, Levin got the urge to revisit his roots and first love, the Hammond organ. Personally, I think he just loves all the back pain and agida that comes with transporting a large keyboard. That year, 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. As a matter of fact, you might just call this record a guitar fest as it features four different guitarists: John Cariddi (Steve Marcus, Peggy Lee), Mike DeMicco (Dave Brubeck, Jack DeJohnette), guitarist Jesse Gress (Todd Rundgren, Tony Levin Band), and legendary Joe Beck (Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Sergio Mendez). Other players include former Hot Tuna drummer Harvey Sorgen, saxophonist Erik Lawrence (Hipmotism, Levon Helm), and percussionists Ernie Colon & Ken Lovelett.

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. Reminds me more of Soulive and Weather Report. Leaving out lyrics makes a lot of room for soloing. And this instrumental album features a lot of blowing, picking, and stroking -- all of it good. More than anything else, tone separates the guitarists from each other -- ranging from downright plinky to hard rock edgy. Of course, I prefer the latter. Speaking of tone, Levin must have spent a lot time pulling the organ tabs for the perfect sound. Because he found it and spread it all over the album.

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' Weather Report classic, "Teen Town." The sax on Levin's "When I Was Young" throws the group firmly into the Miles Davis "In a Silent Way" camp.

In this day and age of stultifying corporate radio, Levin will undoubtedly tap into the growing demand for non "lite" instrumental jazz. 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!"

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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.

Levin kicks off the first track with a funky “I’m Falling,” follows with a so-so “Nana,” gets funky again on the only standard, “Love for Sale.”  Saxophonist Erik Lawrence adds a needed boost on “Teen Town,” a tune with interesting rhythms and “Out of Darkness,” another dark and moody piece but not as pretty as “Where Flamingos Fly.”

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Pete Levin is sometimes overshadowed by his brother Tony, an in-demand player in the art-rock world (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson), who also built serious jazz cred in his youth with vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Warren Bernhardt. But keyboardist Pete Levin has built a fine discography of his own more closely linked to the jazz world. A lengthy stint with composer/arranger Gil Evans, and session work with guitarist John Scofield and trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard helped spread his name, 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.

Mike DeMicco is back from Deacon on Levin's modal fusion workout, “Patience,” where the guitarist's grungy tone turns a potentially ethereal track more visceral, and “When I Was Young,” a lithely swinging tune that updates guitar icon Wes Montgomery's early '60s organ trios. Joe Beck, who sadly passed away in July 2008, also returns for a dark take of the Kennedy/Spolansky ballad, “Where Flamingos Fly” and Levin's “The Face in the Mirror,” its slightly countrified waltz time a reminder of just how versatile this sadly undervalued guitarist was, despite leaving a significant recorded legacy.

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. Moacir Santos and Mani Telles' “Nana” is equally funk-driven, but percussionist Ernie Colon provides a link to its Latin roots, while Levin winds his way through a potent vamp and some more challenging changes.

While grabbing a larger chunk of compositional credit this time around, Levin also finds new approaches to popular tunes. “Love 4 Sale” takes Cole Porter's classic to unexpected places with a combination of some surprising re-harmonization, shifting feels and, after Levin's extended and dynamically building solo, a clean-toned turn from Cariddi that again blends bop with plenty of blues edge.

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. With it, as with all of Certified Organic, Levin ups the ante and aims to increase his visibility as a leader. 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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