Pete Levin (born December 20, 1942) is an American jazz keyboardist, composer, and record producer.
Career
Pete Levin grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts. His first instrument as a teenager was the French horn. He studied at Boston University and received a master's degree from Juilliard School in New York City. Levin was introduced to the Hammond organ by a fellow musician in the late 1960s while serving in the army. In the early 1970s he joined the Gil Evans Orchestra as a French horn player. At the time, Levin was experimenting with synthesizers. Evans incorporated Levin's synthesizer sound into the compositions and his role changed to a full-time keyboardist. His fifteen-year association with the Gil Evans Orchestra was followed by an eight-year association with Jimmy Giuffre.
Levin plays piano, Hammond organ, clavinet, and Moog synthesizer. He has produced several albums as a bandleader, including the 2007 Deacon Blues and Jump! in 2010. In 2014 he released a collaborative album with his brother, bassist Tony Levin, titled Levin Brothers. The album is a tribute to Oscar Pettiford and Julius Watkins.
Levin has performed for film and television scores including Missing in Action, Lean on Me, Silver Bullet, Red Scorpion, The Color of Money, Maniac, Spin City, America's Most Wanted and Star Trek. He has composed orchestral scores of his own for Zelimo and The Dybbuk. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for writing the official military band arrangement of the U.S. Infantry song.
He has worked with Carla Bley, Brubeck Brothers, Hiram Bullock, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Cobham, Willie Colón, Kal David, Miles Davis, Rachelle Farrell, Bryan Ferry, Gregory Hines, The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Annie Lennox, Chuck Mangione, Charles Mingus, Gerry Mulligan, Jaco Pastorius, Genya Ravan, Robbie Robertson, Salt-n-Pepa, David Sanborn, John Scofield, Wayne Shorter, Paul Simon, Lew Soloff, John Tropea, Joe Louis Walker, Vanessa Williams, and Lenny White.
Regarding his creative work, Levin stated that "All my arranging and orchestrating work is grounded in what I experience in live performance...My best and most creative ideas come from playing live."
Discography
As leader
The New Age of Christmas (Atlantic, 1989) with Danny Gottlieb
Masters in This Hall (Gramavision, 1990) with Danny Gottlieb
Party in the Basement (Gramavision, 1990) A Solitary Man (Gramavision, 1991) Music for the Dybbuk (Peter Levin Music, 1974/1996) Harmony (Alternate Mode, 1998) Crystals (Alternate Mode, 2000) Meditations (Alternate Mode, 2001) with Ali Ryerson Zelimo (PLM, 2001) Rhythm of the Spirit (Alternate Mode, 2002) Deacon Blues (Motéma, 2007) Certified Organic (PLM, 2008) Live in Foggia: Pete Levin Trio (PLM, 2009) Jump! (Independent, 2010) IridiumLive 008: 4-18-2012 (E1/Iridium Live, 2013) Levin Brothers (Lazy Bones, 2014) with Tony Levin Möbius (IYOUWE, 2017)
As sideman
With Marc Black
Pictures of the Highway (Suma, 2010) Live at the Bearsville Theater (Independent, 2015) Sing for the Silenced (Independent, 2015)
With Jay Chattaway
Maniac (Southeast, 1980) Invasion USA (Varese Saraband, 1985) Maniac Cop (Varese Saraband, 1988) Red Scorpion (Varese Saraband, 1989) Maniac Cop 2 (Independent, 2014)
With John Clark
I Will (Postcards, 1997) The Odd Couple Quintet (Composers Concordance, 2015)
With Bill Comeau
Some Beautiful Day (Avant Garde, 1972) Grizzly Bear Hunt (Poison Ring, 1973)
With Gil Evans
Blues in Orbit (Enja, 1971) Svengali (Atlantic, 1973) Live at Montreux (Phillips, 1974) The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix (RCA, 1974) There Comes a Time (RCA, 1975) The Tokyo Concert (West Wind, 1976) Live in Barcelona (Atlantic, 1976) Priestess (Antilles, 1977) Parabola (Horo, 1979) Gil Evans Live at the Royal Festival Hall London 1978 (RCA, 1979) Live at the Public Theater (New York 1980) (Trio, 1981) Lunar Eclipse (New Tone, 1981) Live at Sweet Basil (Gramavision, 1984 [1986]) Live at Sweet Basil Vol. 2 (Gramavision, 1984 [1987]) Bud and Bird (Electric Bird/King, 1986 [1987]) Farewell (Evidence, 1986 [1992]) The Honey Man (New Tone, 1986) Live at Umbria Jazz (Umbria Jazz, 2000)
With Rachelle Ferrell
First Instrument (Blue Note, 1990) Somethin' Else (Independent, 1997)
With Jimmy Giuffre
Dragonfly (Soul Note, 1983) Quasar (Soul Note, 1985) Liquid Dancers (Soul Note, 1991)
With Richie Hart
Blues in the Alley (Zoho, 2003) Greasy Street (Zoho, 2005)
With Tony Levin
Waters of Eden (Narada, 2000) Resonator (Narada, 2006)
With Amy Rogell
Come to the Playground (2000) Miles of Smiles (2007)